Royal Mail announce staff nursery at Mount Pleasant to close

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.islingtontribune.com/news/20 ... sant-close" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

POSTAL worker parents fear they may have to give up their jobs after the Royal Mail announced plans to close the staff nursery at Mount Pleasant.

Dozens held banners in a protest outside the sorting office in Clerken­well yesterday (Thursday) after bosses’ said that the nursery, which opens for shift workers at 6am and closes at 10pm, is no longer cost effective.

Mother-to-be Annette Montague said: “I’ve got small children and depend on the nursery.”

And holding her 14-month-old daughter Micha, Angela McNaught, who has been a postwoman for 12 years, said: “I start work at 6.15am, how am I going to find childcare at that time of the morning? People like me are going to be forced out of work.”

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) say that postal workers are among London’s lowest paid, making free childcare facilities a vital asset for families.

Mount Pleasant CWU branch secretary Roger Charles said: “The nursery offers affordable childcare for shift workers as it’s open from 6am to 10pm. It’s the only facility like it in Royal Mail and makes a huge difference to the lives of working families.”

The Child’s Play nursery, which is run by Kiddicare, opened in 1994. It caters for up to 30 children at any one time.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “Royal Mail has taken the difficult decision to close the crèche at Mount Pleasant mail centre in November 2011 as the number of children using it is falling and Royal Mail currently subsidises the nursery at a cost of over £160,000 per year.

“Royal Mail has given the small number of parents affected one-year’s notice of its decision and is talking to them to see how it can help them make alternative arrangements.”

[Lounge Lizard]

The Child’s Play nursery, which is run by Kiddicare, opened in 1994. It caters for up to 30 children at any one time.
Royal Mail currently subsidises the nursery at a cost of over £160,000 per year.

So that's £5,333 per child per year or about £25 a day each.

[DGP1]

The Child’s Play nursery, which is run by Kiddicare, opened in 1994. It caters for up to 30 children at any one time.
Royal Mail currently subsidises the nursery at a cost of over £160,000 per year.

So that's £5,333 per child per year or about £25 a day each.

They'll include the space (and London prices will account for a lot of that).

[fishtank]

The Child’s Play nursery, which is run by Kiddicare, opened in 1994. It caters for up to 30 children at any one time.
Royal Mail currently subsidises the nursery at a cost of over £160,000 per year.

So that's £5,333 per child per year or about £25 a day each.

They are being slightly economical with the truth.....

What tax relief can employers get for helping their employees with childcare?
1 You can claim tax relief for the day-to-day costs of providing or subsidising childcare.
Day-to-day costs include:
• giving employees cash allowances for childcare
• paying the fees of a nursery, childminder or nanny on
behalf of an employee
• the running costs of a workplace nursery for

employees’ children, for example

— rent
— rates
— heating and lighting
— staff wages
— food
— play equipment with a short life.
These costs are all deductible when working out your profits for tax purposes.

2 You may qualify for capital allowances on the cost of equipment for a nursery.
Many items used in a workplace nursery may qualify for capital allowances including:
• furniture
• equipment used for heating, washing and cooking
• more durable items of play equipment.
3 You may also qualify for tax relief for the capital costs of providing premises for a nursery.
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/helpsheets/e18.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I would be surprised given the number of accountants RM employs if it actually costs them even half of the £160,000 quoted.
I would also imagine that the Senior Management restaurant at Royal Mail HQ costs more to run....

[capricorn]

How can anyone expect a nursery to be cost effective

Have they stopped 3 year olds dragging trays of mail to the frames

Or is it that they are the only ones in Royal Mail to demand 4 breaks and an afternoon nap ( Doms excepted )

Got it !!! It's a back door to reduce staffing levels, so much for family friendly policies.

Makes me ashamed to work for Royal Mail

[Pinky 1]

Free nursery ? Is this another one of those 'pavements of gold' stories .........
I can think of a number of postmen/women in our office who would consider it a massive payrise if they didn't have to shell out for child care

[barbario]

It certainly wasn't a difficult decision for Royal Mail as they want to force as many people to leave the company
as possible.

[andy2007]

Although I have some sympathy for those who're relying on the Nursery. They have to realise that the problems they'll have next year, are the same ones that every other Postie in the Country has had to deal with all along. Yes, it's difficult, and expensive to find childcare, that fits in with a Postie's hours. But it can, and in fact IS done by Posties all around the Country, INCLUDING other parts of London. At least you were given a years notice. That's better than I would have expected from RM.

[dvbuk55]

[baldrick]

Free nursery ? Is this another one of those 'pavements of gold' stories .........
I can think of a number of postmen/women in our office who would consider it a massive payrise if they didn't have to shell out for child care

It's not free. The parent pays half the cost. I don't know how much it is now, but a couple of years ago it was £80pw.
I thought parents working for Royal Mail did get child care vouchers towards nursery costs - or have I got that wrong?
The cost to RM is peanuts compared to the usual running costs of a Mail Centre. Perhaps it is more to do with RM wanting to reduce staffing at Mount Pleasant by 57%, and a way of forcing single parents to leave.

[Lounge Lizard]

Free nursery ? Is this another one of those 'pavements of gold' stories .........
I can think of a number of postmen/women in our office who would consider it a massive payrise if they didn't have to shell out for child care

It's not free. The parent pays half the cost. I don't know how much it is now, but a couple of years ago it was £80pw.
I thought parents working for Royal Mail did get child care vouchers towards nursery costs - or have I got that wrong?
The cost to RM is peanuts compared to the usual running costs of a Mail Centre. Perhaps it is more to do with RM wanting to reduce staffing at Mount Pleasant by 57%, and a way of forcing single parents to leave.

"It's not free. The parent pays half the cost. I don't know how much it is now, but a couple of years ago it was £80pw." - so Royal Mail forks out £80 a week for each employee with a child in the nursery, that's £80 that could pay eight hours docket for me to help clear the backlog of mail.

[RedBagMan]

... as the number of children using it is falling ...

Now where have we heard "that type of quote" before

[dvbuk55]

... as the number of children using it is falling ...

Now where have we heard "that type of quote" before

Well although mail volumes are falling there has obviously been an increase in french erm mail

[baldrick]

The Child’s Play nursery, which is run by Kiddicare, opened in 1994. It caters for up to 30 children at any one time.
Royal Mail currently subsidises the nursery at a cost of over £160,000 per year.

So that's £5,333 per child per year or about £25 a day each.

Romec charge a minimum of £25 for sending someone (who is already in the MC) to just look at any reported problem, and it could be more to fix it. Just changing a fluorescent tube costs £25.

[Lounge Lizard]

The Child’s Play nursery, which is run by Kiddicare, opened in 1994. It caters for up to 30 children at any one time.
Royal Mail currently subsidises the nursery at a cost of over £160,000 per year.

So that's £5,333 per child per year or about £25 a day each.

Romec charge a minimum of £25 for sending someone (who is already in the MC) to just look at any reported problem, and it could be more to fix it. Just changing a fluorescent tube costs £25.

But none of us are going to need a flourescent tube changing at work every working day of the year.