Royal Mail will end second-class Saturday letter deliveries, moving to weekday-only service as part of Universal Service reforms rolled out nationwide.

The deal includes pay rises: 4.75% for current staff and workers hired on or after December 1, 2022 receive the higher uplift, while legacy contracts see a 3% increase.

The reforms aim to improve service quality and maintain universal service as part of the company’s long-term strategy.

The rollout starts with about 240 delivery offices as a trial, with full nationwide deployment across roughly 1,200 offices planned by December.

Royal Mail’s CEO says the agreement is a significant investment in staff and a move toward a more reliable, efficient, and financially sustainable postal service for customers across the UK.

New starters will be on a standard 37-hour week, and around 6,000 part-time workers will be able to increase their average weekly hours under the reforms.

As a concrete example, a second-class letter posted Monday would be delivered by Thursday, while one posted Wednesday would arrive the following Monday.