Royal Mail confident in Dundee

[POSTMAN]

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Royal Mail 'absolutely confident' of timely Christmas deliveries in Dundee

Royal Mail has said it is ''absolutely confident'' it will deliver all Christmas post on time in Dundee this year.


The reassurance comes as the service battles through its busiest season, with staff working extended hours to meet the incredible demand at the city's delivery offices.

In 2010 the service came under fire when more than 100,000 undelivered letters, parcels and packages piled up in the West Pitkerro Dundee East depot.

Staff struggled to complete their rounds and mail was sent out to other depots for sorting and returned to Dundee East for despatch by enlarged teams of staff drafted in from far afield.

The backlog affected householders in the DD4 and DD5 postcode areas and was due to, what was at the time, a new delivery system called the Way Forward and bad weather.

However, Royal Mail spokeswoman Sarah Barclay stressed the service is coping this winter.

''We are very, very busy in our delivery offices in Dundee and all our postmen and women are working around the clock,'' she said.

''We are absolutely confident that we will deliver all Christmas mail. We have extended all our opening hours in Dundee and have extra deliveries and collections right up to and including December 24.''

On Friday, The Courier was given access to the Dundee West Delivery Office where staff have been working through the night to ensure mail is delivered on time.

The hectic run-up to Christmas is the busiest time of year for mail bosses, with a hike in the number of gift parcels being sent as more people turn to the internet to do their Christmas shopping.

Ewan Sime, delivery office manager at the office, said the shift in the way people shop directly impacts on their day-to-day operations.

Despite the additional pressure this places on him and his 126-strong workforce, the Christmas period remains his favourite time of year.

''It's the best time of year for us,'' he continued. ''The guys are very good. We generally find they have got their own wee things going on, nights out and little clubs, so they get on which is very important.''

He added: ''I don't think the public realise the volume of mail we process. It's a part of life because people are that used to the mail coming through the door.

''The operation is completely different for us now. Packets are just huge and growing all the time. Online ordering is huge.''

A buzz of activity filled the sorting office as postal staff hurried to fill post bags with their precious cargo.

Trolleys stacked high with parcels streamed out of the main entrance and into the back of delivery vans.

Mr Sime, who joined the Royal Mail 22 years ago, is used to the fast-paced environment.

''We have a slicker operation now, which means we can get the mail out a lot quicker,'' he said.

''I would expect to see a drop-off in the amount of mail being processed just after Christmas. It will start to quieten down about then but then we usually see a spike in January when people starting returning gifts.''

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Christmas is the busiest time of year for mail bosses

its not a walk in the park for posties either

[General Mannerheim]

Ewan Sime, delivery office manager at the office

Missed the l in his surname out.

[Broxi51]

Board in our office yesterday asking for volunteers to do
packet deliveries on Sunday in DUNDEE WEST.

Good article by the courier, up to date

[RedBagMan]

the Dundee West Delivery Office where staff have been working through the night to ensure mail is delivered on time.

Sorry ... but surely the actual posting gets done during the day - same old sh*t - plough resources into sorting rather then the actual posting ...

[DGP1]

the Dundee West Delivery Office where staff have been working through the night to ensure mail is delivered on time.

Sorry ... but surely the actual posting gets done during the day - same old sh*t - plough resources into sorting rather then the actual posting ...

I thought all offices had a night shift on a Christmas