Royal Mail 'refuses to meet us'

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpoo ... -23140913/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

POSTAL union leaders claim Royal Mail is refusing to consult them on its proposals to shut Liverpool’s Copperas Hill sorting centre.

The controversial plan, which was revealed last year, will affect 600 jobs.

Union members were today heading to a protest in the Midlands against the proposal.

Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) Liverpool branch secretary Mark Walsh said: “Whenever we ask for talks, they say they are planning.

“Even at a national level, they are not prepared to talk about closures, jobs or shift patterns.”

Royal Mail unveiled plans last summer to close five of seven North West sorting centres, including Copperas Hill, by 2010.

The CWU, local MPs, Liverpool council and regeneration agency Liverpool Vision submitted proposals to Royal Mail to replace Copperas Hill with a purpose-built facility in Speke or Knowsley.

But Royal Mail rejected the plans on cost grounds.

The closure of Copperas Hill would leave Liverpool as the only major UK city without its own sorting office.

Mr Walsh is heading a party of 10 Liverpool postal workers on a march and rally today in the Wolverhampton constituency of Post Office minister Pat McFadden MP.

The union expects about 600 members to attend.

Mr Walsh added: “The protest is over government plans to part-privatise Royal Mail, but also to highlight our problems in Liverpool, particularly in getting Royal Mail to talk to us about the proposed closure of Copperas Hill.

“They met on March 2-3, but there were no talks about Copperas Hill.”

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We met with unions early this week and discussions are ongoing both locally and nationally regarding our modernisation strategy.”

[johnsouthwales]

was copperas hill closed because of the building was outdated? im very sure london sorting offices are outadted, but no, you mustn't close london offices can u? . think the work had been transferred over to warrington.. liverpool..city population 500,000..

[andy2007]

was copperas hill closed because of the building was outdated? im very sure london sorting offices are outadted, but no, you mustn't close london offices can u? . think the work had been transferred over to warrington.. liverpool..city population 500,000..

Yes, and no. The building at Coppras Hill IS outdated, and needs replacing. But that isn't why it's being moved to Warrington. There were several, very good sites available in the Liverpool area. But the problem is, that they are planning to merge them with Crewe MC, and it would be ludicrous for the staff from Crewe, to commute to Liverpool.

Rather than keep them as seperate offices. They have decided to put them both, in the current RDC (Regional Distribution Centre) building at Warrington. And move the RDC, a few miles down the road.

So now. Instead of the existing Crewe Staff, being expected to have a marathon commute every day. And of course having the Mail, do the same ludicrous journey too. They are both going to have a long (but practical) commute. Sound sensible?
Yes. Until you realise how many more miles the Mail will have to travel, for both Crewe and Liverpool. The Mail has to be collected, sent to Warrington, then sent back again, to the DOs. Not exactly an environmantally friendly way of working eh?

If they were average sized towns, I could perhaps understand it. But Liverpool in particular, is a big City. Crewe is pretty big too. Yet the Crewe Mail, will have to do a 70 mile round trip, to get from the Postboxes, to the MC, and back to the DOs!

And the Staff from the RDC?
Well, although the "new" site is much older. It's having major work done on it, to bring it up to the right standard. And assuming that they do everything on the Planning Permission. It'll be much better than the existing one.

Does that mean that RMs plans are good?
No! Because one, comparatively small group of Posties getting a better place to work, at the expense of a few hundred Collegues, is wrong!

Obviously: If there was a miracle, and they went back to the negotiating table, and rethought their plans, so that the MCs wouldn't suffer. Then quite frankly, I'd be over the moon. I stand to gain a lot through this merger (as I work in NWRDC). But I don't want it to happen at the expense of so many of my Collegues. Particularly the ones from Crewe, who will have to do a 70 mile commute. Even though a lot of them are on 20 hour contracts. And of course, there's the damage that will be done to the environment, from the extra Lorry journeys. And potentially, damage to the service as well.

[Big Daz]

Andy

I presume RM have realised the extra cost in having the extra lorry journeys? So much for saving momey

[DGP1]

Andy

I presume RM have realised the extra cost in having the extra lorry journeys? So much for saving momey

And the environmental issues

[andy2007]

Sadly, it works out cheaper to have the extra lorry journeys, than run 2 sites. But what about the environmental impact?
Not just the Lorry journeys. Although they're bad enough. But the 70 mile commute for all the Crewe Staff. And what about the impact on the service?
They say it'll be improved. But we've heard that one before, haven't we?

[k979aaa]

Andy

I presume RM have realised the extra cost in having the extra lorry journeys? So much for saving momey

And the environmental issues

Do you really think that has any bearing upon royalmails masterplan of mailcenter reviews across the nation to cut cost and jobs look at page six of the scourire thames valley supermail-center 15,000 sq meters two flat sorting machines and 25 other processing machines with 930 staff and 37 managers!. I wonder how many staff and managers their was in reading,oxford,swindon before hand?.

[POSTMAN]

was copperas hill closed because of the building was outdated? im very sure london sorting offices are outadted, but no, you mustn't close london offices can u? . think the work had been transferred over to warrington.. liverpool..city population 500,000..

Us down in the smoke are rumoured to be losing an MC or 2,so we're not exempt from anything.

[johnsouthwales]

not that i would want a closure down south. looked at an old press clipping from 1997, copperas was earmarked from closure then. so how the hell wasnt it sorted before now? yes there are some other mc in liverpool, kirkby and birkenhead. warrington is almost halfway between liverpool and manchester, slightly towards manc. crewe is about 15miles from stoke? stoke has it's mail processed in wolverhampton (wonder where wolves has its mail sorted?) crewe is classed as northwest and stoke classed as midlands.

unless workers are prepared to travel from their old jobs in liverpool over 15 miles daily in each direction, which would cost around £20 a week in fuel. it has been suggested to travel by bike if necessary. now for the funny part, if someone from liverpool travels to warrington, ends up going back to liverpool to deliver, and then back to warrington then back again to liverpool in time for supper and tea. same as crewe. could end up having crewe staff delivering to liverpool and vice versa. if that is the case, i'd have to say it is is royal mail heading for the nuthouse. and this is from a government that is dedicated to environmental issues lol. may as well use ford's halewood plant as a mc, if they shut up shop. big enough to accomodate a super mc..logistics my arce..

[andy2007]

not that i would want a closure down south. looked at an old press clipping from 1997, copperas was earmarked from closure then. so how the hell wasnt it sorted before now? yes there are some other mc in liverpool, kirkby and birkenhead. warrington is almost halfway between liverpool and manchester, slightly towards manc. crewe is about 15miles from stoke? stoke has it's mail processed in wolverhampton (wonder where wolves has its mail sorted?) crewe is classed as northwest and stoke classed as midlands.

It wasn't closed, because there is plenty of work there. It's just the building that's long since ceased to be fit for purpose.

unless workers are prepared to travel from their old jobs in liverpool over 15 miles daily in each direction, which would cost around £20 a week in fuel. it has been suggested to travel by bike if necessary. now for the funny part, if someone from liverpool travels to warrington, ends up going back to liverpool to deliver, and then back to warrington then back again to liverpool in time for supper and tea. same as crewe. could end up having crewe staff delivering to liverpool and vice versa. if that is the case, i'd have to say it is is royal mail heading for the nuthouse. and this is from a government that is dedicated to environmental issues lol. may as well use ford's halewood plant as a mc, if they shut up shop. big enough to accomodate a super mc..logistics my arce..

The Liverpool Staff are the lucky ones. It's approximately 35 Miles each way for the Crewe Staff.

You won't have people commuting to Warrington, then returning to deliver the mail. Once the mail has been sorted into the correct areas, it's sent to the DOs (Delivery Offices), to be delivered. The MC (Mail Centre) Staff don't actualy deliver "the final mile". That's what the DOs are for. But apart from that, you've summed it up perfectly.

Just think: This is supposed to improve efficiency!

[johnsouthwales]

(Crewe) Royal Mail bosses say they will "work with their people" to try to alleviate the travel expense, but many workers feel they will find it impossible to bear the financial burden which could cost up to £3,000 a year.

virgin trains from crewe to warrington keys run at 5.57am arrive 06.13 07.09 - 07.26 07.32 - 07.49 cost is £9.40 return

are royal mail going to provide a staff ferrying service? no.. so what is the point of royal mail saying they will work with the people? what exactly can rm do to alleviate expense?

http://www.crewechronicle.co.uk/crewe-n ... -21524161/

copperas hill is more or less next to lime street station.. it has been said the building is outdated.

Mr Walsh said the most modern machine, which could handle A4 envelopes, was removed last October (2007) while his members were on unofficial strike.

He said: “I believe that was a ‘dumbing down’ of the building.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=591553

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liv ... -20568305/
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... 225-50.htm

More job losses

IN TOTAL frustration I write to you, having just read the article regarding a further 800 job losses in Liverpool at the Royal Mail.

Back in 1997, when the Labour Party were elected to run the country, we all breathed a sigh of relief, at last we thought the bad old days of the past had gone.

How wrong we were, Liverpool has been treated badly by this Labour government.

Recently we have seen the announcements of job losses at Rolls -Royce, Remploy, Revenue & Customs and now Royal Mail (sorting office – Copperas Hill).

Add this to the job losses at the Post Offices, in the Fire Service and the refusal to fund our Capital of Culture, I wonder how anyone can perceive that Liverpool is better under Labour.

http://www.yoliverpool.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10786

http://www.crewechronicle.co.uk/crewe-n ... -22491603/

http://www.crewe.tv/2008/08/crewe-sorti ... close.html
archive.thisischeshire.co.uk/1997/9/27/245411.html
http://www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk/a ... Page1.html
/www.crewechronicle.co.uk/crewe-news/lo ... -21561983/
http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?s ... de=3127281

http://www.ukbusinesspark.co.uk/rol02371.htm

[Martin Walsh]

Johnsouthwales London had 10 mail centres in 1994 we now have just 3 and it is rumoured they want to close another.

The union have known for some time that Royal Mail have wanted to end up with just 33 mail centres down from 67 which is the current number and the North west review is just the start. We had a similar review in the 90s which closed WC , EC , SE . W1 North West , North London mail centres. Paddington mail centre closed last year.

So London has seen the cuts in the past.

[johnsouthwales]

jeez .. FQin hell .. hang on, london with a population of 11million.. 3 mail centres possibly reduced to two? now that has baffled me more and shocked me.

[Martin Walsh]

London took a decision back in 1994 that we wouldt defend bricks and mortar we would defend people. In truth some of mail centres were a stone throw apart ie WC and W1 was about 5 mins walk away one in new oxford street the other in Rathbone place a couple hundred yards away from Tottenham Court road , EC was less then 10 mins walk away from the mount. South East London was less then 2 miles away from Nine Elms.

We balloted the whole of London for strike action and got a yes vote even in deliveries who were not directly effected. As a result of the yes vote we achieved a code of pratice agreement which later became MTSF to deal with indivudals who either wanted to go on VR or needed pay protection and excess fares for moving to a new mail centre.

I fully understand that closing somewhere like Covertry , Crewe, Liverpool , Reading , Milton Keynes etc with the travelling distances to new mail centres is a different propositon and anyone who wants to fight to keep their mail centres I will fully support.

[johnnyp]

We have also lost the underground mail train as well as the above mentioned mail centres