Sorting centre closure is threat to over 400 jobs

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JOBS across West Kent and East Sussex are under threat in a shake-up of postal services.

Staff at Royal Mail have been told of a sweeping reorganisation which is likely to see the closure of the Tonbridge mail centre, which employs 420 people.

Delivery offices serving the TN post code area – which includes offices in Tunbridge Wells, where 173 are employed, Edenbridge, Sevenoaks, Cranbrook, Marden, Staplehurst, Uckfield and Crowborough – are also under scrutiny and could be shut.

The changes to take place from 2012 are part of a Royal Mail modernisation which will see its four mail centres in Kent relocated to one main centre in the ME postcode area. The empty mail centres including Tonbridge might then house some of the delivery offices and be fitted out with the latest "automation for delivery".

Sources have told the Courier they believe the super mail centre will be in Rochester.

Royal Mail told the Courier 400 jobs would go over the next two years but no decision had been made over which delivery offices would close.

One worker at the Tonbridge mail centre in Vale Road told the Courier staff, many of whom were young with families, were worried. She added there was an "amount of resentment" about the proposals, which she thought would see 200 jobs axed in Tonbridge.

"It's not a huge surprise. It's been on the cards for a long time. A lot of people will have trouble finding other jobs. There will be opportunities to move to the new site but it does mean a lot of travelling, especially for those that don't drive," she said.

Royal Mail spokesman Melanie Corfield said Kent's mail centres in Tonbridge, Maidstone, Dartford and Canterbury were more than 25 years old and did not have the space to accommodate the latest sorting technology.

She added: "Proposals have been developed to provide a new mail centre for Kent – site not yet decided – and the existing sites would be vacated. We are currently talking to our unions and our people about this proposal."

She added: "It is anticipated 400 fewer jobs (out of the 3,710) will be required over the next two years, but by asking people to demonstrate flexibility we expect to be able to find roles for all who want to continue to work for us."

The review is part of a modernisation programme and £2 billion spend on new technology and upgraded operational facilities.

Communication and Workers Union spokesman Sian Jones said: "We'll be taking a full part in any consultations regarding mail centre closures, representing our members to ensure there are no compulsory redundancies. We're also concerned about the effect of any closures on services so we'll be raising that as a key issue."