ROYAL Mail has launched a drive to recruit around 675 temporary workers across Wales.

The drive comes as part of plans to recruit a total of 19,000 helpers across the UK to help sort the Christmas post as well as the increasing amount of online Christmas shopping.

Temporary positions across a variety of shifts will be available between mid-November through to early January 2017. The peak of the additional temporary work will be in the busiest month of December.

The majority of seasonal positions will support Royal Mail’s 120,000 permanent postmen and women, who sort and deliver the mail all year round. Parcelforce Worldwide is also looking for drivers and indoor workers as the whole organisation gears up to deliver at Christmas.

The temporary recruits will help to sort Christmas cards and parcels and online shopping orders, before they are taken 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 1850 extra sorting staff and 830 drivers throughout the UK.

Royal Mail is recruiting 675 people in Wales as well as around 14,900 across England. There are 1300 rolesin Scotland and 500 in Northern Ireland.

Royal Mail has set up a dedicated website for people to apply for the Christmas positions – www.royalmailgroup.com/xmasjobs or by calling the helpline on 0345 600 1785.