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Royal Mail says that it has “delivered Christmas” for more than 500 years, but this year many workers have been left feeling less than festive after the company downgraded a small gift to workers to second class.
The postal service, which traces its history back to the appointment of a “master of the posts” by Henry VIII in 1516, has given workers a collection of 50 Christmas stamps to recognise their work over the busiest time of year. In previous years, including in 2024, workers have received a book of 50 or 100 first-class stamps, but that has quietly been switched to second class this year.
The downgraded perk has caused bemusement among Royal Mail’s workers. It is the first Christmas since Royal Mail’s parent company, International Distribution Services (IDS), was bought by Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský.
Seasonal stamps have been a popular feature of the service since 1966, after they were introduced under Labour postmaster general Tony Benn. This year’s edition features biblical scenes illustrated by British artist Paula Doherty, while previous versions have included illustrator Quentin Blake’s 1993 rendition of Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol.
Although the immediate costs of the gift to the Royal Mail would be limited to some extra printing and the delivery costs, a sheet of 50 first-class stamps would nominally be worth £85 since the price rose to £1.70 in April – more than double the price in 2020. A second-class stamp costs 87p – a potentially significant saving for a business that employs 130,000 people.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said that workers were irritated by the message the change sent.
A CWU spokesperson said: “The decision to send employees second-class stamps this Christmas exemplifies the way Royal Mail has been treating its staff for a long time now. Whilst postal workers are disappointed at this latest development they will, as always continue to deliver a first-class service to customers and businesses across the UK.”
The change comes as Royal Mail cuts back second-class deliveries, after it was allowed to make changes to the universal service obligation.
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Every Christmas, Royal Mail recognises the hard work of colleagues in a number of ways, including a frontline bonus, free stamps and a wider recognition programme, to thank them for their efforts during our busiest time of year. This year, we’ve included 50 second-class stamps to reflect recent changes to the universal service obligation and to help keep mail moving smoothly for customers throughout the festive season.”
In previous years the stamps gift was usually sent at the end of November, but this year’s second-class stamps were delivered earlier than expected.
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Other gifts in the past have raised eyebrows among workers, including a pack of seeds, and a comb another year, which was appreciated less by Royal Mail’s contingent of bald workers.
A picture of a Christmas card sent this year to workers at Royal Mail said: “We have been delivering Christmas for over 500 years. We know that every gift, card and letter is important – and never more so than at this time of the year. At Royal Mail and Parcelforce we don’t just deliver Christmas, we are Christmas.”
The letter was signed by Royal Mail’s executive team. It was not signed by IDS’s leadership, or by Křetínský.
