Anger over Stanmore postie sacking

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.harrowobserver.co.uk/west-lo ... -23968126/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A POPULAR postman believes he was unfairly sacked from his Stanmore delivery round after almost a quarter of a century because Royal Mail bosses cruelly ignored his clinical depression.

Even the written support of 20 customers failed to help Chris Blunt, 46, win his internal appeal against his dismissal in April for "unsatisfactory attendance".

The dedicated father-of-four – whose Priory Drive route took in the home of ex-Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton - is devastated to have lost a job that once saw him come to the aid of a lone elderly resident who had broken her hip in a fall down the stairs.

Mr Blunt, of Dunstable, Bedfordshire, says the whole saga began in November 2002 when he suffered an industrial accident in which he slipped on flour at a bread factory and fell down some steps.

He needed several operations and his doctor wrote to the Royal Mail with a diagnosis of depression.

Last autumn, in an apparent recognition of his illness, the Royal Mail sent him on a six session "RehabWorks stress and well-being management programme".

But Mr Blunt claimed his past medical history counted for nothing when he was given three escalating disciplinary warnings and then sacked for absenteeism – even though he said the periods of time off the company had chalked up to "stress" had actually been due to clinical depression.

Mr Blunt told the Harrow Observer: "I'm absolutely devastated. I loved my job and I enjoyed meeting my customers.

"Quite of a few of them talked to me and looked forward to me coming. For some I used to pick up prescriptions and others sent me postcards when they went away.

"It was my way of life – getting up at that time in the morning for 23 years. Then all I was given was my P45 and my wage slip.

"It's definitely cost cutting. They got rid of me and it didn't cost them a penny, and I feel I have been picked out.

"Stanmore Sorting Office had to cut a certain amount many hours so getting rid of someone like me gets rid of 40 hours."

What aggrieves Mr Blunt even more is that he applied for voluntary redundancy last Christmas and was refused, only for dismissal to come three months later.

With the support of the Communications Workers Union, Mr Blunt has lodged an employment tribunal claim for unfair dismissal and discrimination, stating he could have been made redundant or have been given retirement on medical grounds instead.

In a June 3 letter upholding Mr Blunt's sacking, a Royal Mail appeals manager wrote: "In the light of all the evidence, my decision is that you have been treated fairly and reasonably and that I believe that the original decision of stage 3 dismissal/attendance dismissal is appropriate."

A Royal Mail spokesman added: "We do not comment on the details of individual tribunal cases."

[DGP1]

whose Priory Drive route took in the home of ex-Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton

That's one hell of a delivery, a trip to Canada everyday

[shadow]

I've never come across a more heartless company than RM.Good luck. Hopefully your fellow posties will support your fight.

[fmrPOSTIE]

Well I completely agree with shadow. Wonder what proportion of Appeal Managers overturn the original decision? Probably none.

[norbert]

Well I completely agree with shadow. Wonder what proportion of Appeal Managers overturn the original decision? Probably none.

yet another tribunal , RM managers spend more time in court than some career criminals , more solicitors & more expense to try and make sh** shine

The Appeals Manager is doing what he's told , otherwise he'd end up on the dole with him . Should have paid him up or let him go quietly at the very worse - the idea elsewhere is to stay out of the courts and the papers / internet but this is the sort of firm that would build cardboard submarines

[NWpostie]

I've never come across a more heartless company than RM.Good luck. Hopefully your fellow posties will support your fight.

I think its the same everywhere these days, nowhere is immune.

[fmrPOSTIE]

I've never come across a more heartless company than RM.Good luck. Hopefully your fellow posties will support your fight.

I think its the same everywhere these days, nowhere is immune.

Thats nonsesne, there are loads of brilliant employers out there. Royal Mail are awful, borderline scandalous.

[norbert]

I've never come across a more heartless company than RM.Good luck. Hopefully your fellow posties will support your fight.

I think its the same everywhere these days, nowhere is immune.

Thats nonsesne, there are loads of brilliant employers out there. Royal Mail are awful, borderline scandalous.

there is a unique underhandedness about them , must be a lot of pressure , too much politics , but that is what happens when you can't really manage

[k979aaa]

I've never come across a more heartless company than RM.Good luck. Hopefully your fellow posties will support your fight.

I think its the same everywhere these days, nowhere is immune.

Thats nonsesne, there are loads of brilliant employers out there. Royal Mail are awful, borderline scandalous.

Royalmail is the only exception of riding bad management/apples they prefer to keep the bad apples and ferment them with the SUGAR OF LIFE £££££££££££££££££££!. MAY THEY ROT IN HELL!. :cfo :cfo :cfo :lfo :lfo

[fmrPOSTIE]

Perhaps privatisation is the only way to get rid of these idiots? I dont want RM privatised but cant think of any other way to get rid of these tossers. When Royal Mail turned GovCo I thought that would rid the organisation of these incompetant so-called "managers"...

[k979aaa]

Perhaps privatisation is the only way to get rid of these idiots? I dont want RM privatised but cant think of any other way to get rid of these tossers. When Royal Mail turned GovCo I thought that would rid the organisation of these incompetant so-called "managers"...

At the end of the day we are here to provide a service to the nation WHY is making money the object when we stifle the small businesses with our inept service as it now stands we are constraining enterprise and leading business into ever decreasing circles!. At one time the post office had seven deliveries a day now one how long for a week!.

[johnsouthwales]

In the light of all the evidence, my decision is that you have been treated fairly and reasonably and that I believe that the original decision of stage 3 dismissal/attendance dismissal is appropriate."

let's see if the trubunal agrees with that

[norbert]

Perhaps privatisation is the only way to get rid of these idiots? I dont want RM privatised but cant think of any other way to get rid of these tossers. When Royal Mail turned GovCo I thought that would rid the organisation of these incompetant so-called "managers"...

it's the tossers from the private sector that have caused this culture and poor management - a Gov Co with managers pretending to be private sector very badly

The Good Ship RM is starting to sink going by events in Scotland and elsewhere - the top down autocratic & regimented style is looking " questionable "

[fmrPOSTIE]

In the light of all the evidence, my decision is that you have been treated fairly and reasonably and that I believe that the original decision of stage 3 dismissal/attendance dismissal is appropriate."

let's see if the trubunal agrees with that

My thoughts exactly...

[NWpostie]

I've never come across a more heartless company than RM.Good luck. Hopefully your fellow posties will support your fight.

I think its the same everywhere these days, nowhere is immune.

Thats nonsesne, there are loads of brilliant employers out there. Royal Mail are awful, borderline scandalous.

I hope you are right, from what I can see, many private Employers are using the anti Union laws to prevent any organised action, the have been incidents of sacking and no compensations, there was a factory in Wales, I am not sure its name, all staff was sacked no notice by its US owners, Dock workers in Liverpool, 1995-1998 one of the longest dispute all sacked no notice, I am sure there a good Employers, they are not publicised enough.

Is it a case of more bad than good ?