Whitstable postal workers present 5,000-name petition to MP

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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STAFF from Whitstable's Royal Mail sorting office have presented a 5,000-signature petition to MP Julian Brazier.

They are hoping to persuade Royal Mail bosses not to close the building in Cromwell Road next year.

The postal workers met Mr Brazier in the nearby St Peter's Church Hall on Thursday.

Delivery officer Chris Stone said workers told Mr Brazier the closure would inconvenience staff and customers and be bad for the environment because more people would need to drive to remaining office in Military Road, Canterbury.

Mr Stone, 59, of Maugham Court, said: "I think it's a bad idea. It doesn't make sense. Ideally, we'd like Royal Mail to keep the Cromwell Road office open but another solution could be to open an office on the Thanet Way between Whitstable and Herne Bay."

Mr Brazier said he will write to Business Secretary Vince Cable and pass the petition to Royal Mail's chief executive, Moya Greene.

The sorting office in Eddington Lane, Herne Bay, is set to close this weekend.

Mr Stone said closing both offices would lead to more vehicles travelling between the two towns and Canterbury.

He estimated 100 vans would leave the Canterbury office, adding to the city's traffic congestion. He also warned that there was not enough parking, so 40 vans would be left on the streets.

Mr Brazier said: "Losing both sorting offices will mean an inferior service to the public because people will have to travel further to collect their parcels.

"Postal workers will be less productive because they will have to spend time driving between Canterbury and the coast to pick up their vans whereas now they cycle in."

Mr Stone said: "It will actually cost the Royal Mail more money. I think it will be a minimum of £180,000 a year because of the extra driving."

No jobs are set to be lost as a result of the closures.

Royal Mail said the Whitstable delivery office will definitely close in January as it was not large enough to house new machinery.

Spokesman Sally Hopkins said: "The move will allow us to take advantage of new technology and equipment for sorting and delivering mail.

"This includes utilising the large, state-of-the-art mail-sequencing machines in the Canterbury office which can sort up to 45,000 items an hour and sequence mail in the order it has to be delivered."

The move is part of a county-wide revamp.

It is understood Royal Mail is talking to unions about asking staff to take vans home with them overnight to save travel costs.

[jmcg]

this is the royal mail way...they will close down as many offices as they possibly can..

[Lounge Lizard]

"It is understood Royal Mail is talking to unions about asking staff to take vans home with them overnight to save travel costs."

[Stormproof]

It was the last day at Herne Bays Eddington Lane DO yesterday.
Wonder if RM done a closing down 1st day cover

[Glenno]

Stormy, look at the price of that stamp, 24p, it has now risen to 60p, what is that in a % ? ah the good old days, 2 deliveries and still home by 12.30

[Lounge Lizard]

Stormy, look at the price of that stamp, 24p, it has now risen to 60p, what is that in a % ? ah the good old days, 2 deliveries and still home by 12.30

150% increase, not as bad as the 178% increase for second clas from 18p to 50p.

[Straight4ward]

Julian Brazier, Conservative MP for Canterbury. To the right of the party.

According to Wiki "Based on his voting record, Brazier is in favour of fox hunting, corporal punishment in schools, maintaining nuclear weapons, a hereditary House of Lords, the Iraq War, more parliamentary scrutiny, a smoking ban, freedom of information and the environment.

He is against gay rights, abortion, euthanasia, the legal recognition of transsexuality, gambling, drugs, foundation hospitals, identity cards, post office closures, terrorism laws, university top-up fees and control orders."

A strange bedfellow for us - his voting record is 100% for the privatisation of Royal Mail
and 100% opposed to Post Office closures.

Not sure if I want him on our side.