Postal service chaos to continue

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Dundee ... tinue.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mail deliveries in Dundee East could be in chaos for some time yet, a union leader has warned.

Willie Lawson, Communication Workers' Union deliveries representative for the Dundee, Perth and Fife postcode areas, noted that Royal Mail's predictions for the mail mountain at the West Pitkerro base to be cleared last week had not been met.

He said, "Now I could not give a deadline for when it will be clear. There seems to be a huge problem with the volume of packages because they are now getting caught up with Christmas mail."

It is now nearly three weeks since Royal Mail introduced the controversial delivery system called the Way Forward at its Dundee East depot.

Workers are teamed together to deliver letters and parcels from vans rather than delivering letters and parcels separately.

Rounds have lengthened and workers have been unable to complete their deliveries on time, forcing them to return with undelivered mail which has piled up inside the West Pitkerro premises.

Measures have been rushed in to tackle the problem — drafting in managers from other depots for sorting duties, despatching mail to other depots for sorting and Sunday deliveries — but they have not brought a solution.

The Courier has been inundated with complaints from people throughout the DD4 and DD5 postcode areas angry and frustrated at letters and parcels not arriving regularly and suddenly appearing in bundles.

Criticism
Royal Mail is not happy at its Dundee East depot being the focus of criticism, and its operations director for Scotland has visited to investigate the problem and find out if enough is being done to solve it.

Mr Lawson said part of the problem could be that Dundee East is the biggest depot in the DD, PH and KY postcode areas to implement the delivery system.

"So far it has been introduced at smaller depots and as far as I am aware these have not had problems," he said.

"Dundee East is a bigger one and it has not been easy to implement it, and I understand they are also having trouble at Dumfries which is also a bigger depot.

"With hindsight it might have been better if they had taken more time and introduced the new scheme in stages — say bring it in with the DD4 area first, wait a few weeks and then bring it in at DD5, but hindsight is a great thing."

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said, "There have been initial problems with establishing the new system in the office. We are working through these issues and resolving them.

"This, though, has led to a backlog of mail and we apologise profusely to our customers and we are working hard to get the mail delivery back on track.

"Royal Mail believes the modernisation programme is correct and vitally required to fight competition head on."

The organisation is undergoing a £2 billion investment in modernising its operations, and says changes are being made in delivery offices across the country to help it compete in a very competitive marketplace.

Modernisation

The modernisation programme has been undertaken on the basis of a national agreement reached earlier between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers' Union, endorsed by postmen and women in a national ballot.

One of many people unimpressed by the difficulty is Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie, who took up complaints from constituents over non-delivery and late delivery issues and wrote to the manager of Dundee East Delivery Office on October 20.

He has not received a reply and he has sent a further letter inquiring whether the original letter was received. This time the MP has communicated by email.

Mr Hosie said, "I have now been approached by a fair number of constituents, more each day, making complaints about the service and I am very keen indeed to have an update on the situation from Royal Mail.

"I have been contacted by constituents in Monifieth, Douglas, Broughty Ferry and elsewhere in Dundee who have raised with me non-delivery or late delivery issues.

"I have taken up these issues previously and I am not unaware that Royal Mail management have spent a fair bit of time trying to resolve the problems.

"I'm also aware that there is a new system in place which is causing some of the problems but until I have a definitive response from Royal Mail, I am not able to properly advise my constituents of the precise problems and the steps being taken to rectify them and of course Christmas will soon be upon us.

"In my original letter of October 20, I had suggested that a meeting between myself and sorting office management might have been helpful.

"I have reiterated that request again today in my email."

[maisymoo04]

CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHY THE CWU AGREED THIS WITH ROYAL MAIL,ANY UNION DICKS OUT THERE PLEASE

[jockstrapp]

Mr Lawson said
"So far it has been introduced at smaller depots and as far as I am aware these have not had problems," he said

Well Mr Lawson it was introduced in my small office AND EITHER YOU ARE BEING TOLD LIES in which case fire the lying bast@rd or you are just burying your head in the sand

[DirtyHarry]

Yeah, that's a question I have asked since day one.
2010 & Beyond, it's very easy to see, that no postal worker had a hand in drafting that load of old bollox, at least we can still hold our heads up, unlike the layabouts on both RM/CWU negotiating teams, they had to be pissed, surely? Or just couldn't give a flying f**k about the workers.

[DUNDEEPOSTIE]

Mr Lawson said
"So far it has been introduced at smaller depots and as far as I am aware these have not had problems," he said

Well Mr Lawson it was introduced in my small office AND EITHER YOU ARE BEING TOLD LIES in which case fire the lying bast@rd or you are just burying your head in the sand

Personally I don't trust this "union rep" as far as I could throw him.

[edwardo]

Mr Lawson said
"So far it has been introduced at smaller depots and as far as I am aware these have not had problems," he said

Well Mr Lawson it was introduced in my small office AND EITHER YOU ARE BEING TOLD LIES in which case fire the lying bast@rd or you are just burying your head in the sand

the union are just as bad as management when it comes to avoiding the truth , they are only interested in your £3 subs every week for there summer holiday they don t care about anything else . dont worry dundee the cavalry are on there way from lanark this sunday again with 4 or 5 vans , and there is no van to get me 6 miles to my duty during the week . i am so happy they the management and union have f****d up again MOYA IS DOING A GRAND JOB HA HA

[macphee1]

Mr Lawson said
"So far it has been introduced at smaller depots and as far as I am aware these have not had problems," he said

Well Mr Lawson it was introduced in my small office AND EITHER YOU ARE BEING TOLD LIES in which case fire the lying bast@rd or you are just burying your head in the sand

the union are just as bad as management when it comes to avoiding the truth , they are only interested in your £3 subs every week for there summer holiday they don t care about anything else . dont worry dundee the cavalry are on there way from lanark this sunday again with 4 or 5 vans , and there is no van to get me 6 miles to my duty during the week . i am so happy they the management and union have f****d up again MOYA IS DOING A GRAND JOB HA HA

They've asked for volunteers from our office to go to Dundee this Sunday.It would work out at 8 hours Sunday scheduled,6 hours traveling time ,and roughly 260 miles at 40p a mile.We said thanks,but no thanks.

[BIG AL]

Well, we are now into the 3rd week at Dundee East and the situation is still the same.
We are falling over managers [ a new face appears every day], who don't have a clue what the Walks are like.

The majority of us come in throw our walks in, take our break and go out with 1 Walk most days.
We don't even go on the ips now, there is a squad of casuals sort our mail or they divert it to other offices to sort it for us.
One manager tells you to make sure all the packets are delivered; the next says 'no the mail is important!'.
Blind leading the blind?

The planner does not even know if walks has long driveways on them,
'Sorry it does not tell me on the computer!!!!!!!!!!'
They think that sorting out our Walk Logs and frames will ease and solve the problems.
No!
Sort out the walks which are totally unworkable!

Easy, is it not?

Sorry, I forgot I am only a stupid postie, not a planner or magician.

Cannot wait for the Xmas rush

Stand Free..................................................

[maisymoo04]

BA bet theres loads of mizzys mate on the ips(missorts that pal)

[brothermagrew]

Stay safe BIG AL and when the opportunity arises obliged if you would keep us posted on developements at Dundee East. By the by has the fire brigade carried out there inspection yet.