Royal Mail says it has “passed on Christmas” for more than 500 years, but this year many workers will be sick of second-class workers.
The Postal service, which traces its history to the appointment of a “Master of the posts” by Henry VIII in 1516, gave workers 50 Christmas stamps to recognize their work at the busiest time of the year. In previous years, including in 2024, workers received a book of 50 or 100 stamps in the first class, but that was quietly transferred to the second class this year.
The lowered perk causes the workers to become the king of the mail. This is the first Christmas since the Parent of Diriawa Distribution, distribution services (ID), was bought by Czech Bellistricy Billionaire Daniel Křetínský.
Seasonal stamps have been a popular part of the service since 1966, after being introduced under Labor Postmaster General Tony Benn. This year’s edition features scenes from the Bible illustrated by British Artist Paula Dohent, while previous versions include a take on Quentin Blake’s Ebenezer Scrooge From Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol.
Although the immediate costs of the gift of the royal mail may be limited to some additional printing and a blanket of the value of 820.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said workers were disturbed by the message being sent.
A CWU spokeswoman said: “The decision to send employees second class stamps these staff first time.
The change comes as it cuts royal mail to second-class deliveries, after allowing it to adapt to changes in the universal service.
A spokesman for the royal said: “Every Christmas, the king knows the hard work of the partners of the year in engaging customers throughout the entire festival.”
In previous years the Stats Gift was usually sent at the end of November, but the second class stamps were issued earlier than expected.
After the newsletter promotion
Other gifts in the past have raised eyebrows among workers, including a bunch of beans, and a curn for another year’s worth of contingents of mail workers.
A photo of a Christmas card sent out this year by Royal Mail workers said: “We know that every gift, the card is not just for this time of year.
The letter is signed by the Royal Mail’s Executive Team. It was not signed by the IDS leadership, or by Křetínský.