RM shake-up will see centralised services and redundancies

[TrueBlueTerrier]

DARTFORD, SWANSCOMBE & LONGFIELD: Royal Mail shake-up will see centralised services and redundancies

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DARTFORD’S mail centre is set to undergo huge changes, under Royal Mail proposals to centralise services for the county.

The plans, set to take effect in 2012, will see Dartford’s sorting office, based in West Hill, closed, along with those in Canterbury, Maidstone and Tonbridge.

Instead, all postal sorting services for Kent will be relocated to one new purpose-built centre in Rochester.

And by 2015, delivery offices in Swanscombe, Longfield, Erith, Bexley and Belvedere will be moved to the Dartford centre’s delivery office.

Tom Willis, South East England regional operations director for the Royal Mail, said: “This will enable us to improve efficiency, give better service and value as well as provide our people with a more modern working environment.

“Our service to customers will continue to be a top priority during these changes and it is our intention to maintain the high level of service to our customers that they expect and deserve.

“We also intend to continue to provide convenient facilities for customers wishing to collect mail.”

The shake-up will see 400 jobs cuts in the next two years, out of the 3,700 people employed by the Royal Mail in Kent. It is not yet known how many will come from Dartford.

A spokeswoman for the Royal Mail workers’ union, CWU, said that it is working with the Royal Mail to ensure no jobs are lost through compulsory redundancies.

She added: “Some people won’t like it, some will love it. But we want to make sure workers are aware of their options.”

[RelocatedRick]

"...Royal Mail workers union..." true in so many ways.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

"...Royal Mail workers union..." true in so many ways.