United Kingdom – Update on strikes

Royal Mail, wishes to provide other Union member countries and their designated operators with updated information concerning industrial action in December 2022. Postal services will be affected on the following dates:

• Wednesday, 14 December;
• Thursday, 15 December;
• Friday, 23 December;  
• Saturday, 24 December.

Royal Mail will implement extensive contingency plans (as follows) to minimize disruption during the industrial action and will continue to do all it can to support customers as far as possible:

• All mails for the UK should continue to be sent as normal. For inbound air services, the London Air Mail Unit will be operational and will continue to accept and process all inbound arrivals. For inbound road services, the International Logistics Centre (ILC), the Heathrow Worldwide Distribution Centre (HWDC) and Parcelforce Worldwide's Coventry International Hub will all remain open and fully operational;
• Each of these sites will continue to carry out customs clearance and processing activities as usual. The UK's delivery operation will be affected on days when strike action is taking place. Despite the contingency plans, it will not be possible to replace the daily efforts of the entire frontline workforce. Royal Mail will do what it can to keep services running, but there will be significant disruption on the days of the strikes;
• All Union member countries and designated operators should therefore expect to see some delays in items sent for delivery in the UK;
• With regard to exports from the UK, all Union member countries and designated operators will continue to receive export mails from Royal Mail Group, including Parcelforce, as usual. Export volumes may temporarily be lower, but arrivals will continue as normal.

Please visit www.royalmail.com/latest-news for up-to-date and detailed information on services.

Please also note that the last posting dates before Christmas for international mails are provided at www.royalmail.com/christmas/last-posting-dates#lastpostingdates.