I was talking to the kids last night about next weeks half term and they reminded me about this time last year when it chucked down with snow. We then talked about the second longer bout of snow and freezing weather we suffered in the new year 2009.
During that time our office only suspended deliveries for ONE day. Other local services such as busses and rubbish collections shut down for days on end. Worse was the schools as teachers simply gave up trying to get in to work and spent time off with the kids (my sisters a teacher so I know).
I remember abandoning the van after it got stuck in the snow for the forth time and tramping around for 5 ½ hours around my delivery. As you all remember it went on for days and then came the frozen slush and ice ring footpaths. But we carried on with our soaked feet and frozen toes and the mail did get through
you could never have called us lazy or work shy. The public really appreciated our commitment during our daily delivery struggle and were grateful for the service which at the time they seemed to hold so dear.
But now driven by a pre-planned professional hate campaign by certain news papers we have been portrayed as a group of lazy work shy individuals who do finish all their work and DARE to go home 15 mins before their time. It just seems that half the country have jumped on the band wagon of this “bash a postie” week for disrupting a service which they claim is out dated and not really needed due to the fantastic alternative competition now been offered. So why get so upset about it ?
I do feel for the small businesses who will be badly affected by our action and wish there was some way we could have avoided hurting them.
But do we really deserve such harsh treatment when we are simply trying to preserve our working rights and stamp out bulling and harassment which many face each day.
Tragically it will be the same public, who moan at us daily about giving them just junk mail, will be the first to lament us (and believe me they will) when the service is finally broken up, de-humanised and no longer operates in any recognisable form.
Such short memories…….
