A GWENT union leader claims many people will get their post delivered at 1pm instead of in the morning and that the two deliveries a day system is to be scrapped.

Consignia, the former Royal Mail, has already announced it needs to make changes to cut losses running at £1m a day.

MPs were warned by union leaders at an all-party Welsh affairs committee in West-minster on Wednesday that around 2,000 jobs may have to go in Wales, which could mean up to 300 losses in Gwent.

Gary Watkins, secretary of the Gwent branch of the Communications Workers Union, has now said he is optimistic the only job cuts will be voluntary.

Mr Watkins claims Cons-ignia is planning to overthrow the postal system in the UK. He says the company int-ends to scrap two deliveries a day to just one a day, meaning a reduction in staff numbers.

He said: "If Consignia have their way then the first class post deliveries, which start at around 7am and last until about 9.30am, followed by second class deliveries, will be replaced by just one delivery starting at 9am and which will take roughly four hours.

"Consignia are in dire financial straits and this is one way that they are looking to save money. It is their big way out but I don't think it will make customers very happy.

"Many people will be getting their mail at 1pm instead of early in the morning. "They are very determined to push ahead with these plans, so it is inevitable that some jobs will have to go.

"But I am confident that redundancy packages will be made available so that only those who want to retire voluntarily will go.

"In the very worst case scenario, 300 jobs out of 900 would go in Gwent, but I am confident of job security."

He said that any changes to the postal service would be phased in gradually and that there would be "no major redundancies."