UK Royal Mail meets with union over door-drops
Royal Mail is to meet with the Communication Workers Union within the next few weeks to discuss increasing the amount of unaddressed mail carried by the union’s postal worker members.
The move would be a breakthrough for door-drop clients frustrated that Royal Mail limits delivery of unaddressed mail to three items a household each week.
For Royal Mail to take advantage of growing demand for door-drop media, it first needs to persuade postmen to carry the extra door-drop weight on their rounds.
The news emerged at the Direct Marketing Association’s Door Drop Marketing conference, held on June 6, where some speakers criticised Royal Mail, accusing the postal service of inflexibility.
The proposal could see trials of larger amounts taking place around the country. Any increase in unaddressed post carried by Royal Mail could mean a shorter time between campaign planning and execution for clients. Currently, campaigns often need to be booked several months in advance, compared with a lead time of few weeks for team-based or freesheet distribution.
The CWU, which has been working towards the proposal with members for several months, still remains cautious about the implications of any possible move.
“There are health and safety concerns, and we have to make sure [members] are fully rewarded, have enough time to do their job and have the right equipment,” Noel McClean, CWU National Executive member, said.
