Campaigners angry after protest is ignored

[CJStone]

CAMPAIGNERS battling to save Whitstable’s Royal Mail sorting office say they have been snubbed by top brass in Canterbury.

A group of supporters headed by postman Chris Stone arrived at the depot in Military Road, Canterbury, on Friday ready to hand over a 4,200-signature petition – but area manager John Verrall was not there to accept it.

“Mr Stone said: “I wrote to Mr Verrall two months ago to say we were coming but I never received a reply. We tried to find someone else to accept it but no-one was prepared to.

“We are really annoyed. We were happy to change the date and gave them two months’ notice. He should at least have had the decency to say he wouldn’t be there.”

Protesters say the closure of both Whitstable and Herne Bay sorting offices will force people to travel to Canterbury to collect undelivered mail, increase vehicle journeys by postal staff and lead to job losses.

Mr Stone said campaigners will now present the petition to Tom Willis, Royal Mail’s south east region operations director. A Royal Mail spokesman was investigating as we went to press.

Campaigners are holding a protest march in Whitstable on Saturday from the Royal Mail’s sorting office in Cromwell Road at 3pm. The march will go along Harbour Street and end with a rally outside Whitstable Library followed by a benefit concert by the Nagasaki 3 band at Whitstable Labour Club at 8pm.

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[Post Off]

This is surely now becoming the true realisation of what privatisation means. Hopefully, before our service is totally destroyed most peeps will start to wonder long and hard why this service needs to be destroyed for the modernisation (flawed) ideals that RM / Government are forever spinning.

Having said that, I'm not altogether sure if most peeps would give a monkey's if it wasn't going to include destroying their communities, or more cynically, losing their conveniences to do just about all the things that they've always done.


As for handing in some petition, well, I would have at least made sure someone was going to receive said petition. I mean, just informing someone that you'll be handing over said petition without even first getting a reply is a bit daft. For one thing, I'm not sure how you or anyone can even prove that someone was snubbed, as said. Perhaps an email followed by a recorded delivery would have been more apt?

[CJStone]

As for handing in some petition, well, I would have at least made sure someone was going to receive said petition. I mean, just informing someone that you'll be handing over said petition without even first getting a reply is a bit daft. For one thing, I'm not sure how you or anyone can even prove that someone was snubbed, as said. Perhaps an email followed by a recorded delivery would have been more apt?

This story had major coverage in both our local papers, served to publicise the march, AND we get a second opportunity to hand the petition in.

Everything went according to plan.

[Wessex]

Well done

[youwot!!!!!]

its amazing that people still think that royal mail CARE about what they think.
its not so long ago that we were beaten over the head with "quality of service" and now they are just interested in making or saving as much money as they can.
if you didn't laugh you would cry.

[Wessex]

At last ,a march that starts at a time when posties can attend ,well done, CWU organisers should take note.Would love to attend but Im borassic ,Hope the weather is not inclement .Good Luck

[Post Off]

You know, it is great that you are doing something, and that you are getting lots of local press coverage. I'm just wondering whether the national press, have or are doing enough to make its national readers aware of the consequences were this to carry on under the guise of just another local campaign.

There is CAPOC and the 'Keep The Post Office Public' campaign, so I guess you have already communicated with these peeps? I really think there ought to be a network of all the local towns and what have you trying to get this news out more nationally.

I'm not happy about the loss of my local post office and sorting office. For that alone, I fugging hate RM, and so will others when they get to also catch wind of the same dire fate.