good example of Royal Mail planning skills in Gloucester

[lovejoy]

Royal Mail has denied claims that a decision to close the Gloucester sorting office could be put off a year.The Communication Workers' Union (CWU), said at a meeting with Royal Mail officials it had been told the company was not yet in a position to make a final decision on relocating the Eastern Avenue sorting office.

The CWU claims it was initially told they would face a Royal Mail board approved decision this month.

But Paul Trehearne, branch secretary, said several months of delay could now leave Royal Mail unable to begin plans for a new £20 million premises in Swindon in time for the busy Christmas period - delaying the move until 2009.

He said: "We are confident as a union that the decision that they probably will take to close the mail centre will not result in the mail centre closing in 2008.

"There's a long process to go through with building and equipping a new site and we are still in talks hoping to secure a suitable location within Gloucester."

Shaun Shute, a postal worker at the Gloucester office, said it was a positive sign the Royal Mail's relocation project team were "on the ropes", adding: "This is great news for all postal workers based in Gloucestershire.

"It is also great news for the city of Gloucester, local business, regeneration, the local economy and the environment.

"However we must not be complacent as the closure threat is still with us."

But a Royal Mail spokeswoman refuted the suggestion of a May deadline for the board-approved decision.

She said: "It is totally incorrect to suggest the project team has been delayed in completing the detailed proposal for consideration by the Royal Mail Board.

"No announcement has been made to this effect and in fact everything is running to schedule.

"Currently we are evaluating CWU counter-proposals and if none of these alternative options prevail, we will be able to submit our own completed business case for board approval on schedule."

The Gloucester sorting office employs more than 420 people, more than half of whom would sooner take voluntary redundancy than relocate to the proposed Swindon site.

Among the main objections to the scheme include possibilities of increased postal delays, job loss and traffic pollution, but Royal Mail says the move will cut costs and be more environmentally friendly.

A campaign to save the Gloucester site is ongoing, visit www.savegloucestermailcentre.co.uk fore more information.

[zaphod]

Most of us at Bristol Fail Centre - the worst Mail Centre in the country - cannot believe that Gloucester Mail Centre was earmarked for closure. We are quite jealous, and ask management to reconsider, and close Bristol Mail Centre, instead.