Royal Mail gets set to move sorting to Swindon

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/418834 ... o_Swindon/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

‘TO LET’ signs are set to go up outside the Oxford Mail Centre as the Royal Mail prepares to wind down operations in Cowley and move to Swindon.

More than 450 staff are employed at the 83,912 sq ft depot in Garsington Road, which is expected to close at the end of June.

It is another body blow to Cowley, which is still reeling from the loss of more than 1,000 agency workers at BMW.

Other Cowley employers to announce recent redundancies include Oxfam on the Oxford Business Park, which saw the loss of 71 posts, and Woolworths branch in the Templars Square shopping centre, where 21 staff went after the store closed.

Royal Mail’s plans to switch Oxford’s mail sorting operation to Swindon are about to kick in.

From next month, some of Oxford’s post will be transferred to Swindon for sorting, with the rest to go by the end of June.

Bob Cullen, of the Communication Workers’ Union based at the depot, said: “The sorting office will close on June 26 with a total loss of a large number of Cowley jobs.

“There is no sense in the move at all. It’s just an attack on the unions. Now the Cowley workers are paying for it with their jobs and the Oxfordshire public will find themselves with a third-rate service.”

The £90m reorganisation, which also involves the closure of the Reading sorting office, will mean many more lorries using the A420 to Swindon.

Royal Mail spokesman Richard Hall denied the move was a result of mail volumes declining because of competition from email.

He added: “So far, 78 of the original 450 workers have volunteered to move to Swindon and between 40 and 50 have taken delivery jobs in the OX postal area.

“But we don’t know precise redundancy figures yet.”

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith said: "Any job losses are a terrible experience for the workers affected and their families– and there is bound to be a knock-on effect in the wider community.

“Everything possible must be done to help them, and I of course support the efforts of JobCentre Plus, the Regional Development Agency and the local jobs club both to ensure that people are helped to find jobs and that both Cowley and Oxford are promoted as good locations for business.”

James Raven, of property company Goodman which owns the Oxford Business Park, said: “Throughout last year, we continued to attract new and growing businesses against the challenging economic climate and we are close to announcing an agreement with another high profile occupier.”

[Tall Guy]

It would always be that OX would get shut at the first opportunity.

All those strikes effectively put a bombsight on the place.

[BELIAL]

Yeh ,what were they thinking of ,fighting to maintain the level of service ,misfits
Oh oh .just thought, if you use that sophisticated non bullying criteria for closure, the whole network will be due a blitz soon
Don't stand up to the bully boys cos they'll take all our balls away.

[brothermagrew]

Would one of the brothers and sisters explain to me how this is then consitent with the article in the March Courier edition page 3 Job cuts denial.

[Tall Guy]

Yeh ,what were they thinking of ,fighting to maintain the level of service ,misfits
Oh oh .just thought, if you use that sophisticated non bullying criteria for closure, the whole network will be due a blitz soon
Don't stand up to the bully boys cos they'll take all our balls away.

Ok, the odd strike here or there is not going to be a major issue, but Oxo were out more than they were in for a long time.

[Night Tonic]

Good stock at Oxo but clearly their beefy approach just thinned the gravy too much

[BELIAL]

So in stark terms ,the lesson is ,do whatever we order you to do or you will be punished
Sounds like threat and intimidation to me. Wonder if thats how you end up with the "I was only following orders MR Berkowitz" scenario. Sinister!

[andy2007]

Yeh ,what were they thinking of ,fighting to maintain the level of service ,misfits
Oh oh .just thought, if you use that sophisticated non bullying criteria for closure, the whole network will be due a blitz soon
Don't stand up to the bully boys cos they'll take all our balls away.

Ok, the odd strike here or there is not going to be a major issue, but Oxo were out more than they were in for a long time.

And what were their reasons for Striking?
If it was for frivilous reasons, even I'd agree with you. But they weren't. The fact is, that they were badly treated, had their services threatened, and tried to DO something about it. Are you really suggesting, that they shouldn't have done so?

[Night Tonic]

Depends how badly you want to keep a job. Those offices that have seen peaks of industrial action all seem to have been targetted. Not much joy from protesting if it results in no job at the end of it.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Depends how badly you want to keep a job. Those offices that have seen peaks of industrial action all seem to have been targetted. Not much joy from protesting if it results in no job at the end of it.

But RM have trumpeted that they have had no Compulsory redundancies and at present have no plans for such either. I wonder if they will change their mind.

[k979aaa]

Depends how badly you want to keep a job. Those offices that have seen peaks of industrial action all seem to have been targetted. Not much joy from protesting if it results in no job at the end of it.

BLACKLISTING!.

[andy2007]

Depends how badly you want to keep a job. Those offices that have seen peaks of industrial action all seem to have been targetted. Not much joy from protesting if it results in no job at the end of it.

You're right about particular offices being targetted. But despite what the Press want you to believe: The Strikes have achieved a lot.

For example: We achieved some compromises in '07. It wasn't much. But it's more than we would have had, if we'd just accepted their demands. And more importantly: it proved that we had the will to stand up for what we believe is right. If we hadn't they would have done far more damage than they have already.

Whether we can halt their attacks on our Services, and our jobs, remains to be seen. But even if we caan't stop it. We can at least slow them down considerably.