Stratford:ROYAL MAIL'S NEW PROMISE TO SORT THE POSTAL CHAOS

[POSTMAN]

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ROYAL Mail has promised to clear the enormous backlog of post at Stratford-upon-Avon Sorting Office by the end of today (Tuesday).

The new pledge to get on top of the two-month-long problem followed a visit last week by Stratford MP Nadhim Zahawi.

It follows Royal Mail’s failure to honour a previous promise to deliver all the Christmas mail on time. In fact, as reported in the Herald last week, the backlog grew to some 90,000 items.

Staff have been working night shifts and weekends to deal with the undelivered mail while temporary staff and managers were drafted in from across the Midlands to make extra deliveries.

Speaking to the Herald, David Wright, delivery and collections sector manager for Coventry and Warwickshire, said Royal Mail had hoped the postal service would return to normal by Sunday, but the reality was the backlog would not be cleared until today.

Following Mr Zahawi’s visit he said: “He can actually see the operation and how we do it, what the challenges are and meet the people. The other things is knowing we’ve got his support. Obviously he’s unhappy with the level of service recently. He knows we’re making every effort to get it back on track.”

Problems began last November when, as part of a restructuring, delivery routes were altered and staff were asked to deliver using trolleys instead of the traditional satchels.

This became a problem after the heavy snowfall last month as postmen couldn’t push the trolleys over the snow and ice. Mr Wright added: “The internet shopping this Christmas has been greater than anyone’s expectations.” He said the group’s competitors had stopped delivering mail so customers came to Royal Mail instead.

Mr Zahawi told the Herald the visit had been very useful. He said Royal Mail had promised to look at the specific issues in Shipston and Long Compton, where deliveries have been more irregular than other areas, and was satisfied Royal Mail was still focused on resolving the problems.

He commended staff at the office, saying: “They’re breaking their backs to get this sorted. It’s not a pleasant situation for them. Nobody wants to be failing. What was refreshing was there were no ‘no-go’ areas for me. There were rumours and hearsay that the management were hiding mail. I was free to walk the size of the building. The other thing that was refreshing was the honesty from the team here, not just the regional team but here on the ground. I had access to talk to them myself.”

A review of the revision that caused the problems is currently being carried out. Mr Wright said delivery staff would be asked for their opinions and the use of the trolleys in winter would be reviewed.

Mr Wright also told the MP that Royal Mail would employ ten additional full-time staff by February.

In a statement yesterday, Mr Zahawi urged Royal Mail to ensure the sorting office gets the resources it needs to catch up on its 41,000-item backlog: “I have urged Royal Mail’s head office to ensure that the local office is properly resourced, both now and until their new staff are in place and fully trained. There is no point in us catching up on the backlog only for it to slip back again. I will be continuing to keep a close eye on the situation.”

The MP added: “I was also extremely pleased to hear that Royal Mail management have learnt from their mistakes. No one doubts that Royal Mail needs to modernise its operations, however as with everything in business, timing is everything. I’m delighted to hear that one of the lessons learned in this fiasco is that such an upheaval in working practices won’t take place just before Christmas again.”

Royal Mail’s Midlands regional operations director, Paul Jobling said in a statement on Sunday: “I wish to apologise to our customers who have experienced delays in receiving their mail. However, we are focused on improving deliveries in Stratford. Extra management and staff have been deployed and are working extremely hard. Although we do not normally deliver on a Sunday, our staff will be out delivering items to customers today.”

Mr Jobling added: “The operational changes we have made in Stratford are part of the modernisation of Royal Mail. It is vital that we place our business on a more efficient and sustainable footing for the future.

“These changes, based on a national agreement between Royal Mail and our union and endorsed by postmen and women through a national ballot, will ultimately allow us to achieve this aim.”

However, one postman told the Herald that Mr Zahawi’s visit was “a bit of a joke.” He said he didn’t know who Mr Zahawi had spoken to as most of the delivery staff were out delivering at the time of his visit on midday on Friday. He said delivery staff had still not been asked about the changes.

Stratford mayor Cllr Shelagh Sandle also recently attended a meeting at the sorting office with postal manager Trevor Withey.

Mr Withey apologised to her and said he appreciated how distressing it had been for the public not to receive important communications, especially at this time of year.

The mayor also said she would write to the Royal Mail head office about the changes in post delivery routes.

Warwick and Leamington, MP Chris White has also arranged a meeting with Royal Mail managers this Friday, to discuss the continuing disruption to postal deliveries in his constituency.

[shadforth]

I don,t think Dave Wright will listen to any one , they will dig there heals in no matter what this is all about not loseing face and nothing else now .