Royal Mail postpones full second-class delivery overhaul until after the holidays

Royal Mail announced that the rollout of its revised second-class mail system will be suspended for the last 107 delivery offices until early January, allowing employees to focus on the busy Christmas period. The reform, introduced after International Distribution Services was acquired by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, will limit second-class deliveries to alternate weekdays and remove Saturday service. So far, the new model operates in roughly 90% of offices, with early results showing a 9% rise in first-class service quality and higher address-reach rates.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently urged the carrier to boost performance, hinting at possible governmental action. The Communication Workers Union has called for an emergency summit, describing the organization as near collapse. Royal Mail maintains the delay is a practical measure to sustain progress and deliver a successful holiday season for customers.