Royal Mail Defends Leek Road Relocation

[Geezer]

http://www.hellmail.co.uk/postalnews/te ... 8&zoneid=3


21 August 2009 by Sarah Sharpe - © Hellmail.co.uk

Following criticism by union members of Royal Mail's decision earlier this year to transfer work carried out at the Leek Road, Stoke-On-Trent site to Wolverhampton, Richard Hall, Senior External Relations Manager – Central & West Royal Mail Group Ltd Birmingham, wrote to Staffordshire's 'The Sentinel', outlining the efforts Royal Mail had made to support staff during the transition.

"We have delivered regular briefings and provided opportunities for staff to discuss the proposals with the people planning the changes and ask questions. We have done a great deal to increase employment opportunities in the Stoke-on-Trent area and minimise the need for our employees to travel outside the area. We acknowledge that the plans will mean change for some of our people and we are trying to support individuals and minimise the impact on them.

"Employees who do transfer to other work locations will be paid for any excess travel, in line with Royal Mail policy." he said.

Union officials, who see the transfer of jobs from Stoke-On-Trent to Wolverhampton as an example of changes being made without negotiation and the reasons behind the current industrial dispute, are critical of the move. CWU branch secretary Andy Plant said:

"Royal Mail wants to transfer jobs from Stoke to Wolverhampton. The employers have given us 18 full-time posts here, but the rest will have to go to Wolverhampton or take redundancy.

"We're classing this as compulsory redundancy, but the employers are calling it voluntary redundancy."

CWU representative Kevin Clarke, who has worked at the depot for 24 years, said:

"We've been told seven of us can move to Chester, Sheffield or Birmingham, and the rest will face redundancy.

"None of the workers want to move out of Stoke. Everyone who works here lives within about four miles of the depot, and they don't want to have to start making anything up to a 100-mile round trip each day."

Royal Mail said it had first proposed relocation of some of the work carried out at the Leek Road depot in February and that it had regularly briefed staff on the changes. Richard Hall, Royal Mail, added:

"UK mail volumes are falling by around 10 per cent year on year. Every one per cent of lost mail volumes costs Royal Mail £70 million in lost revenue. Royal Mail is paying more than £800 million every year into the pension fund, including some £300 million to fund the historic deficit which is expected to more than double when it is revalued this year from its last valuation at £3.4 billion three years ago.

"The company faces many challenges and we know bringing our people with us is essential if we are to have a successful future. The changes we need to make are based on sound commercial reasons and are aimed at securing a long-term future for Royal Mail – staying as we are is not an option.

"At Stoke, this means ensuring the operation is as efficient as possible. We have been open and honest about these plans with our employees and their representatives and will continue to be so." he said

© Hellmail.co.uk (21 August 2009)

[norbert]

unfortunately for RM & Hellmail - sh** does not taste like chocolate - it's " interesting " that Stoke has been " chosen ' and the MTSF has been " revised " .