Job losses as RM closes delivery offices in Kent

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.yourcanterbury.co.uk/kent-ne ... 40363.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

HERNE BAY and Whitstable delivery offices will be shut down as part of a Royal Mail restructure, meaning jobs will go.

This is in addition to the planned closure of Canterbury’s sorting office, which employs 250 people.

It is not yet clear how many jobs will be lost in the Canterbury district but the company has admitted 400 of 3,700 jobs will be lost from four sites in Kent, including Canterbury.

Royal Mail wants to keep open Canterbury’s delivery office, which employs 130. But the Whitstable and Herne Bay delivery depots, employing 60 and 70 people respectively, will be closed down and amalgamated with the Canterbury office.

Dave Banbury, secretary of the Kent branch of the Communication Workers’ Union, said: “The Royal Mail hasn’t announced to us they are closing the Whitstable and Herne Bay offices into the Canterbury office, but we guessed that was what their plan was.

“There will be fewer jobs in Canterbury and, there is no doubt about it, there will be a massive reduction in jobs across Kent with Royal Mail.

“This is going to mean more travelling for postmen who live in the local areas and it has a knock-on effect for the public – if you live in Whitstable now you will have to travel all the way into Canterbury to pick up parcels.”

Sorting offices in Tonbridge, Dartford and Maidstone are also to be closed and all four depot’s operations moved to a central office in Rochester.

Royal Mail said: “There are four mail centres in Kent which are more than 25 years old and they do not have the space to accommodate the latest automation and technology for sorting in which Royal Mail is investing to modernise its business.

“The proposal does, however, provide Royal Mail with an opportunity to continue to use the site at Canterbury as there is space at these for new automation being used for Royal Mail deliveries.

“This significantly reduces the amount of hand sorting postmen and women have to undertake before going out on their rounds. It is envisaged at this stage none of the delivery offices will move until at least the Spring of 2012.

“Our intention is always to make changes without recourse to any compulsory redundancies and we expect to find roles for everyone who wants to continue to work for Royal Mail.”

Mr Banbury said the union would not launch industrial action as this shake-up is part of a national agreement negotiated by the Royal Mail and the Communication Workers’ Union.

But he said: “Royal Mail’s view on modernisation is that it involves job losses throughout. People from Canterbury, Tonbridge, Dartford and Maidstone will all have to go to that one sorting office, so they are not going to have enough jobs for everybody.

“We do still have concerns about the lack of information being given to us by Royal Mail over their plans for the future.

“Currently we are having a problem because they want to take all the first class mail out of Canterbury and sort it elsewhere, so that is going to have an effect on jobs immediately in Canterbury.”

Royal Mail said discussions would take place with its employees and the union before any final decision. It cited the need for modernisation, declining use of the postal service and competition as their need to undertake the restructuring.

[Brainache]

Is there any national agreement about what happens when delivery office moves ( maybe 10 - 20 miles ). Does the MTFS kick in automaticaly? I know you get travel allowance but is there a choice? Can you ask for evr? Does it make a difference if it means I would be late for the school run? Is there a preferance exercise? Are all staff consulted individualy on the effect it would have on them? If part time can I expect to go full time because of the extra mileage on beginning/end of delivery? It would be nice to know the ins&outs before management announce the news. Thanks.