Royal Mail has warned that 11 days of upcoming strikes could cause a number of delays to letter and parcel deliveries.
During the firm's busiest time of year, 115,000 postal workers will walk out on specific dates between Thursday (November 24) to Christmas Eve.
They are pushing for higher pay as the cost of living soars.
Royal Mail said it aims to deliver as many Special Delivery and Tracked24 parcels (prioritising delivery of Covid test kids and medical items) as possible on strike days but any other letters or parcels will not be delivered.
Delivery offices and Customer Service Points (collection offices) will be closed, reports MoneySavingExpert.com.
Service will be running as normal on non-strike days, but Royal Mail warned that there could still be delays. Normally, the service aims to deliver post six days a week.
What dates will postal workers strike?
The Communication Workers Union has released the dates its postal workers will strike on. They had already confirmed strike action on Black Friday, but have now announced dates covering the Christmas period.
The 11 dates are:
- Thursday 24 November
- Friday 25 November
- Wednesday 30 November
- Thursday 1 December
- Friday 2 December
- Friday 9 December
- Sunday 11 December
- Wednesday 14 December
- Thursday 15 December
- Friday 23 December
- Saturday 24 December
What to do if your delivery is delayed
If your post is lost, damaged or delayed, you might be able to get compensation from the Royal Mail.
Use the compensation form on the Royal Mail website, proving full details of both the sender and recipient, proof of postage and cost/value of the delivery.
You will not be able to get compensation from Royal Mail if your delivery is late but posted from somewhere outside the UK.
Compensation also doesn't apply if it was posted by special delivery then had to be redirected or it was sent using the Tracked 24 or Tracked 48 service.
Citizens Advice offers more advice on claiming compensation from Royal Mail on its website.
You should always contact the retailer if your parcel has been delayed or lost - ultimately, it is their responsibility to ensure it arrives.
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 states y our delivery must be made without delay and within 30 days unless you've come to a different arrangement with the retailer.
If you ordered something for a special occasion, and the retailer was aware of this date - but the item won't arrive in time, then you are entitled to a refund.
The same goes if you paid extra for delivery by a certain date.
If you ordered online or over the phone, you also have the right to cancel within 14 calendar days and get a full refund.
And if you were forced to take time off work because the delivery was rescheduled, you could be eligible for compensation.
It might sound obvious, but try not to send any post via Royal Mail the day before a strike as it's likely your parcel or letter will be delayed.
