Scottish Parliamentary election at risk due to 'worsening collapse' in Royal Mail service

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/ ... e-36741438

The Royal Mail in Scotland is facing a crisis to hire staff in Scotland as stark figures show 21% walk out within 90 days of starting

Fears have been raised that the Scottish Parliament elections in May are at risk of disruption due to a "worsening collapse" in Royal Mail services.

In a stark warning to all Scottish MSPs, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) claimed that severe staff shortages and operational failures could compromise the delivery of vital postal ballots and election material.

The union pointed towards a recruitment crisis in the industry, revealing that Scotland now has the highest staff attrition rate in the UK.

More than 21% of new starters are reportedly leaving the business within 90 days, a trend the union blames on "two-tier contracts" introduced in late 2022.

The briefing warns that these staffing issues, combined with reduced rail and flight capacity, are causing significant backlogs. It alleges that a "growing prioritisation of parcels over mail" is hitting communities hard, particularly in rural, Highland, and island areas that rely on the universal service.

Craig Anderson, the CWU Scottish Secretary, warned that the situation is now a "threat to democratic processes."

He said: "Our posties are speaking out because they care about the public service they provide and about the communities they serve.

"Across Scotland, we are hearing reports of important mail, such as medical letters and legal correspondence, being delayed. This is not just a jobs issue; it is a threat to vital public infrastructure.

"We need a clear guarantee from Royal Mail that every Scottish election mailing and postal ballot will be delivered on time and properly. Scotland’s posties keep our communities connected, it's time our politicians ensure they deliver for them."

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We reject claims that postal services in Scotland pose any risk to the delivery of election material or postal votes. We take our role in supporting UK democracy extremely seriously and have successfully delivered elections for many years.

“Our dedicated elections team plans year-round and has been working with the Electoral Commission, Scottish Government, local authorities, political parties, printers and suppliers to ensure candidate mail, poll cards and postal votes are delivered securely and on time. Robust processes and daily operational oversight are in place throughout the election period to maintain service stability and resolve any issues quickly.

“These well-rehearsed measures mean we are fully prepared to deliver election mail across Scotland, and suggestions that the delivery of election mail is at risk are simply wrong.

"As in any nationwide operation, there can be temporary and localised pressures, but the vast majority of mail in Scotland continues to be delivered as expected. We are taking targeted action to support delivery offices and maintain reliable service for customers across Scotland.”

The Scottish Parliament has been contacted for comment.

[scotchy1962]

Hahahahaha they are finally getting caught by the British media and their pants are firmly round their ankles as they're getting pressure from all sides,
Long may it last until they finally follow the USO that they asked for, never mind what they want in the future, i hoped Dan the man would be different but always suspected it would be more of the same.
You reap what you sow!

[ted_e_bear]

Copy/pasted this bit

“Our dedicated elections team plans year-round and has been working with the Electoral Commission, Scottish Government, local authorities, political parties, printers and suppliers to ensure candidate mail, poll cards and postal votes are delivered securely and on time. Robust processes and daily operational oversight are in place throughout the election period to maintain service stability and resolve any issues quickly.

Well that's going to be fun if the odm mail delivery days of 3 one week 2 the next come in, the polling cards/postal votes are bad enough, the candidates crap turns up as and when, apparently no one knows what's coming on a daily basis, could be none, one, three lots, plus the regular d2ds, jeez it'll be a f***ing farce.

[Mr Rush]

The Royal Mail in Scotland is facing a crisis to hire staff in Scotland as stark figures show 21% walk out within 90 days of starting

"reduced rail and flight capacity" would appear to allude to the Network Review and subsequently getting out the door at and being on the street at stupid o'clock.