Rural areas are not receiving post until TEATIME,

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Rural areas are not receiving post until TEATIME, as Royal Mail seeks to cut costs

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ds-newsxml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Rural households will now have to wait until 4pm to receive their post under Royal Mail’s controversial new plans to slash costs.

The proposals will see delivery times stretched to 3pm in towns and an hour later in rural areas in a move that will set a precedent for the rest of the country.

The plans will eventually be extended across Britain but the first area to be affected has been Sussex as postal chiefs begin to roll out the cash-saving measures.

Previously rural households had to wait until 3pm for deliveries but Royal Mail’s new sorting machinery means the delivery time has been extended by an hour.

Union leaders say it is ‘ironic’ that the modern postal machines have led to later deliveries.

Deputy general secretary of the postal union CWU, Dave Ward, said: ‘It’s one of the more ironic effects of modernisation – using machines to sort the mail actually takes longer than the old methods [using people], meaning deliveries start and finish an hour later.’

The latest changes have already hit Worthing in West Sussex, and residents in Newhaven and Polegate, both in East Sussex, have complained of missed deliveries since the system was introduced in August.

Consumer watchdog, Consumer Focus, told the Daily Telegraph the plans were an ‘unwelcome surprise’ for customers and that small business and the elderly will be hit hardest.

The organisation’s postal policy director, Robert Hammond, told the newspaper: ‘This is likely to hit small businesses even harder as they often rely on getting their post as early as possible in order to respond to customers quickly.

‘Mail volumes are declining and to become a more viable business Royal Mail is having to make economies of scale throughout the business.’

Currently 4,500 of Royal Mail’s 65,000 delivery routes are classified as ‘rural’, and the new delivery times are set to affect the rest of the nation within the next few years.

The postal delivery time changes were agreed in 2009, as Royal Mail sought a peace deal to end strikes.

A spokesperson for Royal Mail told Mail Online: 'Royal Mail began rolling out nearly 18 months ago changes to its delivery operation, which includes new and better equipment for postmen and women, including two-person vans and more trolleys to take the weight off our people’s backs.

'The changes also involve postmen and women spending more time on delivery with the result that for the last 18 months, the specification has been deliveries to urban addresses by 3pm instead of 2pm, and in rural areas, by 4pm instead of 3pm.

'The overwhelming majority of customers continue to receive their mail by 2pm in urban areas and by 3pm in rural areas.

'Royal Mail is being very open with our customers. When changes to deliveries are made, we always seek to write to all customers in the area concerned – and this is what we have been doing for many months now around the country. To date, letters have been sent to three million households.'

The latest postcodes to be affected by the changes are BN11, BN12, BN13 and BN14.

THE LATEST ROYAL MAIL BID TO RAISE PROFITS

It was discovered last month that Royal Mail made millions of pounds by stopping giving priority to first-class letters and packages posted on Saturdays.

The company made an estimated £4million from customers needlessly putting first-class stamps on post that was treated the same as second class after changes were secretly introduced in July.

A document sent to mail centres and delivery officers stated: ‘Second-class traffic posted Friday and Saturday will be processed along with first-class posted Saturday, using Saturday first-class labels.’

Earlier this month it was also revealed that postmen were ordered to boycott homes on ‘unmade roads’ because of health and safety fears.

Households in Benfleet, Essex, were told they would no longer receive mail on Saturdays because the uneven road surfaces presented an ‘unacceptable risk’ to postmen, who might fall off their bikes.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Telegraph running a similar story http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... -post.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[DirtyHarry]

He's a knob, Dave Ward, 'aint he. Those stupid berks at the CWU negotiated away sensible start/finish times. Where was Dave, to say he seems shocked at the ludicrous times people are getting their post these days? Outer Mongolia?

[DGP1]

Was this not one of the reasons we went on strike? But I suppose the Daily Wail will just ignore that.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Was this not one of the reasons we went on strike? But I suppose the Daily Wail will just ignore that.

and they don't publish comments on their articles that point this out.

[DGP1]

Was this not one of the reasons we went on strike? But I suppose the Daily Wail will just ignore that.

and they don't publish comments on their articles that point this out.

They just don't like you

[Judgee]

How to write an RM statement lesson one-

Please insert the following line into every statement which will validate any other bullshit....

‘Mail volumes are declining and to become a more viable business Royal Mail is having to make economies of scale throughout the business.’

[Lounge Lizard]

Was this not one of the reasons we went on strike? But I suppose the Daily Wail will just ignore that.

and they don't publish comments on their articles that point this out.

Yes, typical Dail Mail article, moan, moan, moan, without looking into the real raesons behind it or investigating any possible solution.

[billyboy123]

its not just rural areas that dont get their post till teatime in our office its urban areas as well and they call it progress. progress my arse

[POSTMAN]

Dave Ward/the negotiators/CWU asked Royal Mail to invest in more machines but Royal Mail refused.
There will be enough machines to do the job,just not enough to do the job quickly.

[POSTMAN]

https://www.myroyalmail.com/mrm/appnews ... aspx?i=255" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There has been press coverage this morning (principally in the Daily Telegraph) about delivery times in rural areas.

The impression has been created that people in rural areas do not receive their post until 4pm. This is not true.

The delivery specification clearly states that we aim to deliver the last letter to addresses in urban areas by 3pm every working day and in rural areas by 4pm.

The vast majority of mail is delivered in advance of these times.

Customer communications
Neither is the delivery specification a new development.

We agreed the changes to deliveries with the unions two years ago.

As we begin major delivery revisions in locations across the country, we write to every household and business to explain the changes that are happening.

Our customer communications programme is one of the largest ever undertaken in the UK.

It is vital that we are all really clear about what we are doing and how we are doing it.

If asked by friends, neighbours or customers, about the story in the Daily Telegraph, it is important that you set out the messages outlined here.

We all remain committed to giving our customers a great service.

[DGP1]

We agreed the changes to deliveries with the unions two years ago.

I like the way they seek to blame us for their screw ups

[DirtyHarry]

We agreed the changes to deliveries with the unions two years ago.

I like the way they seek to blame us for their screw ups

The CWU does share the blame for the parlous state of our jobs, and the decline in overall standards of customer service. Much as I hate to say it, but the buffoons in senior management could never have done what they have done, off their own bat, were it not for a weak union led by people who are only in it for themselves.