Yet another Local News item

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DAILY ECHO
Bournemouth and Poole


Mail staff's anger at unpaid wages
3:00pm Wednesday 21st December 2011

By Jim Durkin

A NUMBER of temporary employees, working in Poole to ensure the Christmas mail arrives in time, have not been paid.

Scores of extra staff were drafted into the Royal Mail sorting offices at Nuffield Industrial Estate in a bid to ensure the festive post runs smoothly.

However, many have complained about lack of wages – or pay packets which are hundreds of pound light.

One 19-year-old university student from Poole, who has been working through the night in a bid to finance his studies, was paid just one penny for a week’s work.

His angry mum, Jane Lambeth, told the Daily Echo: “This is ridiculous.

“He is not out there drinking or acting up like some other teenagers, he is working hard to pay his way.”

Another temporary worker said: “With one week to go before Christmas people are depending on their wages, there are people who cannot feed their families because of this.”

A 19-year-old, who was expecting to earn £250 a week, has received just 60 per cent and a friend will lose his lodgings if he cannot pay the rent by the end of the week.

“We finish in a week’s time,” she said. “Are we actually going to get the rest of our pay?”

The Royal Mail have admitted problems with the payroll system have meant some workers have not been paid correctly.

Workers were taken on earlier this year by the Royal Mail’s staffing arm Angard Staffing.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We apologise for this as our temporary Christmas staff are very important to us.

“Firm action is being taken to resolve outstanding pay issues.

“The vast majority of our Christmas temporary recruits have been paid as usual into their bank accounts. Where this was not possible, we have made huge efforts to put in place additional payment channels.

“This involves staff receiving either a cash payment or a voucher which can then be redeemed for the relevant amount of cash at any Post Office branch.”

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