Do Post Office counters staff stamp mail?

[barrapostman]

Hi there, I was hoping someone may be able to answer a question for me.

I work in a small Post Office (SPSO) where both Post Office Counters and Royal Mail share a building.

My question is; mail that comes across Post Office Counters, is it stamped and sorted into mailbags by Post Office Counters staff, or is it just handed unstamped and unsorted to Royal Mail sorting office to deal with?

We collect, sort and stamp all the mail from all the post boxes, surely Post Office Counters must do the same to anything handed to them over the Post Office counter.

Also is it the Postmaster/mistress's job to oversee and help with out-going mail ie help to sort and stamp it etc.?

I hope you can be of assistance. I asked the Union and they never replied.

[Lounge Lizard]

Hi there, I was hoping someone may be able to answer a question for me.

I work in a small Post Office (SPSO) where both Post Office Counters and Royal Mail share a building.

My question is; mail that comes across Post Office Counters, is it stamped and sorted into mailbags by Post Office Counters staff, or is it just handed unstamped and unsorted to Royal Mail sorting office to deal with?

We collect, sort and stamp all the mail from all the post boxes, surely Post Office Counters must do the same to anything handed to them over the Post Office counter.

Also is it the Postmaster/mistress's job to oversee and help with out-going mail ie help to sort and stamp it etc.?

I hope you can be of assistance. I asked the Union and they never replied.

I think that up to about six years ago Post Office counter staff were only meant to cancel with their date stamp stamps on Special Delivery and Standard Parcel items, the remainder to be handstamped at the Mail Centre, but since about six years ago though, to cut Mail Centre staffing, Post Office counter staff are meant to cancel stamps on all items handed over the counter, other that is than the majority of items that are given a Horizon label, with just those posted in a post box intended for cancellation at a Mail Centre.

[barrapostman]

Thanks for the prompt reply Lounge Lizard.

Is this change in writing? I assume there had to be an agreement between Post Office Counters and Royal Mail for this change to happen. There must surely have been a memo to Post Office Counters staff at the very least informing them of this change in work practice.

Also does the Postmaster/mistress have to assist with the out-going mail? I assume they are meant to close outgoing Special Delivery bags and open the incoming ones? Surely that can't just be left to the Postmen.

Thanks for your input, it is appreciated.

bpm

[Lounge Lizard]

This change would presumably have been in writing, more of an instruction than an agreement probably and extra unpaid work resented by Sub Postmasters I believe.
As to whether the Postmaster/mistress has to assist with the out-going mail that would depend on their contract for the SPDO ( Castlebay or Vatersay perhaps ? ) and could be different from larger SPDOs where postmen on collections from the town Delivery Office might do such work.
Uncertainty as to whether a task can just be left to the Postmen is no surprise at one of the many 'out of sight out of mind' SPDOs where visits from the town Delivery Office Manager are something like an annual event.

[newsubbie]

stamps on special delivery items and packets are cancelled. Horizon labels aren't.

Letters aren't, unless it is a part payment in stamps made up with a Horizon label. So if a customer hands in 10 christmas cards at the counter, the post office shouldn't be cancelling the stamps - they should just go in the mixed bag.

[barrapostman]

Thanks newsubbie.

I assume from the name you are a sub-postmaster?

bpm

[TFL001]

You have 4 mail sacks .. 1st class (all stamps must be cancelled) 2nd (all stamps must be cancelled) mixed mail (don't cancel) and sealed pouches/bags (all cancelled ).. you can find out what goes in which bag on horizon.. the new contract says refer to a handbook that they can change when ever they want .. just keep your eyes peeled on the branch focuses for updates .. some postmasters on the old contract and are in the federation refuse to sort mail because they arnt being paid for this... Im a holiday relief and do what ever the different postmasters want me to do ..
hope this helps

[barrapostman]

errr I'm getting confused dot com.

"the new contract says refer to a handbook that they can change when ever they want"

This seems very arbitrary.

Is it up each post master/mistress whether they stamp or not?

bpm

[TFL001]

No, it should be done on items that are put in to the 1st class, 2nd class and sealed bags/pouches.. it was done to reduce RM costs .. however, some won't segregate mail because RM won't pay .. old contracts don't mention sorting standard mail .. new contract will say you must sort the mail

[subbie]

Proper Postmasters as opposed to those "Operator" chappies who hold one of those new fangled contracts , do not stamp out postage stamps.

This is because we are no longer supplied with a date stamp.

We have to buy our own, so we get to decide what we stamp with it, not POL.

Recent events have just lost POL every vestage of good will that may have remained amongst Postmasters.

4000 Postmasters are going to be chucked on the scrap heap, their only crime was to specialise in being a good Postmaster, rather than concentrate on building a better retail business, now because of this we are to be deemed unviable, and will be compulsory closed.

The service will be transferred into the nearest corner C-store, where Brittany and Chardonnay await you, complete with gum in mouth and attitude to match, good luck all you collection Posties.

Subbie

[TFL001]

Subbie can you not order a date stamp on horizon ?? Okay you might need tweezers every night but I'm sure you can... You wouldn't catch me working without a screen

[paulpg36]

Hi

Newsubbie's posting reflected exactly what we have do do in sub Post Offices i.e. we only cancel stamps on parcels, special deliveries and if one is usewd in conjunction with a Horizon label. We are certainly not going to sit there and cancel every single stamp on letters!

We segregate mail unless there is no space and it is a Health and Safety issue. We have done this for about 5 years apart from for a few months when the NFSP were in dispute with POL over the payment but this has been resolved and we will be paid again for doing it - gee a whole penny! We have always segregated SDs and other priority mail items and put them in a sealed sack. Not sure what barrapostman is referring to in respect of incoming SDs - this is nothing to do with us unless they can't be delivered and we store them awaiting collection against a 739.

We can't order date stamps and we have to pay for them ourselves - cost about £70 for a very inferior product compared to the metal ones we used to have to buy. Why they can't produce date stamps where you can change the year reel is a mystery - there again its not as no doubt POL are earning some sort of "commission" for each one we are forced to buy.

[barrapostman]

paulpg36

so Post Office Counters staff are supposed to sort the letters (depending on space) but not stamp them?

bpm

[capitalbiker]

the only sorting in POs is as follows - RM first and second class packets, mixed mail, specials and meter. Where space permits. It gets a bit convoluted as to what constitutes what and that's before you get to PPI which is another annoying issue. There should be posters from POL in the PO as to what goes into each bag . We go by what POL requires us to do not what RM.

and to repeat we only cancel stamps on packets / specials with stamps and that may be done with the old fashioned hand stamp provided in bygone years by POL or a more modern one which the postmaster has had to purchase