Royal Mail described the initiative as 'really great'
The Royal Mail has urged its staff to bring their parents, siblings and friends to work to help deal with strike action and “save Christmas” this winter.
Members of the CWU union - which represents more than 115,000 postal workers - have taken industrial action amid calls for better pay.
Workers began 48-hour strike on Wednesday, December 14, and another two-day strike is lined up for Friday, December 23.
This will make the festive period more difficult for both people and businesses as they look to get presents, cards and parcels delivered on time.
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Thousands of striking Royal Mail workers and supporters attend a rally organised by the CWU at Parliament Square on December 9, 2022 in London (Getty)[/caption]
This has led the Royal Mail to issue a bizarre plea to workers to bring family members to work to tackle the staff shortages this winter.
On Thursday, staff were asked in a memo to “bring friends and family to support the operation and deliver Christmas”.
The scheme was described by bosses as “a really great initiative” and “really quick.”
The full memo reads: "Evening everyone, we have just 8 more opportunities to delight our customers and save their Christmas.
"I know how important our customers are to all of you.
"We have an initiative to allow you all to bring friends and family to support the operation and deliver Christmas.
"It's a really great initiative and really quick. If you have any friends or family that would love to come and help us, please speak to your line manager who will be able to give you all the details."
The CWU has described the initiative as "next level desperation from Royal Mail", adding: "The support for the strike is so strong that they are asking managers to bring in friends and family to clear the backlog.
"Not only are you are a strike breaker but your family can be too. On. The. Ropes."
https://twitter.com/CWUnews/status/1603505707881336832
Non-operational staff from Royal Mail’s tax, legal, accounting and marketing departments have also been asked to stop all other work between now and Christmas and help to deliver as much mail as possible.
According to the
Telegraph, a staffing agency posted an advertisement for mail staffers at the post office's Staines site offering up to £18 an hour.
The Royal Mail confirmed to the paper that any friends and family who were enlisted would be paid the same as agency workers.
The CWU has maintained its stance though, saying: "Royal Mail are risking serious security risks by bringing in completely untrained randomers with no experience to plough through your Christmas post.
"There is a better day of dealing with this backlog: stop the destruction of your workers' livelihoods, guarantee you’ll treat them with the respect they deserve, and let them get back on with grafting over Christmas."
