An Evri courier has blamed senior management for ongoing delivery problems in Suffolk.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said drivers had to work around the clock to deal with the backlog of parcels and claimed it was caused by the company “taking on more than they can handle”.
The company says it has hired extra workers, but the supply sector has been hit by staff shortages and sickness.
Evry has faced fierce criticism in recent months, with people across the county receiving orders late or none at all.
Evri faced fierce criticism after some customers failed to receive orders (Image: Newsquest)
“I understand the frustration,” the driver said.
“Some of them haven’t had a supply for months.
“But it’s not for lack of trying.
“There is such a big backlog and we are doing everything we can to overcome it. We are mentally and physically exhausted.”
The courier said many customers were wrongly told that drivers had their parcels four or five days before they were collected.
These issues subsequently led to drivers being abused by frustrated shoppers.
“I understand why they’re upset – especially at Christmas,” the driver said.
“But it’s not under our control.
“We are working around the clock to resolve this.”
Couriers say drivers are struggling to meet the quotas the company has set for them due to the high volume of orders.
This has resulted in a number of employees working 27 days in a row and having their monthly bonuses wiped out.
“Some of us even have to cancel our days off,” the driver said.
“But we can’t work anymore.
In some incidents Evry’s parcels were found dumped in hedges (Image: Andrew East)
“But we’ll have it all done by Christmas Eve – no matter how long it takes.”
An Evri spokesman said the welfare of workers was a “top priority” and “bonuses are not linked to accrued liabilities and have not been withheld”.
He said: “Our couriers are self-employed and are free to choose the number of parcels they want to deliver, in what timeframe and to organize their days off.
“Some of our couriers have decided to deliver on Sundays during this peak to gain additional revenue, but this has always been optional.
“We have taken on an extra 5,000 couriers in this peak and have been actively recruiting in the area since October, but like others in the sector we have been hit by staff shortages and sickness.
“Although we are experiencing record Christmas volumes due to Royal Mail strikes and have experienced some delays due to bad weather, our local teams are confident that all parcels will be delivered in time for Christmas.”
Add Comment