Muslim Royal Mail workers blasted the company for including pork in its seemingly meat-free Christmas lunch options.
Staff at Birmingham’s Aston sorting office were treated to a festive buffet for their efforts throughout the year.
But the gesture backfired when Muslim workers realised the scotch eggs contained pork.
The party food favourite was one of the options available to vegetarians and those from religious backgrounds who were unable to eat meat.
This included around 15 Muslims who were invited to the festive buffet.
One worker said both he and his colleagues were “very angry” and labelled an offer of a free cup of tea from the Royal Mail to make up as a “joke”.
“It’s totally against our religion to eat pork so we were all clearly upset and angry when we found out that we had eaten it,” the worker of 20 years said.
“Some of us became suspicious that the scotch eggs contained pork, and when it was confirmed we were really upset.
“We asked the catering staff what was in them and they told us that it was, in fact, pork.
“Management admitted the error and offered us a free cup of tea in return, which was just a joke.”
A spokesman for Royal Mail said an apology had been issued for the “genuine mistake”.
The free Christmas lunch was a way of the postal company thanking its staff after a tough year.
Nationally, there have been strikes this year at the company, many of which affected the Aston sorting office.
The action was over pay, working conditions and reform which caused widespread disruption to postal services.
In October, workers gathered outside the Aston depot from 4am as a two-day strike began, following the breakdown of marathon talks involving Royal Mail and the Communication and Workers Union aimed at preventing the walkout.
The scene was the same at many bases across Britain amid anger over modernisation plans.
All workers on the late night shift were invited to the afternoon buffet.
A spokesman for Royal Mail said: “Regrettably, our catering contractors wrongly labelled an item of food containing meat as a vegetarian option.
“As soon as the mistake was realised the items were withdrawn from the buffet. An apology has been issued to all staff.”