Royal Mail have issued an update to the Christmas 2022 last post dates, with earlier deadlines for getting mail out and being reasonably confident it will be delivered in time for Christmas.
Additionally, Ofcom have warned Royal Mail that the excuses have run out and that the Covid Pandemic can no longer be used as an excuse for late delivery.
Revised Christmas 2022 last post dates
Here are the revised Christmas 2022 last post dates, most of which are around a week earlier than previously announced:
Monday 12th December (was 19th)
- 2nd Class
- 2nd Class Signed For Royal Mail 48
Friday 16th December (was 21st)
- 1st Class
- 1st Class Signed For
- Royal Mail 24
- Tracked 48
Monday 19th December (was 22nd)
- Royal Mail Tracked 24
Wednesday 21st December (was 23rd)
- Special Delivery Guaranteed
Ofcom and Royal Mail excuses
Ofcom has warned Royal Mail that it cannot continue to rely on the impact of Covid-19 as an excuse for poor delivery performance, after the company missed several regulatory targets last year due to the pandemic. The warning comes as the regulator concluded its investigation into Royal Mail’s delivery performance between April 2021 and March 2022.
In our view, had it not been for the impacts of Covid-19, Royal Mail’s performance levels would have been significantly higher, and it is possible that it may have met its targets. As such, we decided it was not appropriate to find Royal Mail in breach of its regulatory obligations for 2021-22.
But we do not expect Covid-19 to have a continuing, significant impact on the company’s service levels. We believe Royal Mail has had plenty of time to learn lessons from the pandemic, and we are unlikely to consider it as exceptional and beyond the company’s control in future.
– Ofcom
It’s worth noting that the current industrial action is unlikely to be viewed as a viable excuse by Ofcom for missing postal targets as this is a business issue and not one that can be ascribed to outside influence. Whilst the cost of living crisis is very real and multiple industries are striking, Royal Mail could potentially have averted the post strikes simply by caving into all the Union demands.
Instead Royal Mail appear to have taken a stance to fight the Union at every turn and continually pile up pressure on the Union to drive through the change they want – it’s likely the Union would accept some change but every time they appear willing to negotiate Royal Mail have dished up another set of bad news whether it be layoffs, subbing work to third parties, cutting the Universal service or reduced redundancy pay.
The revised Christmas 2022 last post dates will do nothing to help Royal Mail’s reputation with their customers – small businesses that rely on them to deliver their sales. By the time the strike is over their business will be devastated with many customers having left never to return.
