Whistable and Herne Bay mail centres to close

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Postal workers face losing jobs as Whistable and Herne Bay mail centres to close

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POSTAL workers are bracing themselves for job losses following shock announcements on Friday that postal depots in Herne Bay and Whitstable would close within two years.

The automatic letter centre in Canterbury could also be hived off to Maidstone, releasing space in Canterbury to absorb Herne Bay, Whitstable and Sandwich delivery offices.

The move follows the Communication Workers' Union's "transformation" agreement with Royal Mail in March.

The CWU has agreed to play a full role in the introduction, deployment and review of change in the workshop between now and 2012.

Dave Banbury, secretary of CWU Kent Invicta branch, said workers were given the news by management on Friday.

He said mail centres at Dartford, Maidstone, Canterbury and Tonbridge would be closed and amalgamated into one mail centre, probably at a new purpose-built site in Maidstone.

He fears job losses could reach 600 across all centres.

A Royal Mail spokesman said no decisions had been made.

He said: "We are simply reviewing delivery offices under our proposal to build a new centre for Kent and potentially move operations there from others.

"We plan, with reasonable flexibility from staff, to ensure everyone who wants to continue to work for Royal Mail will be able to do so if we go ahead with changes."

SUPPORT is growing to keep bike postal deliveries, under threat in the Royal Mail's drastic modernisation plans.

We revealed last week that bike rounds could be replaced by electrically-operated trolleys, delivered to a round start by van.

Cycling lobby group CTC has launched a campaign urging new Royal Mail chief executive Moya Greene to reverse the decision.

Local supporter Nick Evans, of Douglas Avenue, Whitstable, said: "This will cause more fumes and traffic, when public bodies are meant to be reducing their carbon footprint."

[Lounge Lizard]

A delivery office In Canterbury will be about 8 miles from Whitstable and 9 from Herne Bay, so that'll be at least half hour a day extra travelling to be taken out of everyone's day.

[Stormproof]

Herne Bay office was purpose built only 16 years ago and as LL said it will be quite a bit of travelling time from Canterbury especially with traffic jams.

[sammysammy]

This is all a big joke!! on US!!
Ok so if all this amount of staff go who will put the letters in the doors, then you can only stay out for so long and the SNOW AND ICE???
And less members of the CWU ?How will they get their money ?I came out the door not so long ago, so just two years later not to have one to go back into great one CWU THANKS !!!!!!!!!!Maybe I will get back my money off them from the past years ?

[nuttyboy]

typical royal mail profits first staff and customers last . how many customers will they lose over this thoughtless idea ,their is plenty of room in tyler way smack in the middle of both offices.

[exhausted_Postie]

POSTAL workers are bracing themselves for job losses following shock announcements on Friday that postal depots in Herne Bay and Whitstable would close within two years.

"

thought it was in this new agreement that our jobs were safe for a garenteed 3 years ????? :S

[chunk]

A delivery office In Canterbury will be about 8 miles from Whitstable and 9 from Herne Bay, so that'll be at least half hour a day extra traveling to be taken out of everyone's day.

When Oxford moved into Swindon it was 25 to 30 miles they were looking at !
not saying these staff are lucky! just reminding of the lengths rm are prepared to go to save
money on wages etc..

[Lounge Lizard]

A delivery office In Canterbury will be about 8 miles from Whitstable and 9 from Herne Bay, so that'll be at least half hour a day extra traveling to be taken out of everyone's day.

When Oxford moved into Swindon it was 25 to 30 miles they were looking at !
not saying these staff are lucky! just reminding of the lengths rm are prepared to go to save
money on wages etc..

No, that's different. Oxford was a Mail Centre, whitstable and Herne Bay are Delivery Offices.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

POSTAL workers are bracing themselves for job losses following shock announcements on Friday that postal depots in Herne Bay and Whitstable would close within two years.

"

thought it was in this new agreement that our jobs were safe for a garenteed 3 years ????? :S

No - they said and I quote from Page 8

In addition to the job security commitments contained in the MTSF Agreement - Royal Mail and CWU confirm that the overarching objective is to deliver the transformation without recourse to compulsory redundancies.

So even the "No compulsory Redundancies" is not a Cast Iron 100% guarantee just an "overarching objective" -

[A RoyalDen]

No way Herne Bay or Whitstable should move to Canterbury.....Imagine the distance , time , and traffic to and fro in the City of Canterbury......It would be a nightmare !!!!......Both coastal towns have developed a lot in populations over the years....If any changes regarding moving then maybe both Whitstable and Herne Bay could have a modern office between both towns......
Your thoughts please ?......

[fishtank]

Your thoughts please ?......

This is only the start of it.
Why do you think RM wanted everybody off their bikes and legs and into vans?
It certainly wasn't for your Health and Safety.
Many more D.O.s will close/merge before this is over.

[Stormproof]

No way Herne Bay or Whitstable should move to Canterbury.....Imagine the distance , time , and traffic to and fro in the City of Canterbury......It would be a nightmare !!!!......Both coastal towns have developed a lot in populations over the years....If any changes regarding moving then maybe both Whitstable and Herne Bay could have a modern office between both towns......
Your thoughts please ?......

I agree Herne Bay and Whistable should'nt move to Canterbury. The traffic around Canterbury MC site is horrendous most of the day. Years ago Herne Bay used to have to travel to Whistable to collect the large parcels until a purpose built DO was built only 17 years ago. As you say perhaps they should share a site off the Thanet Way maybe at Tankerton. Straight down the M2, an easier route to get to from the new SMC than Canterbury.

[adb2aber]

A delivery office In Canterbury will be about 8 miles from Whitstable and 9 from Herne Bay, so that'll be at least half hour a day extra traveling to be taken out of everyone's day.

When Oxford moved into Swindon it was 25 to 30 miles they were looking at !
not saying these staff are lucky! just reminding of the lengths rm are prepared to go to save
money on wages etc..

Wait till the travel allowances run out to see how many OX and RG staff stay at SN...

[bandit650]

No way Herne Bay or Whitstable should move to Canterbury.....Imagine the distance , time , and traffic to and fro in the City of Canterbury......It would be a nightmare !!!!......Both coastal towns have developed a lot in populations over the years....If any changes regarding moving then maybe both Whitstable and Herne Bay could have a modern office between both towns......
Your thoughts please ?......

Did anyone ask some 16 years ago when the Faversham staff got pushed out of thier office and i believe thier office was alot futher away!what about Folkstone staff when they lost thier jobs some 16 years ago got pushed into canterbury,then of course what about Dover staff that got kicked into canterbury,i believe if you looked at the distance from those offices i think you may find that they are alot further away as for building a new office between the two will never happen that is not the idea,i think it's about making offices full to brim and taking all other offices not required out to save money,it will also get rid of goodness knows how many managers and lets face it we have more than enough.

[A RoyalDen]

no way can the office Canterbury be suitable to get to....
if they should and they will close Whitstable and Herne Bay office, then so they should close the Canterbury office and put all three into one that would have better access for both staff and customers.....