Postal workers fear axe as delivery firms hit the road

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/113002 ... ?ref=var_0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

HUNDREDS of postal workers could lose their jobs and several post offices could close across Oxfordshire if private delivery firms start competing for Royal Mail business.

The warning comes from union officials and Royal Mail management, who say the move could also mean the end of six-day-a-week and next-day services, with rural households being billed on a pence-per-mile basis for their post.

They accuse new entrants, such as TNT Post, of ‘cherry picking’ by delivering only to cities and towns, leaving Royal Mail with more expensive-to-serve rural areas. But TNT denies the firm is a threat.


Officials from the Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) in Oxford claim the amount of mail handled by Royal Mail could fall by a quarter, putting up to 250 jobs across the county at risk.

CWU representative Steven Gill, based at Royal Mail’s Oxford delivery office, in Oxpens Road, said: “In London, Manchester and Liverpool the effect of competition from TNT is noticeable.

“If this was to happen in Oxford it could mean job losses here, so there is a lot of worry among postal workers.

“Once those jobs go the damage is done and it will be irreversible.”

And sub-postmaster Neil MacCormack, who runs Wheatley Post Office, says any changes will backfire on post offices like his.

He said: “It is true that rural postal workers have to cover a greater area.

“They walk up and down farm tracks up to a mile long, while in town one person could deliver 300 letters to one block of apartments in one go.

“If anything changed a large number of rural post offices, including my own, would be in jeopardy.”

Royal Mail must deliver to all 29 million homes in the UK every day except Sunday under the “universal service offer”, but private firms are free to deliver just twice or three times a week.

TNT Post operates in London, Manchester and Liverpool and aims to extend its reach to almost half of UK households, which is likely to include Oxford, by 2017.

It has also snatched lucrative business contracts with major players such as Centrica and Vision Express from Royal Mail.

Coming against a background of long-term decline in the number of letters being sent as people switch to email, there are fears the challenge from private providers could prove the last straw. Royal Mail, which was privatised last September, has called on industry regulator Ofcom to review the market.

But Nick Wells, chief executive of TNT Post, said: “TNT Post delivers less than one per cent of the mail in the UK and the regulator has repeatedly made clear that there is currently no threat to the financial stability of the universal service offer from plans from competitors to enter the UK delivery market.”

[Pinky 1]

Royal Mail must deliver to all 29 million homes in the UK every day except Sunday under the “universal service offer”

Who writes this stuff ?

[blackadder]

is r.m. now a private company ? if it is then all companys should offer the same service

[PHARRY]

is r.m. now a private company ? if it is then all companys should offer the same service

It's about time R.M stopped working Saturdays

[Lincox]

is r.m. now a private company ? if it is then all companys should offer the same service

It's about time R.M stopped working Saturdays

Hope youre not one of the 16.66% who will lose their jobs when this happens.

[Patrick301]

to compete with private firms and to offer the same service they do
parcelforce (part of royal mail) workers will have to work sundays
as parcelforce are about to start their sunday operation

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

is r.m. now a private company ? if it is then all companys should offer the same service

It's about time R.M stopped working Saturdays

Why? The customers want Saturday deliveries and even Sundays as well

[Straight4ward]

Royal Mail must deliver to all 29 million homes in the UK every day except Sunday under the “universal service offer”

Who writes this stuff ?

Rather worryingly, it appears to be the same bloke who writes this stuff;

But Nick Wells, chief executive of TNT Post, said: “TNT Post delivers less than one per cent of the mail in the UK and the regulator has repeatedly made clear that there is currently no threat to the financial stability of the universal service offer from plans from competitors to enter the UK delivery market.”


Why doesn't this surprise me?

The future's shite, the future's orange.

[Senior Service]

But Nick Wells, chief executive of TNT Post, said: “TNT Post delivers less than one per cent of the mail in the UK and the regulator has repeatedly made clear that there is currently no threat to the financial stability of the universal service offer from plans from competitors to enter the UK delivery market.”


TNT deliver the most profitable 1% of mail in the UK and that is probably worth 30% of our USO mail when you take into account all the loss making rural addresses.

[Captain Scarlet]

I fear that the long term strategy of RM under Greene is to remove the US. This has happened in other countries around the globe and in her home country, so if this was removed via "competition" it would mean so much more profit for the share holders. After all that is what private companies strive for and I feel the union are being led up the garden path (pardon the pun) and do not seem to see the whole picture. We are being paid a small fortune for what we do compared to TNT etc and the powers that be think that this is all we want when the truth is this job is decreasing each year and I see very little being done to turn around that trend.
Our union leaders will be retired by the time our jobs are really at risk and anyone taking over will be fighting a losing battle with job loses going on all over the country...watch this space

[terry2972]

I am fairly new to this job anybody got any thoughts on when job cuts will start and should I start looking for another job which would be a shame as I do enjoy the job

[Newbie001]

I am fairly new to this job anybody got any thoughts on when job cuts will start and should I start looking for another job which would be a shame as I do enjoy the job

Not sure you have to worry there. RM have such high turnover of staff that even if there was job cuts I think most would be OK. And the fact they are always begging everyone to work their day off and go over shows that there is a serious lack of manpower as it is.
Also I think previous post hit the nail on the head. RM's main aim is to rewrite the US or get it removed. Whether that would be to our advantage or share holders, well i'm sure we know the answer to that one.
And people keep bringing up the fact that we are so well paid. Well I very much doubt you'll see any TNT posties in the near future running around trying to deliver to 600-700 delivery points in 4-5 hours. I think the fact we easily do an 8 hour shift in 5 means we deserve every penny we get.

[Red Robbo]

This is how I see things happening, the regulator will lift the USO obligation off RM, Moya will be happy but the CWU will not, the argument then will be you (CWU) asked the regulator to stop this unfair competition !!

[janitor]

I think it would be voluntary redundancy first, and your biggest danger would be getting killed in the rush, as a lot of old timers want out if the price is right, and for a lot of them, the mtsf price at the moment is right, it's just the offer isn't there.

[blackadder]

I am fairly new to this job anybody got any thoughts on when job cuts will start and should I start looking for another job which would be a shame as I do enjoy the job

Not sure you have to worry there. RM have such high turnover of staff that even if there was job cuts I think most would be OK. And the fact they are always begging everyone to work their day off and go over shows that there is a serious lack of manpower as it is.
Also I think previous post hit the nail on the head. RM's main aim is to rewrite the US or get it removed. Whether that would be to our advantage or share holders, well i'm sure we know the answer to that one.
And people keep bringing up the fact that we are so well paid. Well I very much doubt you'll see any TNT posties in the near future running around trying to deliver to 600-700 delivery points in 4-5 hours. I think the fact we easily do an 8 hour shift in 5 means we deserve every penny we get.

not good you saying we can do a 8 hour shift in 5 hours