Royal Mail to hire 500 workers for Christmas post

Royal Mail has launched a drive to recruit around 500 temporary workers in Northern Ireland during the busy Christmas period.

They will help sort the festive post and the increasing amount of online Christmas shopping.

Temporary positions will be available from late October through to early January 2018.

Around 16,000 people will be recruited to work in mail centres, distribution centres and data centres across England, including around 1,000 roles at a new parcel centre in Atherstone, Warwickshire.

There will also be around 1,000 jobs in Scotland, 300 in Wales and 500 in Northern Ireland.

The temporary recruits will help to sort Christmas cards and parcels and online shopping orders before they are sent to around 1,400 delivery offices for postmen and women to take out on their rounds.

Royal Mail Group’s express parcels business, Parcelforce Worldwide, is also recruiting around 900 extra sorting staff and 1,200 drivers throughout the UK.

Royal Mail’s chief operations officer, Sue Whalley, said: “Christmas continues to be our busiest time of year. We plan all year round to help ensure we deliver the best possible service for UK consumers and businesses at Christmas.

“We are continuing to make a substantial commitment in additional resources including the recruitment of thousands of temporary workers to handle the festive mailbag and the growing market of online Christmas shopping.”