COVID-IMPACTED DECISION BY COMMUNICATIONS GIANT MEANS NO LETTERS WILL BE RECEIVED OVER THE WEEKEND

HOMES and businesses in Atherstone and district will have to manage without receiving weekend post "until further notice" as the UK today celebrates the work of posties.

Royal Mail has scrapped Saturday letter deliveries across the UK due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The delivery giant says the "temporary" halt begins from this weekend.

Royal Mail has scrapped Saturday letter deliveries across the UK until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The delivery giant said it will "temporarily" halt the deliveries on Saturdays from this weekend.

It said it will continue to provide its letter delivery service from Monday to Friday as normal and said customers "should continue to post both letters and parcels as usual on Saturday". Since the 1800s Sundays and bank holidays have seen no mail delivered, with the exception of some special packages.

Royal Mail will continue to collect all mail from businesses, post offices and post boxes, it said.

Shane O'Riordain, managing director of marketing, regulation and corporate affairs at Royal Mail, said: "Our postmen and postwomen are working very hard across the UK in challenging conditions.

"As we said at the start of the coronavirus crisis, there will be some disruption to services.

"We understand the importance of the postal service in keeping the UK connected at this time.

"We have also listened to our hard-working colleagues who have asked us to ease the additional burden on them if possible. As a result, we are making some temporary changes to postal services."

Royal Mail said it has been in dialogue with the Government and regulator Ofcom throughout the crisis and will keep the temporary change to postal arrangements under review.

The move was criticised by the Communication Workers' Union, which represents postal workers.

A CWU spokesman said: "The reduction of the Universal Service Obligation was a key factor in our live national strike ballot.

"The last thing we want to do is call strike action at this point but we will not sit back and see our members' jobs put at threat and the service to the public worsened."

The decision comes as the work of postal workers will be celebrated on Wednesday as they continue to play a huge role during the current crisis.

National Postal Workers Day is an annual event organised by the Communication Workers Union to promote the work its members do all year round, but is particularly pertinent this year.

A union spokesman added: "We are living in unprecedented times but one thing always remains constant – the significant role our members play in every community in the UK.

"This year we are calling on the public, media and politicians to give a greater level of recognition to postal workers than ever before.

"Despite hugely challenging times, CWU members are keeping the country connected. From delivering essential items to checking on the elderly and taking shopping to the most vulnerable in society, we have seen thousands of examples of local postal workers stepping up."