CWU Young Workers: Royal Mail Campaign 2026

Royal Mail Campaign 2026

In December 2022, Royal Mail started employing new recruits on worse terms and conditions. The CWU did not agree to this, has never agreed to this, and is striving to resolve this.

We want a pathway to equalisation.

The postal industry regulator Ofcom has changed the statutory delivery requirements for the UK. The company wants to implement this change by an ‘optimised delivery model’ (ODM) which does not work in practice. The CWU wants to implement this change by a ‘heavy and light’ method, which will work in practice.

Talks are ongoing on both issues at this time.

This page will be updated regularly. Please see below.

If you are a member of the CWU and would like to know more about this campaign, please reach out to your local rep, or branch secretary in the first instance.

The Case For Equalisation

Royal Mail imposed worse employment contracts on new recruits in December 2022. The union never agreed to this and has been striving ever since to rectify.

Nationally, around 50% of new recruits are leaving within their first 12 months. Local offices all around the country, sadly, have seen new recruits come and go. We all want to do our bit to make sure those colleagues who are currently with us, and future new starters, are treated fairly, given the proper support and given a fair pathway to parity.

The most unfair aspects imposed on post-2022 recruits include:

A 40-hour net working week – the standard contract is 37.
Having to be available to work every Sunday – compared to it being voluntary.
Not being allowed scheduled attendance and not being able to join the RM pension scheme.

FIGHTING FOR FAIRNESS

The national union has pushed equalisation over the past period, but the company, despite agreeing in principle last year to do this as part of a national agreement, has not implemented any equalisation measures.

There were some concrete steps forward being discussed in the middle of last year, but when EP Group took over Royal Mail Group, the new leadership said they wanted to come back to us with their own equalisation proposals. Disappointingly, they have not come forward with any formal offer on the table and in their latest communication to the union, they have said they believe this process is unaffordable.

The union completely rejects that position – how much money are they spending by advertising, recruiting and training new workers, only for them to leave?

How can they recover to the levels of service quality we’re obliged to provide without a properly resourced operation?

What about the huge fines that Ofcom will impose on Royal Mail if those quality-of-service minimum standards are not met?

We insist that agreeing a fair pathway to parity is the only fair way to treat workers. It’s a point of principle for the CWU that every worker deserves a fair deal.

PATHWAY TO PARITY

Getting this pathway to parity fully agreed and implemented is the only way that Royal Mail can be successful in implementing USO reform and getting back to the high-quality standards that the people of the UK deserve.

Let’s be 100% behind the union’s position on this, let’s all unite in support of our new colleagues and stand together for fair and equal rights for all.

The Case Against The ODM

WHAT IS THE OPTIMISED DELIVERY MODEL (ODM)?

This is the approach Royal Mail developed for implementing Ofcom’s rule changes for the USO (Universal Service Obligation) to allow for second-class mail to be delivered every other day, Monday-to-Friday; first-class mail Monday-to-Saturday; with parcels continuing to be delivered six days and on Sunday.

Since March 2025, the ODM has been trialled in 35 pilot delivery offices UK wide. It involves four delivery duties being covered by three people, with one person covering two deliveries (first-class and priority items only, called a combined duty) and two people then covering the other duties (all mail, called the core duty). The deliveries switch, so each duty receives an all-mail service every other day.

WHAT WAS THE AIM OF THE TRIALS?

It was recognised that, given the scale of change under USO reform, trials would be needed to ensure that the changes would work. The pilots were based on success criteria as agreed between the CWU and Royal Mail, these covered:

Maintain or improve Quality of service on all products against all regulatory and commercial targets.
Resourcing will be robust and reliable.
Workload on all routes/walks is manageable in line with planned assumptions and seeks to reduce fatigue.
Average weekly attendances and frequency of Saturday attendances are reduced.

The CWU entered into the trials in good faith, recognising the need for wider USO reform in an ever-changing world of communication.

WHY DOES THE CWU BELIEVE ODM HAS FAILED?

The evidence, data and crucially the feedback from members at the pilot offices is that the ODM design is not working apart from reduced frequency of Saturday attendances. Despite hard work from all involved to implement the change.

On quality of service: The ODM is failing on USO coverage and numerous Royal Mail quality measures. This is important, as the ODM model and wider USO reform is designed to address these areas. Ofcom has warned that, if USO coverage of quality minimum standards are not met, the fines will not be just in the tens of millions but far higher.

To summarise, with these failures and using Royal Mail’s own measurements, only 47 targets out of 175 have been achieved in all the pilot locations. This is 26%.

On efficiency (financial savings): Only eight offices achieved a financial saving under the ODM design. The remaining 27 pilot offices overspent by around 12,566 hours (equal to 339 full-time employees). The majority of the trial sites are spending more hours than they were before the pilot begun, near on 11 months ago. This is important, as Royal Mail has badged the ODM as crucial to the long-term financial stability of the USO.

On workload and morale: Whilst no one would argue that overall morale in Royal Mail is not in a good place, the ODM has turned this problem into a workplace crisis. The feedback from members and reps at the pilot offices has been clear and consistent on ODM and includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Higher than anticipated call rates.
Unachievable workload on both the core and combined deliveries, with delivery spans being too long.
Fatigue, including mental fatigue and a demoralised workforce.
Not enough indoor time.
No flexibility when sick absence occurs, walks fail and it is then hard to recover as there is four to five days’ worth of non-priority mails to be delivered.

The CWU has been clear. USO reform needs to address the long-standing issue of fair, manageable workload and must improve workplace confidence, morale and trust.

WHY IS ROYAL MAIL STILL PUSHING THE FAILED ODM APPROACH?

We have pointed out that the units in the pilot are across-the-board, covering a number of different postcode areas. If ODM was a workable model, it would be working across all locations, which it is not.

The main reason Royal Mail wishes to stick with ODM is that, on paper, it claims that ODM delivers the most savings, but many Royal Mail managers accept these savings cannot be realised. Disappointingly, and as part of Royal Mail’s formal position in seeking to press on with the ODM, they have now set out the additional changes they want:

All singleton town routes moving to shared vans.
Reducing options on attendance patterns and removing the current patterns in place.
Attendance patterns based on later finishes.
COM decides most workable attendance patterns.
COM will allocate duties based on local knowledge before deployment.
Resign/repick will take place at some stage following deployment with no date and there is no reference to this being done on seniority.
Job security replaced with individuals moving workplaces and non-drivers being considered surplus.
No local flexibility around local solutions and options to address local issues.

The CWU fully accepts the need for USO reform, but it needs to be the right reform and the CWU has set out alternative proposals for a ‘Heavy and Light’ model.

Heavy & Light Model Proposal

Here are some key points to consider between the CWU’s preferred USO option, known as the Heavy and Light model (H&L), compared to Royal Mail’s Optimised Delivery Model (ODM).

The Heavy and Light model is based on an eight-into-seven framework, where eight duties are distributed across seven workers. This allows duty pairings to remain as they are, with the ‘heavy’ having all mail and the ‘light’ only first-class and any packets. As this is done as a pairing, no worker will be expected to do all ‘heavy’ – a big issue with ODM.

The H&L model does include a review after 12 weeks to assess the necessity of the seventh duty, either partially or fully. This approach is expected to save Royal Mail approximately £150 million, with further savings anticipated following the review.

To ensure the model’s success, the CWU has proposed deploying 120 pilots before the end of the financial year, including switching all current 35 pilots to H&L. This phased approach allows units to familiarise themselves with the method, identify issues, and address them promptly before wider deployment. It also supports improvements in USO compliance and quality of service results.

The H&L model offers several advantages over Royal Mail’s ODM. First, it protects seniority in the workplace. Delivery attendance patterns can be shaped locally giving members the chance to improve their work life balance. This flexibility empowers local parties to adapt the model to their unique needs. Most of the pilot units switched to a version of H&L during peak and the results were positive. The H&L model design offers at least equal benefits in terms of Saturday attendances.

Heavy and Light also supports increasing contracted hours for part-time workers based on seniority, creating more full-time jobs while protecting part-time roles. It enables a review of start and finish times to help restore some of the damage of Network Window. Importantly, the model upholds the principle of walk ownership, which benefits customers and is so important to our members.

Non-drivers can actively participate in H&L and there will be no compulsory redundancies, in line with the EP Group and CWU agreement. Any surplus will be managed through voluntary moves, redundancies, and natural wastage, with a preference exercise to address deployment or PIR-related surplus – in line with our national agreements.

To oversee the deployment, regional operational directors and divisional reps will ensure changes align with local solutions and overarching principles. A national governance group will also be established to support the process.

In conclusion, the Heavy and Light model represents a significant opportunity for Royal Mail to achieve substantial savings and improve quality of service. But, more importantly, improve our members’ work-life balance and finally fix the mess of our delivery offices. By supporting the CWU H&L model, we can ensure, if successfully implemented, it can benefit both the business and our members.

How Can I Support The CWU In Delivery?

CWU representatives need to engage with members in all functions.

The business needs to agree the alternative model to ODM and pathway to equalisation which is listed in Section Five of the Rebuilding Royal Mail national agreement with EP Group – that members endorsed last year.

We must make sure they honour it in full.

The ODM model does not work and colleagues in the 35 pilot sites back the union stance to revert to the Heavy and Light model which alleviated fatigue and delivered quality of service to the customers during Peak.

Members are due a pay rise in April this year. The three-year pay agreement includes a clause to re-open negotiations if RPI is over 2%. Currently, RPI is at 3% and this means negotiating above 2%.

Pathway to equalisation for members on new terms and conditions is important to all employees. If EP does not extend the current agreement past 2028 there would be nothing stopping them serving notice on legacy terms and conditions in all functions across Royal Mail Group.

The guarantee of no compulsory redundancies and the full terms of the MTSF agreement must be honoured. Any surplus staff scenario must be dealt with under MTSF.

If you read the Royal Mail submission to the Dispute Resolution Procedure (DRP), it is hinting that, in any surplus scenario in a unit, non-drivers would be first out of the door. This is a red line for the union.

We cannot allow management to have the final say on duty patterns, later finishes and duty selections.

ODM has been rejected by members and it doesn’t work. We’re asking you to support the national union in reflecting what our members in the pilot sites have said.

All reps and members can support this campaign.

If EP Group and Royal Mail can renege on the commitment of equalisation, then what else within the agreement could they choose to break?

For example:

The pay reopener clause?

The no compulsory redundancy commitment?

The legal guarantees?

We ask you to support the national union and to show your solidarity in unit meetings which will help deliver a strong message to Royal Mail negotiators that you back your union on the Heavy & Light model and equalisation.

I'm Not In Delivery - What Is This About?

There is a Dispute Resolution Procedure (DRP) in place over implementation of the USO reform in delivery and also over equalisation for new recruits. The second of those is also an issue mostly affecting delivery, so those of us in non-delivery functions may be asking ‘What’s this got to do with us?’.

The answer is that it’s got everything to do with us for several crucial reasons.

EQUALISATION IS AN ISSUE FOR US ALL

The commitment to equalisation for new recruits and the commitment to implement USO reform by agreement are both key aspects of the Rebuilding Royal Mail national agreement and it’s vital that the company is not able to simply walk away from those commitments. An example of how this would impact all Royal Mail Group members is, if we do not achieve equalisation, then in the future, the business could serve notice on standard terms and conditions in all functions across Royal Mail.

PROTECTING OUR NATIONAL AGREEMENTS

The pay part of the Rebuilding Royal Mail agreement includes a re-opener clause if RPI is over 2%. Currently, RPI is at 3% and this means re-opening talks. Could the company walk away from that commitment too?

The same danger applies to the no-compulsory-redundancy guarantee and our MTSF agreement, which must be honoured. Currently, surplus staff scenarios are dealt with under MTSF. But under Royal Mail’s submission to the Dispute Resolution Procedure, the business has implied that any surplus in a delivery unit would mean that non-drivers would be first out of the door. This is a red line for the union.

Repicks, resigns and duty patterns would be decided by the local manager, and there is no reference to duty selection being done by seniority. We cannot allow management to have the unilateral say on all of this.

While the issues of ‘ODM or Heavy and Light’ may not mean much to non-delivery members, the key issue is our delivery colleagues and their representatives are firmly of the view that the ODM will not achieve statutory quality of service minimum standards set by the regulator Ofcom. And if that happens, Ofcom has said there will be huge fines against Royal Mail Group – which will definitely impact on us all. So, on this, we respect the judgement of our delivery colleagues and their representatives and back their argument that ‘Heavy and Light’ is the better model.

We ask you to support the national union and to show your solidarity in unit meetings which will help deliver a strong message to Royal Mail negotiators that you back your union to reach a fair agreement in the talks.

Latest Updates

Royal Mail Group Members, You may have seen that the BBC has recently reported that Liam Byrne, Labour MP and Chair of the Business and Trade Select Committee, has written…

Royal Mail Group Members,

You may have seen that the BBC has recently reported that Liam Byrne, Labour MP and Chair of the Business and Trade Select Committee, has written to the CEO of Royal Mail. In the letter, he has outlined the quality of service crisis and given the company two weeks to answer a series of questions regarding the service, including whether the company is prioritising parcels over letters. A copy of the letter is attached to this email.

This is a serious investigation from the government, spurred on by the thousands of our members who have written to their MPs over the past few months, as part of the CWU’s letter writing campaign. We are pleased that the government has not accepted Royal Mail’s attempts to explain away these issues as though this is a short-term problem.

We all know this is a company that has orchestrated a long-term UK wide crisis in customer quality, staff turnover/shortages and overtime bans. The reason being there are very senior managers still wedded to a strategy that accelerates letter decline – makes Royal Mail just another parcel courier – replicating the exploitative employment models of the competitors.

In response to this important parliamentary intervention, the union is stepping up our engagement with politicians from all political parties to ensure the voices of postal workers are fully heard by Westminster. It is therefore vital that we take any opportunity to represent the views of frontline postal workers to both the government and the public. As such, we will contact members and branches with further initiatives in due course.

CWU meeting with the Government and EP Group

We also want to report that a tripartite meeting between the CWU, EP Group and the government took place on Monday the 16th of February. Daniel Kretinsky and the Secretary of State for Business and Trade attended this meeting, where we discussed the major problems facing our members, the company and the service.

As a result of this meeting, both parties have agreed to enter a period of intensive negotiations for four weeks, facilitated by the Government. These negotiations aim to resolve all outstanding issues, including the USO reform deployment, equalisation of terms and conditions and the full implementation of the agreement reached between EP Group and Royal Mail. We will be keeping members and branches updated throughout these talks.

Next Steps

This is a moment where the union needs to mobilise and come together to do whatever is necessary to defend our members, customers and the UK postal service.

Our objective is to ensure that all parties, EP Group/Royal Mail and the CWU, honour and deliver the commitments made in Rebuilding Royal Mail Parts One and Two. The positive vision of the future that was laid out in these agreements is the only sustainable way forward for Royal Mail and we need all stakeholders- Royal Mail, Ofcom and the government to come together with the union and align on this vision.

We will be briefing your local union representatives imminently and in the near future, we will be asking you to support further key activities that the union will be undertaking to defend your job and the service. Further communications will be sent to you next week.

With your support we will influence the future in a positive way.

Yours in solidarity,

Dave Ward

General Secretary

Martin Walsh

Deputy General Secretary (Postal)

USO Pilot Site Meetings