Last ditch effort to persuade Royal Mail to stay in Liverpoo

johnnyp · Post by **johnnyp** » 03 Oct 2008, 18:48

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpoo ... -21960627/
Last ditch effort to persuade Royal Mail to stay in Liverpool fails
Oct 3 2008 EXCLUSIVE By David Bartlett, Chief Reporter

A LAST ditch effort to persuade the Royal Mail to stay in Liverpool and build one of its three new North West distribution centres in the city has failed.

The company has announced that none of the options put forward by regeneration agency Liverpool Vision for sites in the north and the south of the city met its conditions because they were too expensive.

Royal Mail said it was cheaper to transfer work from Crewe and Liverpool to an existing centre in Warrington, than construct a new building in Liverpool.

The Copperas Hill sorting office will now close some time next year - but the company could not say when - and 580 jobs will be moved to Warrington.

A spokesman for the firm said everyone working at Copperas Hill would have a job at the centre in Warrington if they wanted it.

Jim Gill, chief executive, of Liverpool Vision, said: "Liverpool Vision has had the opportunity to present costed options for a new Liverpool Mail Centre to Royal Mail, working to detailed specifications provided by Royal Mail.

"The options presented included sites in the north and south of the City. Royal Mail have considered these options and provided a reasoned comparison with the company’s preferred option at Warrington.

"The Liverpool options carry a significant cost disadvantage because of the need for site acquisition and new building and Royal Mail have said that they do not meet their investment criteria".

For the full story see tomorrow’s Daily Post.

Night Tonic · Post by **Night Tonic** » 03 Oct 2008, 19:41

Anyone surprised?

Tall Guy · Post by **Tall Guy** » 03 Oct 2008, 20:43

Night Tonic wrote:Anyone surprised?

not in the slightest, the investment criteria would be not within a country mile of liverpool.................

BELIAL · Post by **BELIAL** » 03 Oct 2008, 20:59

Nor me ,"disagree with us and we will crush you completely"Bully boys par excellence ,Wheres the CWU

Night Tonic · Post by **Night Tonic** » 03 Oct 2008, 22:08

CWU? whats that? weren't they a powerful union once?

norbert · Post by **norbert** » 03 Oct 2008, 22:14

Tall Guy wrote:
Night Tonic wrote:Anyone surprised?
not in the slightest, the investment criteria would be not within a country mile of liverpool.................

they're going the Holland TNT route of supercentres - all those talks were just to fend things for a while

kay_thebigbird · Post by **kay_thebigbird** » 03 Oct 2008, 22:22

How far is Warrington to Liverpool is it totally unrealistic for the workers,don't know those areas very well.

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 03 Oct 2008, 22:26

kay_thebigbird wrote:How far is Warrington to Liverpool is it totally unrealistic for the workers,don't know those areas very well.

Warrrington is about 15 to 20 mile's from liverpool it is nearer manchester than liverpool!.

BELIAL · Post by **BELIAL** » 03 Oct 2008, 22:31

Night Tonic wrote:CWU? whats that? weren't they a powerful union once?

On a par with the global financial system I think

Drunk · Post by **Drunk** » 03 Oct 2008, 22:33

Liverpool to Warrington is about 20 miles, Crewe to Warrington is futher about 30 miles.

How can Royal Fail expect staff to travel up to 60 miles per day and depending on the time of there shift getting stuck in traffic and taking over an hour per day traveling to Warrington.

Royal mail had thrown out the idea of a new mail centre in Liverpool even before" regeneration agency Liverpool Vision" had submited there plans.

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 03 Oct 2008, 22:41

Drunk wrote:Liverpool to Warrington is about 20 miles, Crewe to Warrington is futher about 30 miles.

How can Royal Fail expect staff to travel up to 60 miles per day and depending on the time of there shift getting stuck in traffic and taking over an hour per day traveling to Warrington.

Royal mail had thrown out the idea of a new mail centre in Liverpool even before" regeneration agency Liverpool Vision" had submited there plans.

I think they knew all along they only wanted three mail center's in the N/W and that liverpool and crewe and stockport and bolton and oldham were the one's that had to go!. THE WHOLE CONSULTAION WAS A SHAM!.

norbert · Post by **norbert** » 04 Oct 2008, 07:55

kay_thebigbird wrote:How far is Warrington to Liverpool is it totally unrealistic for the workers,don't know those areas very well.

One way of getting rid of people from a union stronghold as there will be people on PT wages without transport who won't fancy going on the train everyday , paying those fares and working funny hours

Night Tonic · Post by **Night Tonic** » 04 Oct 2008, 12:07

And with Copperas Hill one of the centres that gave RM a headache when it came to avoiding fines for bulk mail delay (remember wildcat strikes), it can be no surpise that it would nip another problem in the bud. You're right. A lot won't bother to move to Warrington and that snuffs out most in one swoop. Job done.

andy2007 · Post by **andy2007** » 04 Oct 2008, 12:35

Drunk wrote:Liverpool to Warrington is about 20 miles, Crewe to Warrington is futher about 30 miles.

How can Royal Fail expect staff to travel up to 60 miles per day and depending on the time of there shift getting stuck in traffic and taking over an hour per day traveling to Warrington.

Royal mail had thrown out the idea of a new mail centre in Liverpool even before" regeneration agency Liverpool Vision" had submited there plans.

That was one of their main objections to the Liverpool sites. It would have been even further for the Crewe Staff to travel, and they were getting up a descent campaign against going to Liverpool.

They SAID that it would cost more for a new build in Liverpool, than to convert the current RDC building. But there was no mention, of how much it would cost to convert or build the replacement site for the RDC. Now why am I not surprised by that?

The only mention of where we (NWRDC) will be going, is that it will be within 10 Miles. All very good for traveling times. But what about Transport links?
The site which was leaked to the Press last time, is very badly placed (in my opinion). Because that part of Warrington turns into a collection of huge traffic jams, when we are sending out the final 1st Class Trailers. Which (in my opinion) would greatly increase the chances of it failing. Particularly for the furthest RDCs.

Still, we always have been the forgotten section of RM.

Always treated as an afterthought, once everyone else has been consided.

Oh, and as far as commuting is concerned: A large proportion of us have a 50 Mile round trip to NWRDC. An extra 5 Miles each way, is hardly a big inconvenience. If we can do it, why can't they?

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 04 Oct 2008, 12:46

The Managers Union don't like the decision either.

http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=238756

Unite Disappointed at Royal Mail Decision to Abandon Liverpool

LIVERPOOL, England, October 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Unite the union says Royal Mail is abandoning Liverpool, by taking the decision to move its sorting office work from Liverpool to Warrington.

Unite urged Royal Mail to seek the support of Liverpool Vision, the regeneration body for Liverpool. Paul Reuter, Unite national secretary said, "It is disappointing that the discussions between Royal Mail and Liverpool Vision have not produced a positive outcome."

Brian Scott, assistant national secretary for Unite who is heading the national discussion on the Mail Centre programme said, "We will be seeking an early meeting with Royal Mail to examine, in fine detail, the costing assumptions that have been used."

In the North West, Unite has over 500 members working for Royal Mail that could be affected by these changes, with 100 of those in the Liverpool Mail Centre. There will be compulsory redundancies.

Distributed by PR Newswire on behalf of Unite the Union