Our Royal Mail members start seven-day Covid test kits service

Monday 23rd November 2020

“It’s a challenge, but our members have shown they’re up for the challenge,” says CWU assistant secretary Mark Baulch in response to the confirmation that Royal Mail has been awarded an expanded nationwide contract for Covid test kit collections and deliveries – seven days a week.

“Our members have shown they can deliver the product like no other company in the UK,” adds Mark, while CWU assistant secretary Davie Robertson adds that this responsibility being award to our members is a testament to the fact that Royal Mail can grow and become a very significant service provider beyond our traditional product base.”

As well as collecting and delivering the test kits form Monday through to Sunday and, whilst already increasing the numbers of priority post boxes to over 35,000 Monday to Saturday, there are also collections from 15,000 of these priority post boxes later into the afternoon on Saturdays and also on Sundays.

Royal Mail has also won the contract form the Government for the delivery of the test kits across seven days of the week, which will be included within core deliveries Monday to Saturday, with delivery of the test kits on a Sunday, operating out of approximately 300 units.

The company’s field operations director Ricky MacAuley says he is “delighted that our network continues to play such an amazing role in fighting this pandemic in the UK and I want to thank people for what they’ve done and what they continue to do.”

And praise for the sterling efforts of our members has come from the Government too, with Secretary of State for Health & Social Care Matt Hancock saying: “It is a big team effort and I am very grateful for our posties for playing their part to help keep people safe.”