Ipswich Royal Mail centre review leads to job fears

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Postal workers fear a review of the Ipswich processing centre could mean the loss of 230 jobs.

Royal Mail is beginning a six-month consultation on the future of the office on Commercial Road.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said reviews usually end in the transfer of work to other centres.

Royal Mail has already announced that 13 mail centres will close by 2015 including Cambridge, where work will be moved to Peterborough and Chelmsford.

A CWU spokeswoman said staff in Ipswich are "concerned".

"Unfortunately, there have been a number of mail centre closures in recent years including the announcement last week that Gloucester, Shrewsbury and Cambridge are set for closure.

'Changing market'

"It looks likely that Ipswich will be another one.

"We will look at the Royal Mail's business case for closure and we will be trying to ensure all options are fully examined before a final decision is taken."

The Royal Mail said it is part of a wider, continuing review of its UK mail centres and Portsmouth's office is also under review.

The company said it is being carried out in response to a drop in the number of items it delivers nationally, from 84 million a day in 2006 to 58 million a day now.

Ricky McAulay, the company's process and collection director for the east of England, said: "Change is absolutely essential to... ensure we operate efficiently and provide a great quality of service in a smaller and radically changing market.

"Any change to our mail centre in Ipswich will, unfortunately, impact on some colleagues.

"We will be working very closely with the CWU and Unite CMA to support our people during what will, inevitably, be a period of uncertainty."

The Ipswich mail centre processes items which are then passed on to the 16 delivery offices for the IP postcode area.

The Royal Mail said a final decision will be made in May 2013

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Union bosses fear that it is only a matter of time before the town’s postal sorting office shuts with the loss of 230 jobs.

Royal Mail have announced that the future of the Commercial Road sorting office is under review – and that its future will become clear in May next year.

However a spokeswoman for the Communications Workers Union, which represents most of the staff at the sorting office, feared the worst.

She said: “In the past when there have been these reviews they have almost always resulted in a decision to close the office.

“Most recently in East Anglia we had a review of Cambridge sorting office and it has just been announced that is to close in 2014 and the work will be transfered to Peterborough.

“We will be talking to the Royal Mail about the situation in Ipswich, but we would not be too optimistic about the future of the sorting office.”

A spokeswoman for the Royal Mail said all options were being considered – and any changes would not affect the employment prospects of postal delivery workers.

She said: “They will continue to deliver the mail as at present. The jobs under review are the 230 people who are employed in the sorting office itself.”

Postal delivery staff would continue to collect sorted mail

Royal Mail issued a statement saying: “Today’s announcement begins a six month period of consultation by Royal Mail with its people and trade unions. As proposals are developed by Royal Mail, they will be shared with our colleagues who will be given every opportunity to provide input.

“The review is aimed at allowing us to deliver the most efficient, consistent and reliable service to Royal Mail customers and help secure long term employment and job security.





“There are 230 staff currently working at Ipswich mail centre.

“It is too early to say what the impact on these people will be as this depends on the outcome of the consultation with our unions and our people.

“Royal Mail’s aim is to minimise any job reductions. Our intention is to make changes without compulsory redundancies.

“By asking people to demonstrate reasonable flexibility, we expect to be able to find roles for everyone who wants to continue to work for Royal Mail.”

The Commercial Road sorting office opened in 1986 after the sorting office moved from its historic site on land that is now occupied by the Buttermarket shopping centre.

It occupies a major site on what is being developed as an important walking route from the town’s railway station to the Ipswich town centre.

Borough leader David Ellesmere said the council would be seeking meetings with Royal Mail managers and the unions involved to see if anything could be done to ensure the long term future of the sorting office.

He will be fighting the Ipswich seat for Labour at the next election, and added: “This is happening just as the Conservative led government is trying again to privatise the Royal Mail. I wonder if that is coincidence!”

Ipswich Conservative MP Ben Gummer said he would be following the progress of the consultation with interest.

He said: “To all intents and purposes Royal Mail is now a private sector commercial business, but I will be anxious to ensure that whatever happens as a result of the consultation, the postal service to my constituents – businesses and private addresses – is not damaged as a result of any changes.”

[silly suffolk]

as you can see our lovely mp was the one force fed dodgy burgers by his dad years ago. i don't hold out much hope of him doing us any favours.