Letters: Write to MP in support of sorting office workers

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Published on Fri Nov 26 11:12:34 GMT 2010

I WAS very disappointed to learn, through your newspaper, an account of Nick Boles MP and his apparent disdain for the wishes of the people (electorate) of Bourne, and for the staff of Bourne Royal Mail sorting office.

There is a petition with 200 plus signatories, a petition signed by his constituents, who wish the Royal Mail sorting office to remain in Bourne.

The Royal Mail sorting office is a facility, which provides us with a first-rate service, a facility that provides jobs for local people who live in Bourne; who buy houses here and spend their wages here. In these days of closures and facilities moving out of towns and having experienced the falling standards of those services and the inconvenience caused by those moves, to us – the customer.

I am not at all convinced that the service given by Royal Mail will improve if this service is moved out of Bourne.

This is a facility staffed by local people - for the local people.

Bourne Royal Mail staff have an excellent track record of providing a magnificent local service, a service underpinned by an excellent knowledge of the local area, a knowledge and service that is priceless in monetary terms, yet that knowledge, and commitment to service is potentially being dashed to one side, in the name of, “improving the service.”

Is the need for modernisation/improvement being driven by the pension deficit at Royal Mail? Currently standing at more than £10bn.

Was that deficit caused by the staff of Royal Mail?

Or those who run the scheme? Rhetorical questions perhaps.

But for more enlightenment/information can be found by entering the following into an internet browser “Royal Mail pension deficit’, there are some very enlightening articles to be found.

I do hope your readers will follow this up and write to Nick Boles MP and seek his help in retaining this superb facility in Bourne.

I don’t believe the people of Bourne and, surrounding areas, are apathetic, but will put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboards, and write to Mr Boles as soon as 
possible.

MICHAEL ANDERSON

Willoughby Road,

Bourne

ROYAL Mail intends to close Bourne sorting office in the new year. Although it has failed to confirm the plan, the sorting office, which serves the Bourne district will move to Spalding.

A letter to our MP, Nick Boles, from the Communication Workers Union, seeking support to keep the delivery office in Bourne, received no reply. Mr Boles did not answer because the letter did not request a reply. Business practice, common sense and courtesy require an MP to, at least, acknowledge all correspondence – we the tax paying electorate, even pay for Mr Boles stationary and postage.

Although Mr Boles said the move from Bourne was “hugely regrettable for the people employed there”, the closure of the delivery office will have a lasting impact on all of his constituents in the Bourne area.

His support for asset-stripping at Bourne, and government pre-privatisation modernisation in Spalding is ill-conceived.

Mr Boles suggested that the move to Spalding will help Royal Mail survive the challenges posed by e-mail. An unrealistic claim.

The mail will be taken from Peterborough to Spalding; Bourne postal workers will drive to Spalding before returning to the PE10 area to commence their delivery rounds.

All of this will raise fuel, transportation, maintenance and labour costs, and have a huge adverse impact on the governments ‘green’ targets. Delivery times will be longer and more unpredictable, due to added journey times on minor roads, particularly during poor weather.

The relocation will encourage social exclusion and isolation for many of Mr Boles constituents, especially the most vulnerable. It will create unemployment, cost more and put Bourne and other post offices at risk.

As a prospective MP Nick Boles joined the march to save Rippingale Post Office. Was that simply a publicity opportunity to further his political ambitions?

Please sign the petition and write to Nick Boles MP at the Grantham and Stamford constituency Conservative association, North Street, Bourne, PE10 9AJ asking for support to keep the Royal Mail sorting office in his constituency at Bourne.

JOYCE STEVENSON

Obthorpe Lane,

Thurlby

[dvbuk55]

Here it goes hitting the sticks...................well Welcome to the Brave New World.........the end of Shangrila.