A dozen Leeds councillors have signed a letter to the chief executive of Royal Mail demanding action after complaints from staff that important letters were being “left to rot”.
As reported in the Yorkshire Evening Post last week, one member of staff sent pictures of letters piling up at Seacroft Delivery Office and said that it was due to staff being told to prioritise parcels that are tracked rather than general mail. He said that as a result complaints were being made by residents who were not receiving letters from, for example, their bank or doctors.
The staff member added that as a result of “horrendous” working conditions some employees that have worked for Royal Mail for decades are looking to leave.
A letter has now been sent to the chief executive of Royal Mail, Simon Thompson, from 12 councillors representing wards covered by the delivery office saying that the news had left constituents “astonished”.
The member of staff at the Royal Mail said that they were being told to focus on delivering tracked parcels and that other items were being 'left to rot'.
The letter reads: “For a large number of people living across our communities – many of whom are older and/or have limited access to the internet – letters are the primary form of key communications. We believe that reducing the priority of this type of delivery is clearly unacceptable.”
The letter adds that employees have been contacted and “it is clear that issues such as this are coming from the top of the organisation”.
It continues: "Royal Mail has a special place in our communities. For many of our residents contact with the postal worker might be the only face-to-face conversation they have on a regular basis; and mail offers the easiest manner of important communication between the NHS and patients, businesses and customers, and among family members.”
The letter goes on to request that the delivery of letters be re-prioritised and that “the concerns of the local postal workers are listened to and acted upon”. It also asked that Royal Mail looks into the working conditions at the Seacroft office and finds a resolution to prevent ongoing industrial action by the Communication Workers Union.
The Royal Mail has sent a number of pictures from Seacroft Delivery Office and said that it is 'not aware of any ongoing delays in the local area'
A Royal Mail spokesperson provided updated pictures from the Seacroft Delivery Office and said it is “not aware of any ongoing delays in the local area” and that it is “writing to local councillors to address the concerns that their letter raised”.
