Post workers: We'll fight bid to close delivery office

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STOURPORT-on-Severn’s Royal Mail workers fear the town’s delivery office will be closed down, causing “huge” disruption to customers and staff.

Communications Workers Union representative Michael Dobbins believes Royal Mail bosses have earmarked the High Street office for closure and will base all workers in Kidderminster.

A spokesman for Royal Mail said there are no firm plans for the delivery office but Mr Dobbins said the firm was currently looking into the cost of closing the office down and he believed bosses would start pushing for closure at the beginning of the financial year.

He said: “They’ve employed a manager to do a feasibility study into the cost of closing Stourport down and moving it to Kidderminster. It would have a great effect on people in Stourport if it was to close.

“Stourport is one of the most efficient delivery offices in the area and the staff work extremely hard to give the people of Stourport a great service.”

Mr Dobbins said that if the office closed, residents and businesses would have to use post offices in Areley Kings and at the Co-op superstore in Lombard Street to collect packages.

He said: “Delivery times would be later than they are now. A lot of businesses like to pick up their mail from the office in the morning on a daily basis. If we move, they won’t be able to do that.

“There’s also extra travelling. There would be more traffic from Kidderminster and Stourport to collect the mail.

“Staff don’t want to move because a lot of us have worked there for a considerable time. It’s been a second home to us. It’s going to cause huge disruption to customers and staff in Stourport. If it does happen we’re going to stand up and fight it.”

Dave Jones, political officer for the Wolverhampton and district branch of the CWU, said workers were due to launch a campaign against any planned closure yesterday.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We constantly review the operational efficiency and commercial practicality of all our units.

“However, at present, we have no firm plans regarding Stourport delivery office.”