THOMPSETT ANNOUNCES WHITSTABLE MOVE/PEOPLE'S CONVOY BACK!

[juliew]

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THE PEOPLE'S CONVOY IS BACK!!
Ray Thompsett addressed Whitstable postal workers this morning, saying that the move of the local delivery office to Canterbury WOULD go ahead - WITHOUT the revision to new work procedures! He said that Royal Mail had rejected alternative proposals to the move.

At 2.30 this afternoon, at the very same time that two local councillors, Phil Cartwright and James Flanagan, were meeting in London with Royal Mail to try to talk sense to the company (public company, remember, still charged with providing a public service!) people in Whitstable set off in a 'convoy' to the Canterbury Delivery Office from the Gorrell Tank car park in Whitstable.

This 'People's Convoy' undertook its own feasibility study of the time required to get to the Canterbury office, to park and get back again because Royal Mail had claimed that it's own 'scientific study' of the journey time showed that only 40' was required for a round trip. Royal Mail hasn't offered up any evidence or details of how their 'scientific study' was done.

Guess what? The return journey took us 2 hours. So if Royal Mail thinks that our posties can get to Canterbury, sort mail, get back and deliver it without any change to the times of our delivery service - it had better think again.

And guess what? It took somebody travelling on the bus a two hours and forty minute round trip door to door. This included walking/travelling time to and from bus stops and the journey itself once on the bus/es, time spent waiting for buses (the resident took two buses all the while thinking of those who may be less able to walk from the bus station to the delivery office) plus ten minutes included to allow for estimated waiting time within the delivery office.The resident said that Transportdirect.co.uk estimates travel time to be between one hour and two minutes - one hour and eight minutes each way. The journey cost £6 - the price of a Day Explorer ticket, but if the resident was to have to have taken her children with her she would have required a £10 Family Explorer ticket.

Guess what? If someone less able were to need to take a taxi, it would cost them around £15 each way, ie £30 at least, and probably bit more.

If Royal Mail thinks the people of Whitstable are going to put up with this - they are quite wrong. They can try to take our postal workers to Canterbury, but if they do so, we will take the protest to Canterbury. We will not tolerate this move. In fact, neither will the people of Canterbury. When we arrived at the Delivery Office today, we were met by the Secretary of the Canterbury Green Party, Russell Page. It isn't just Whitstable that's against this proposal, it's Canterbury too.

So take a look at the little film that was shot by the popular local hero, Sweary Seagull, who flew down with camera to wave us on our way. And let Royal Mail be under no illusions - this town is full of local heroes - so beware Ray Thompsett!

Thanks to all who took part today in the People's Convoy!

Enjoy the film! More footage coming soon - of us occupying the Callers' Office in Canterbury. (Julie Wassmer)

[cyclemech1]

Respect what you all are doing Julie, but Royal Mail is no longer a public service but is being fattened up for privatization, possibly this year.

There are four offices local to me that are closing and many more in the pipeline.

Welcome to private enterprize.

[juliew]

I agree Cyclmech, but at this point in time they are a public company, still charged with providing a public service and that service will be worse with this move. It's shameful that Moya Greene, with her basic salary of £500,000, can't even consult with the public about 'operational' changes - nor even turn up to face her workers yesterday? And that every time we have a protest or strike here, management like Ray Thompsett hides away in the Delivery Office and sticks rigidly to his prepared statement about a £70 milion modernisation - when he might just as well substitute the word 'deterioration'. Imo, they are a bunch of overpaid, incompetent cowards who spout biz speak instead of the truth. Yes, the company will be privatised but before that, they will have a fight on their hands to move this Delivery Office and guess what? If they do move our workers to Canterbury WE will move the protest there too. Let's see how they like protests in a busy city like Canterbury - only yesterday we had the Canterbury Green Party at the Canterbury Delivery Office to meet the convoy. This will only get bigger and attract more media attention if they continue with this intransigence. We've only just begun so watch this space. Julie Wassmer