The reality of the situation

[CPTNemoUK]

Basically they don't care about us, our familys and the general public. All they care about is how can they use this situation too bring in the £'s. Us posties are just another piece of equipment that's easily replaced.

[postiewhite]

In a nutshell all it takes is ONE person to be infected and with this compact environment that person could infect 5 workmates, them 5 workmates are then walking around unknowingly having the virus that will infect another 20-40 workmates in the office. In a week you could have 50 people infected with the virus .
Think of all the RM offices and mail centres in the UK. Could be a matter of days or weeks before we lose a postie to this horrid virus.

[realitybites]

It WILL take deaths unfortunately, for this to be escalated. Then everyone will see it was a colleague going about their duties the same as all of us, being struck down because of incompetency on. the part of those higher up. I only hope that they are held accountable

[Woody Guthrie]

Hope I don’t get slated on here as I’m one of ‘those’ office staff many of you don’t seem to think much of.....

Appreciate your post Karen and hope nobody is going to slate you, I wouldn't want to be working in your kind of environment and I can imagine that the poor business standards of hygiene are not limited to delivery offices. It's interesting although not surprising that business as usual is the default position, it's almost as if it's all they know.

Stay safe and try to remember that a job is just a means to an end. There are always alternative means, it's the end that's important.

[Simon Pettigrew]

Well said stay safe

[Aardvark]

Now we just have to get the message heard by deaf ears.

[CillitBang]

You don't have to make them listen, just call in sick. Normal sick pay applies. They are causing situational stress on all of us.

[rambo1]

Why couldn't we work 3 day weeks, half staff in Mon, wed, Fri, other half do tues ,thurs, sat. More room for distancing in office, the main danger area. Stick to your delivery even if it's van share so you deliver 2 days worth each time your at work. Singletons just do three days too.

[ssdd]

Why couldn't we work 3 day weeks, half staff in Mon, wed, Fri, other half do tues ,thurs, sat. More room for distancing in office, the main danger area. Stick to your delivery even if it's van share so you deliver 2 days worth each time your at work. Singletons just do three days too.

So still van sharing? Or am I reading you wrong?

[Intercityfirm1970]

Bang on the nail I tip my hat to the OP
I think we all now no this is serious s**t and we are but cannon fodder... Fish in a barrell.

[Nickvilla20]

I was in the callers last week developed a cough and a sore throat called in sick on Monday now self isolating off on leave for 2 weeks after. Our DOM basically threatened us into work saying Royal Mail will run out of money in 2 weeks if to many go sick also said if we go off sick twice with it the second time we won’t get paid. They really don’t care about any of us just thinking about the money

[LaggyBand]

Great post OP.

Everyone reading this: if you are working in an office under the circumstances the OP describes, STAY HOME.

How you do this I leave to you.

If you work regardless, you are adding pressure onto the NHS and people will die.

Like the OP said, we are not delivering meds or food; if we were ordered to only do that then we would be critical in fighting this virus.

WE ARE NOT. Stay home if your office does not comply.

[GonePostal]

Bump for this post. Well said.

[Aardvark]

Body of an email I have sent to Margaret Greenwood - Shadow secretery for work and pensions. Write to your MP's - eventualy someone will listen.

BTW How do we actualy effectively contact the union ?

Dear Miss Greenwood,

I am contacting you in your position as shadow minister for work and pensions.

I would write to my local MP only he is an ultra right Conservative.

I am a postman in a depot in Southern England.

I am still out delivering in this crisis, yet myself and most of my colleagues feel that are health is being threatened by the general lack of safety provisions given to us by Royal Mail.

It was not till yesterday that they made any concerted efforts to do anything.

They have put in measures to social distance but the size of some of the rooms makes it largely impossible.

Despite there claiming that the depot is being cleaned I think it would probably fall below required standards.

They have vans which one driver uses then another - with the instruction that each driver is to clean the van before and after use. We have limited PPE and limited cleaning products. I feel that if the first driver was infected then it would be unsafe in the circumstances for the second driver to do so.

The toilets in my particular depot are cramped and today had no paper towels just an air dryer.

Most postmen in my depot deliver to between 400 and 600 houses and businesses a day. They have introduced measure that do significantly reduce personal contact with those we deliver to but we know that the virus lingers on surfaces. Door handles, door knockers, bells etc. There is no strong scientific consensus as to how long but given the news that traces of the virus were found on a cruise liner 17 days after disembarkation of passengers only adds to the potential risk.

With the shutting of pubs and businesses there are now for most postmen anywhere to relieve themselves or was their hands whilst out on duty.

I understand that the government has identified us as key workers yet a lot of what we are delivering is advertising materiel and the leaflets we deliver to each house once a week. This is not essential in these times.

What you have are 90,000 or so postal workers delivering to every address in the country. We are working in poor sanitary conditions with little PPE. We are concerned for our own well being and I also think that are capacity to be super spreaders is potentially un-rivalled.

Royal Mail are prioritising profit over the well being of their workforce and could potentially assist the spread of Covid 19 across the country.

Something seriously needs to be done and we need help in doing this.

Whilst I am signing off with my name I would be grateful if it is not disclosed.

Regards

[ssdd]

That's a good letter Aardvark, and probably sums up how most posties feel at the moment. We can only hope it raises further questions higher up the food chain..