Royal Mail's battle to clear backlog of post

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Dundee ... -post.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Royal Mail has said it is working as hard as possible to clear the backlog of mail still piled up at the beleaguered Dundee East delivery depot.

The organisation did not deny that its predictions of clearing the mountain of letters and parcels by the middle and then the end of last week have not been met.

The swamped depot has resorted to emergency measures to tackle the problem, including drafting in managers from other depots to sort mail at the West Pitkerro base and sending unsorted mail out to other depots for sorting and return to Dundee East for delivery.

The mail mountain is still there — three weeks into the operation of a new delivery system called the Way Forward which postal workers say makes their job impossible.

They say they are unable to complete new and bigger deliveries of letters and parcels on time, and have been forced to return to the depot with undelivered mail, which mounts up day after day.

The Courier has been inundated with complaints from people throughout the DD4 and DD5 postcode areas angry and frustrated at letters and parcels not arriving on a regular basis and then suddenly appearing in bundles.

Royal Mail is not happy at its Dundee East depot being the focus of criticism and its operations director for Scotland has visited to investigate the problem and find out if enough is being done to solve it.

Apology
The organisation has again apologised, with a spokeswoman saying, "As part of Royal Mail's £2 billion investment in modernising its operations, changes are being made in delivery offices across the country to help it compete in a very competitive market place.

"The operational review at Dundee East is part of this.

"We are working as hard as we can to clear the backlog as quickly as possible and Royal Mail will use any contingencies necessary to deliver the mail to our customers.

"Royal Mail apologises for any inconvenience caused and any customer who is concerned about a particular item of mail should call customer services on 08457 740740."

She added that the modernisation programme has been undertaken on the basis of a national agreement reached earlier this year between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union, endorsed by postmen and women in a national ballot.

Customers are not impressed. Fintry man Jake Reid told of his experience.

"My wife is a social care worker and relies on a letter about her work that is normally delivered on Fridays," he said.

"It didn't come then, nor did it come on Saturday or on Monday.

"I was waiting on one letter posted to me first class in London on Wednesday of last week and another one posted in Barnsley on Monday.

"They haven't come. I waited at home until after 3pm today and when there was no sign of the postman I went down to the Dundee East depot to try to find out what was going on.

"The collection office was closed and I then looked around to see if there was anyone inside the depot who could help me.

"I was able to walk through the vans' entrance and go right inside the depot.

"It was packed with letters and parcels waiting to go out but not a soul was there."

"I must have been there for a good five minutes but no one came near me. I even heard a telephone ring but no one came to answer it.

Security risk
"It didn't create a good impression of the Royal Mail — they can't get letters delivered, leave mail to stack up and allow the public to wander round inside their premises which must be a security risk."

A Douglas woman complained about the irregular deliveries to her home in Balunie Avenue.

"I got a bundle of letters last Wednesday and one on Saturday," she explained, declining to be identified.

"Saturday was my husband's birthday and our daughter sent him a birthday card by recorded delivery from Wales nearly a fortnight ago, but it didn't turn up and still hasn't come."

She continued, "I'm also worried about bills. They're being held up with the delayed mail and what if they become overdue?

"Will I end up being penalised because it's thought that I'm refusing to pay when in fact I haven't had the bills?"

Tayside Fire and Rescue carried out a safety inspection of the West Pitkerro depot after concerns were raised that the mail mountain was posing a fire risk through access to fire exits and hoses being obstructed.

Watch manager Kenny Higgins said, "There were no major issues, only minor ones but we are happy the building is safe.

"Royal Mail will rectify these minor issues and they have a plan in place to do so."

[maisymoo04]

hahahahaha i am so made up this has happened,WAKE UP ROYAL MAIL ITS NOT WORKIN BETOLD

[DirtyHarry]

Royal Mail has to be the most badly managed company in Britain, if not the whole world.
Their spokespeople can keep on making the same old excuses, parrot fashion.......But, management fought long and dirty for these cuts, and they wasted no time in implementing these cuts, the resulting poor state of the postal service is therefore solely down to the very poor performance of RM management.
Honestly, would you trust them with a Whelk stall? I bloody wouldn't!

[not me]

She added that the modernisation programme has been undertaken on the basis of a national agreement reached earlier this year between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union, endorsed by postmen and women in a national ballot.

spread the blame RM

[jockstrapp]

AND OF COURSE MAIL VOLUMES ARE FALLING 7% YEAR ON YEAR ...........(LYING BAST@RDS)

[DUNDEEPOSTIE]

We at Dundee West are being offered overtime at Dundee Central, to sort The East's backlog of packets! Of course we told them where to stick it!
The powers above are also taking two of our crewbuses through to Bathgate everyday to bring back 14 guys to work at Dundee East, and we are being offered scheduled attendance in the afternoon to take them back! Not sure wether these guys are christmas staff/agency or what. But how much must it be costing to bring these guys through? They are being paid travelling time between Bathgate and Dundee and back again, aswell as their shifts at the East!

[Stormproof]

The swamped depot has resorted to emergency measures to tackle the problem, including drafting in managers from other depots to sort mail at the West Pitkerro base

I bet thats made a big difference shipping in a bunch of shirkers look on the bright side though the vending machines have never taken so much money

[DUNDEEPOSTIE]

The swamped depot has resorted to emergency measures to tackle the problem, including drafting in managers from other depots to sort mail at the West Pitkerro base

I bet thats made a big difference shipping in a bunch of shirkers look on the bright side though the vending machines have never taken so much money

A guy at Dundee West, who lives under The East's jurisdiction, hasn't had his wageslip from last week yet!

[fishtank]

The powers above are also taking two of our crewbuses through to Bathgate everyday to bring back 14 guys to work at Dundee East, and we are being offered scheduled attendance in the afternoon to take them back! Not sure wether these guys are christmas staff/agency or what. But how much must it be costing to bring these guys through? They are being paid travelling time between Bathgate and Dundee and back again, aswell as their shifts at the East!

They are f**k all to do with us DUNDEEPOSTIE.
They are NOT from Bathgate D.O.

[DUNDEEPOSTIE]

The powers above are also taking two of our crewbuses through to Bathgate everyday to bring back 14 guys to work at Dundee East, and we are being offered scheduled attendance in the afternoon to take them back! Not sure wether these guys are christmas staff/agency or what. But how much must it be costing to bring these guys through? They are being paid travelling time between Bathgate and Dundee and back again, aswell as their shifts at the East!

They are f**k all to do with us DUNDEEPOSTIE.
They are NOT from Bathgate D.O.

Not insinuating that at all friend, and no slight was ever intended towards Bathgate D.O or its officers.

[fishtank]

Not insinuating that at all friend, and no slight was ever intended towards Bathgate D.O or its officers.

No offence taken...i just don't want our fine Dundee colleagues thinking that we would cut their throats for thirty pieces of silver.
The 14 will be casuals from the Ex-Motorola Outhouse which i have heard is up and running again despite the fact that more stuff got nicked last year than sorted.

[DUNDEEPOSTIE]

Not insinuating that at all friend, and no slight was ever intended towards Bathgate D.O or its officers.

No offence taken...i just don't want our fine Dundee colleagues thinking that we would cut their throats for thirty pieces of silver.
The 14 will be casuals from the Ex-Motorola Outhouse which i have heard is up and running again despite the fact that more stuff got nicked last year than sorted.

I'm sure my colleagues at Dundee East, wouldn't be thinking that way either. We at Dundee West and i'm sure our colleagues at Dundee Central, are not into doing this either.
We are continously being offered "overtime" sorting their backlog, but are refusing out of principal, and support to our colleagues.
Our office is still under the executive action imposed last year, and have our own issues currently, never mind helping the powers that be, resolve another offices issue.

[edwardo]

bathgate the last 2 sundays 2 manegers have travelled from lanark d.o plus 4 or 5 posties using 3 or 4 vans how much is that costing , i wonder if moya knows about that , management have destroyed the business because they are thick , liars and bullies there only qualities. they will never clear the xmas mail this year and i am so glad they have f--ked up ,they will be begging us in a few weeks to help them with the usual false promises ha ha i am so happy

[brothermagrew]

Just wondering if the 4 or 5 posties from Lanark DO are members of the CWU.

[edwardo]

Just wondering if the 4 or 5 posties from Lanark DO are members of the CWU.

yip they are members , the best thing about it though the manegement cant clear his own office of parcels some days no real eh