Royal Mail workers are paid a penny

A pay row between Royal Mail and temporary workers has intensified after staff waiting for Christmas wages had just 1p put into their bank accounts.

Hundreds of workers employed to tackle the Christmas rush have suffered after payroll problems delayed their wages.

The firm insists it has managed to pay most of its seasonal workers but staff, some of whom say they are owed hundreds of pounds, say they were stunned to find their accounts credited with just a penny.

The mix-up has affected staff at sorting offices in Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Stafford.

Royal Mail has apologised but said the "vast majority" of those issued 1p had been overpaid previously and it was a nominal fee to complete a transaction.

But furious workers today said they were out of pocket by hundreds of pounds.

One worker at the Sun Street depot in Wolverhampton, who did not wish to be named, said she had been expecting money owed to her from her first ever paypacket from November.

"I was supposed to be paid £152 but instead there was 1p," she said. "I have worked there for four weeks and not once has my pay been right."

Royal Mail spokesman Nick Martens said staff who had been overpaid were warned it would need to get the money back.

He said: "To recoup the amount owed, we need to complete a pay run and that requires a nominal payment in order to complete a transaction. We are sorry for any upset this has caused."