Royal Mail backlog hits Hastings Christmas post

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news ... -1-8296321" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Staffing issues at Royal Mail’s sorting office in Hastings has led to a backlog of undelivered letters and parcels in the run up to Christmas.

After questions from this newspaper, Royal Mail confirmed this week that Hastings residents could be experiencing delays to their post as a result of an ‘unusually high’ level of sick absences at its Braybrooke Road delivery office.

This newspaper approached the postal service for comment after a source connected to the sorting office provided evidence of a severe backlog and claimed that ‘thousands’ of letters and parcels are currently going undelivered.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We would like to apologise to any customers in Hastings who may have experienced some delays in receiving their mail recently. Unfortunately we have recently had some unusually high levels of sick absence in Hastings delivery office.

“Staff have been working extremely hard to deliver all mail to customers as we are aware how important deliveries are to our customers at this time of year.

“We are doing our utmost to ensure that all mail in our network by the last recommended posting dates will be delivered in time for Christmas.

Customers concerned about deliveries can contact our customer service team for further information on 03457 740740 or go to http://www.RoyalMail.com/serviceupdates" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.” T

he post service reports that it is also facing challenges at sorting offices elsewhere in the country due to the “high volumes of seasonal mail”. As a result, Royal Mail says, post sent to addresses in parts of South Wales, Essex, Anglia, South Yorkshire and the OX, RG and SN postcode areas is likely to be delivered later than originally planned.

[thekiddykid]

That photo could have been taken in any one of hundreds of offices around the country!!!! Ours looked very similar on Saturday afternoon High levels of sick eh. Nothing to do with the fact that we are just totally peed off and knackered then

[jamrd80]

Looks like our office.

[nudenut]

Not enough staff ! Or should I say not enough full time staff, in our office no full time staff employed for 14 years. Now the chickens have come home to roost.

[rubberbond]

I bet you won’t see a picture like this in the Courier. More likely an article telling us how well things are going.

[pinstripe]

Hastings had 14 off sick last week. Office is about the same size as mine, I think it is about 60 duties.It is quite close to mine so the gossip gets around really quickly. Poor revisions, deliveries too long, not enough staff, then December rolls around and it snowballs. They were trying to get extra staff from other offices as late as yesterday.

[bigal383]

Burnley the same

[telithowitis]

I recently sent two letters to London to a relative, a first class recorded was attempted to be delivered for the first time after 5 days, and a first class standard letter was delivered 12 days after it was posted.
No doubt sat in some lapsed frame,