Post Office failing to deliver 'because of staff cuts'

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/8 ... staff_cuts_/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

DORSET’S post is getting later because of staff shortages, unions have claimed.

They say changes to working methods agreed in April are failing because local Royal Mail management has reduced the workforce.

Derek Clash, Communications Workers Union branch secretary for the BH and DT postcode areas, said staffing levels in his area had fallen by about 20 per cent.

“Management have cut staffing levels in delivery offices and forced postmen and women to take on larger delivery areas,” he said.

“The last letter is supposed to be delivered to the customer by 2.30pm, but because of staff shortages and larger areas, that’s getting later and later.

“Sometimes it lapses by 24 hours.”

Postmen at the delivery centre on Verwood’s Ebblake Industrial Estate are among the latest to have swapped bikes for trolleys in line with union-backed changes to working conditions.

A Verwood man running his own cleaning business contacted the Echo with concerns for his post.

“Our post over the last month has arrived at different times. Sometimes it’s in the morning, other times it’s late afternoon. Last week and the week before it’s arrived every other day,” he said. “I received three first class letters from another address in Verwood four days after they were sent. They need to have a word with themselves,” he said.

Susan Dakin, spokeswoman for Royal Mail, said the changes were part of a £2 billion modernisation programme, and had been agreed with the CWU. “As we deliver fewer letters but more packets and parcels than we did in the past, the switch to vans and trolleys will enable us to take the weight off staff's backs,” she said.

[DGP1]

Susan Dakin, spokeswoman for Royal Mail

Stepford spokesperson

[speedypostman]

Susan Dakin, spokeswoman for Royal Mail, said the changes were part of a £2 billion modernisation programme, and had been agreed with the CWU. “As we deliver fewer letters but more packets and parcels than we did in the past, the switch to vans and trolleys will enable us to take the weight off staff's backs,” she said.

They probably invested £100 000 per year to deliver an automated response to their customer. Would be better spent to work out how to deliver the mail on time everyday to their customers or to teach their thinktank what a customer is

[fishtank]

Are we going to start a separate forum for these scare stories?

[Stormproof]

Perhaps we could have a map with pins

[DirtyHarry]

Susan Dakin, spokeswoman for Royal Mail, said the changes were part of a £2 billion modernisation programme, and had been agreed with the CWU. “As we deliver fewer letters but more packets and parcels than we did in the past, the switch to vans and trolleys will enable us to take the weight off staff's backs,” she said.

Yeah, yeah, you old slapper, but what everyone wants to know is, why does the bloody mail have to be delivered so late in the feckin' day?
Customers don't like it, luv, posties don't like it, the only weirdos who seem keen on it are, management. surprise, surprise.

[IloveMYredTROLLEY!]

In my depot, which I doubt is an anything different from the rest of the country, has been affected by recent later starts for part-timers. Since our resign at Easter, PTers were able to start work at either 0800 or 0900, depending upon the amount of walk prep the lino needed covering. This meant we could finish our own walks by 1500 on busy Thursdays or Fridays, but often much closer to 1400 for the rest of the week, having kept my frame in good order (everything done, including deads).

Now we are all supposed to be starting at 0945, "double prep" is not complete (still have packet backfacing; redirections; some have D2D prep left; deads not dealt with) and so I am lucky to get out of the door 1030-1045, which means I can finish my own walk as late as 1530 (with deads not dealt with).

Where this new shift pattern really falls down is when several of us PTers are the "mercenaries" that go out again to deliver the cut-offs and ABS walks... Tues-Fri, I'm regular delivering mail on other rounds until 1630, but I have been as late as ~1745 delivering last letter. Unsurprisingly, this is upsetting customers, as they either have a short space of time to respond (get reply in postbox in time to be collected that day) to what we deliver on O/T, or they may in fact have "missed the boat" as that day's last collection has been and gone.

I've already said to line managers, us "mercenaries" are going to need miners helmets soon, to see where we are delivering in the dark and give us a little protection from upset customers!

[helmet1966]

look after your staff, thats the only reply needed