Sorting office axe 'will hit economy'

[kevmorg]

I didn't post as a Moderator. I posted as an ordinary member. As a Moderator I am still entitled to opinions, and to post them. I even give everyone a clear message when I am moderating by using a tag line in my signature.

Can we now get back to the topic of the MC, rather than bringing it down to a personal level. Thats a more important issue than who works there, and what my job is on RMC.

I agree. To address the uninformed there won't be any business's taking over the Shrewsbury MC site as the DO the fleet and collections are to remain on site under the review teams proposal. Add to this that 2 x CSS machines are to stay,i would guess that it would qualify for MPU status.

With the exception of 3 x CSS operators required to run the machines, all processing will cease. Again to address the uninformed, the projected savings are £8 million..pretty good eh?.. there's a catch, there always is. This saving and may I add the CWU are disputing the figure due to various discrepancies, will not be realised for at least 5 years and then it's not guaranteed.
The mail will be sent to Cardiff, Chester, Wolverhampton, Chester being the key as 60% of the mail processed at Shrewbury is SY coded. TF codes are to go to Wolves, 30% of the mail, and LD codes to Cardiff 10%.

I think it goes without saying that no one from Shrewsbury is going to travel to Cardiff, so they expect an already failing MC to absorb the work and thus up productivity. Wolves is nearer to Shrewsbury, about 36 miles from the MC, but only 30% of the work is to be moved there , so the management would prefer the same to apply to Wolves as Cardiff, simply to absorb the mail into the current staffing levels.
Now, as mentioned in a previous post, Chester is an 86 mile round trip from Shrewsbury on not very good A roads.Journey time by road is 1hr 15 mins, by public transport, 1 hr 30mins, but the review team only want 50 staff to follow the work from Shrewsbury to Chester, the rest, just over 100 post people, they expect to take VR. What happened to the much publicised no compulsory redundancies agreement?
Let's be honest, the previous CEO had more paid to him in bonuses and spent more on office furniture that this so called review will save the company.To add another point to business's not needing an MC near to them, well I'm informed that if this review ends in what the company wants, it will make Shropshire the only county in the country without a Mail Centre.

At the risk of invoking the wrath of TBT, I would ask the likes of Lizard and Dodger, postmen and colleagues, if they still advocate the proposed closure of Shrewsbury MC?...The floors open.

[Biker Mouse]

Kevmorg, I'm sorry you were upset by my post but it was just for information! I could have said Geoff the Chef works there, only his name wasn't in the article!

[POSTMAN]

Kev,you have put forward a much better argument as to why Shrewsbury should not close.
The excuse from Tandy 'that was printed' is a bit lame which seems to be Lounge's point,and to be fair what was 'printed' was a piss poor argument.

We all know how the press work,whether Tandy gave out a better argument only himself and the press know.

Moving on to the closure,i don't think anyone on here wants to see these closures,and personally i really feel for all those involved,not just in this one but all those that have happened and are planned to happen.

I personally don't think i could function properly if i was in the position others have been in or will be in.

[PhilthyPhil]

it will make Shropshire the only county in the country without a Mail Centre.

err I don't think so, there are already counties without a MC

[TeeferTiger]

it will make Shropshire the only county in the country without a Mail Centre.

err I don't think so, there are already counties without a MC

Whole of North Wales doesn't have a MC, it's Chester-which is in England.

[chunk]

it will make Shropshire the only county in the country without a Mail Centre.

err I don't think so, there are already counties without a MC

yes for example i believe Swindon sorts Oxford's mail.
the rm drivers have to travel the A420 also dubbed as "the road to hell" as it statistically had the most deaths per mile of any uk road.

the 8milion savings.... does that include redundancy payments?
simple point is it costs rm to make people redundant,
certainly in the short term.
for arguments sake if 100 of the 160 staff take redundancy at £10,000 thats 1 million pounds if my maths is correct?

now many long serving staff should be entitled to more and some less.
those who choose to travel the extra distance.. again for arguments sake (the remaining 60) will probably be entitled to claim mileage for 3 years.

[kevmorg]

Kev,you have put forward a much better argument as to why Shrewsbury should not close.
The excuse from Tandy 'that was printed' is a bit lame which seems to be Lounge's point,and to be fair what was 'printed' was a piss poor argument.

We all know how the press work,whether Tandy gave out a better argument only himself and the press know.

Moving on to the closure,i don't think anyone on here wants to see these closures,and personally i really feel for all those involved,not just in this one but all those that have happened and are planned to happen.

I personally don't think i could function properly if i was in the position others have been in or will be in.

Thanks for the empathy.

[kevmorg]

it will make Shropshire the only county in the country without a Mail Centre.

err I don't think so, there are already counties without a MC

Whole of North Wales doesn't have a MC, it's Chester-which is in England.

Well that's ok then..as long as we get the geographical details correct. I mean, why bother to mention the 100 or so fellow posties faced with the dole, and that's just in Shrewsbury, never mind Gloucester and Cambridge. FFS!!

[kevmorg]

it will make Shropshire the only county in the country without a Mail Centre.

err I don't think so, there are already counties without a MC

err, sorry i was wrong apparently.

[kevmorg]

Kevmorg, I'm sorry you were upset by my post but it was just for information! I could have said Geoff the Chef works there, only his name wasn't in the article!

And you would be absolutely right in making that statement..he does ..I wasn't upset by the comment, just need clarification on how it was to be interpreted. Likewise, if I have caused any grief to anyone on this site then I apologise, it was not my intention.

[Lounge Lizard]

I didn't post as a Moderator. I posted as an ordinary member. As a Moderator I am still entitled to opinions, and to post them. I even give everyone a clear message when I am moderating by using a tag line in my signature.

Can we now get back to the topic of the MC, rather than bringing it down to a personal level. Thats a more important issue than who works there, and what my job is on RMC.

I agree. To address the uninformed there won't be any business's taking over the Shrewsbury MC site as the DO the fleet and collections are to remain on site under the review teams proposal. Add to this that 2 x CSS machines are to stay,i would guess that it would qualify for MPU status.

With the exception of 3 x CSS operators required to run the machines, all processing will cease. Again to address the uninformed, the projected savings are £8 million..pretty good eh?.. there's a catch, there always is. This saving and may I add the CWU are disputing the figure due to various discrepancies, will not be realised for at least 5 years and then it's not guaranteed.
The mail will be sent to Cardiff, Chester, Wolverhampton, Chester being the key as 60% of the mail processed at Shrewbury is SY coded. TF codes are to go to Wolves, 30% of the mail, and LD codes to Cardiff 10%.

I think it goes without saying that no one from Shrewsbury is going to travel to Cardiff, so they expect an already failing MC to absorb the work and thus up productivity. Wolves is nearer to Shrewsbury, about 36 miles from the MC, but only 30% of the work is to be moved there , so the management would prefer the same to apply to Wolves as Cardiff, simply to absorb the mail into the current staffing levels.
Now, as mentioned in a previous post, Chester is an 86 mile round trip from Shrewsbury on not very good A roads.Journey time by road is 1hr 15 mins, by public transport, 1 hr 30mins, but the review team only want 50 staff to follow the work from Shrewsbury to Chester, the rest, just over 100 post people, they expect to take VR. What happened to the much publicised no compulsory redundancies agreement?
Let's be honest, the previous CEO had more paid to him in bonuses and spent more on office furniture that this so called review will save the company.To add another point to business's not needing an MC near to them, well I'm informed that if this review ends in what the company wants, it will make Shropshire the only county in the country without a Mail Centre.

At the risk of invoking the wrath of TBT, I would ask the likes of Lizard and Dodger, postmen and colleagues, if they still advocate the proposed closure of Shrewsbury MC?...The floors open.

I questioned the motion passed by the local council but to conclude from that that I advocate the proposed closure is ridiculous.
And most counties in the country don't have a mail centre anymore.

[Straight4ward]

Who is this lounge lizard,is he a gaffer in disguise,because he is talking "BOLLOCKS"

... and all you are doing his shouting. Any chance of a debate instead of swearing. I would be more impressed if you took his points apart one by one in a respective manner, instead your just living up to the description that your chosen nickname has.

Oh the rules also ask for debate rather one line insults so might be worth reading them again just to refresh your memory.

Give the Shrew some leeway here.

By the looks of things, her job is under threat.

With all the stress that brings, insensitive comments are likely to get an angry response.

[fishtank]

There does seem to have been a breakout of pedantic syndrome here and on some other threads.
I would have thought this thread would be about Shrewsbury closing and the negative impact that will have on our colleagues which you would again think would be something we would be pretty much on the same page about but seemingly who works where,the internal machinations of the local council and whether somewhere else has a mailcentre are more important subjects.
Go figure.

The closure plans look on paper to be farcical,the distances are ridiculous,the proposed savings are laughable and the amount of unresolved members who will have no choice but to take VR is criminal...but hey ho i've heard the coffee machine does Mocha.

[Lounge Lizard]

There does seem to have been a breakout of pedantic syndrome here and on some other threads.
I would have thought this thread would be about Shrewsbury closing and the negative impact that will have on our colleagues which you would again think would be something we would be pretty much on the same page about but seemingly who works where,the internal machinations of the local council and whether somewhere else has a mailcentre are more important subjects.
Go figure.

The closure plans look on paper to be farcical,the distances are ridiculous,the proposed savings are laughable and the amount of unresolved members who will have no choice but to take VR is criminal...but hey ho i've heard the coffee machine does Mocha.

Rather than 'ridiculous' maybe the distances are challenging.
I've looked up on the AA route planner distances and times between the five LD delivery offices and both Shrewsbury and Cardiff and it's as follows ;
.
To / from Shrewsbury
Llandrindod Wells, 59.4 miles, 1h 24m
Builth Wells, 66.7 miles, 1h 35m
Brecon, 78.5 miles, 1h 52m
Rhayader, 59.4 miles, 1h 23m
Knighton, 39.8 miles, 1h 4m
TOTAL 303.8 miles, 7h 18m, AVERAGE 60.76 miles, 87.6 min
.
To / from Cardiff
Llandrindod Wells, 70.8 miles, 1h 41m
Builth Wells, 63.5 miles, 1h 31m
Brecon, 41.6 miles, 1h 3m
Rhayader, 76.9 miles, 1h 49m
Knighton, 89.1 miles, 2h 14m
TOTAL 341.9 miles, 8h 18m, AVERAGE 68.38 miles, 99.6 min
.
So Llandrindod Wells, Rhayader and Knighton are nearer Shrewsbury but Builth Wells and Brecon are nearer Cardiff.
The move to Cardiff will increase the average journey by about 7 miles and by about 12 minutes.
It's Cardiff to Knighton at nearly 90 miles and over two hours that will clearly be the biggest challenge.