Carry on Royal Mail

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Bromley Times

POSTAL workers blame managers and council staff for forcing them to ditch bags of mail, writes Jules Cooper.

Following an exclusive report in the Times (January 3) Royal Mail employees contacted the Times news team claiming it is the bosses who instruct them to dump unsecured post so colleagues can collect them hours later.

They claim Bromley council has refused them permission to construct secure post drop boxes in the borough.

A Bromley postman, who did not wish to be named, said: "The reason bags are being left out unattended is that there are no secure boxes in our area.

"The management know bags are getting left in dodgy places, but then all of a sudden when something is exposed they come down on people."

Royal Mail has made two unsuccessful planning applications for secure boxes in the Chislehurst area in the last five years.

A spokesman for Bromley council said there were no specific objections to the secure boxes, but that in a conservation area applications are tightly scrutinised.

Peter Dawson of Bromley's Communication Workers' Union, said Royal Mail does not try hard enough to provide adequate facilities for its postmen.

He said: "None of these unsafe drops are actually there because postal workers chose these places.

"The management are being lazy and have been turning a blind eye for probably two years now. Royal Mail is in a massive slash and burn drive, and in order to do that they are cutting corners."

A Royal Mail spokesperson would not confirm or deny that managers in Bromley had been telling workers to leave mail unsafely.

A spokesperson said: "We would not discuss details of bags drops in order to protect the security of the mail."

[jafferpants]

Its got f**k all to do with being lazy the problem is they wont put in enough driving dutys to manage bag drops. A computer review of the walks to so say even them out has just removed another 10 walks making them all heavier.and the way the walks have been done only leaves you with one conclusion. The place is run by loonatics. MAD I TELL YOU MAD!!!!!!!

[Lounge Lizard]

Bromley Times

POSTAL workers blame managers and council staff for forcing them to ditch bags of mail, writes Jules Cooper.

Following an exclusive report in the Times (January 3) Royal Mail employees contacted the Times news team claiming it is the bosses who instruct them to dump unsecured post so colleagues can collect them hours later.

They claim Bromley council has refused them permission to construct secure post drop boxes in the borough.

A Bromley postman, who did not wish to be named, said: "The reason bags are being left out unattended is that there are no secure boxes in our area.

"The management know bags are getting left in dodgy places, but then all of a sudden when something is exposed they come down on people."

Royal Mail has made two unsuccessful planning applications for secure boxes in the Chislehurst area in the last five years.

A spokesman for Bromley council said there were no specific objections to the secure boxes, but that in a conservation area applications are tightly scrutinised.

Peter Dawson of Bromley's Communication Workers' Union, said Royal Mail does not try hard enough to provide adequate facilities for its postmen.

He said: "None of these unsafe drops are actually there because postal workers chose these places.

"The management are being lazy and have been turning a blind eye for probably two years now. Royal Mail is in a massive slash and burn drive, and in order to do that they are cutting corners."

A Royal Mail spokesperson would not confirm or deny that managers in Bromley had been telling workers to leave mail unsafely.

A spokesperson said: "We would not discuss details of bags drops in order to protect the security of the mail."

"then all of a sudden when something is exposed they come down on people" - disgraceful !

[k979aaa]

RM dont want to pay for boxes, the Council dont want them and RM wont pay shops 50p a bag a day to store bags but will pay 25 quid a year to use someones shed or bush because they save money. The one thing RM and Councils have in common is a lack of concern about the public! What a surprise.

For it is comeing that time of year again when the council tax is due again and due to unfortunate circumstance's it will not be posibile to deliver the local council's tax demand! Because we have a logistical problem in that we have no place which the local council deem's fit to drop our bag's it is theirfor with our sad regret we have to inform you the local council until you rectify this problem we no longer will be able to service your need's in this regard!.

[Phantom]

At the end of the day bag drops are not a postmans/womans problem. Simply tell the manager that you need one and that you can't do the delivery without one and put the ball back in their court otherwise you'll cut off.

This soon wakes them up.

I lost a bag drop which was attached to a pillar box, years ago and they removed the whole lot without even telling me. Next day I said the bag drop has gone, manager said "well what do you want me to do about it?" and i said well if its not there tomorrow you better have a van waiting, on time when i get there otherwise i'll stand and wait till it comes and knock the time off delivery time which will lead to me cutting off.

It took em' 6 weeks to get the pillar box and bag drop replaced. We are dealing with idiots here! always remember that.

:lfo :cfo

[Thorby Bislam]

At the end of the day bag drops are not a postmans/womans problem. Simply tell the manager that you need one and that you can't do the delivery without one and put the ball back in their court otherwise you'll cut off.

If only it were that easy. In our office we are told, "if you need a bag drop, you organise it. Because you know the walk better than us. "
So we have to find them, approach the premises/ holder, explain the terms and get an agreement. Eventually someone from the management team will go out, check the premises are OK and sign the person up for their £100 per year.
The alternative is to keep using drop points that may not be the most suitable or nearest to the walk.

On the other hand, I can honestly say that no mail is left behind walls or under hedges. Or in any other insecure place.

[dubdaz]

At the end of the day bag drops are not a postmans/womans problem. Simply tell the manager that you need one and that you can't do the delivery without one and put the ball back in their court otherwise you'll cut off.

If only it were that easy. In our office we are told, "if you need a bag drop, you organise it. Because you know the walk better than us. "
So we have to find them, approach the premises/ holder, explain the terms and get an agreement. Eventually someone from the management team will go out, check the premises are OK and sign the person up for their £100 per year.
The alternative is to keep using drop points that may not be the most suitable or nearest to the walk.

On the other hand, I can honestly say that no mail is left behind walls or under hedges. Or in any other insecure place.

It's exactly that easy,I lost one of my bag drops towards the last third of my walk,my manager asked me to find a new one,I told him its not my problem its his! I time the bags for the driver to meet me just like the old days,only thing is management only pay him till 11:15 so my manager has to bring it out to me himself, and if he's late I cut off.
I can't for the life of me see why you don't do the same?

[greynut]

""A spokesman for Bromley council said there were no specific objections to the secure boxes, but that in a conservation area applications are tightly scrutinised""

What is there to scrutinise? Secure boxes go on the side of pillar boxes. And why have the office of Chislehurst only put in 2 application for secure boxes in 5 years? They should be bombarding the council. Christ, its a problem is people use their cars, its a problem is the bag drops are not good enough, its a massive problem is a bag is stolen (£3000 fine by the government) but they sit on their fat f***ing arses and ignore the problem until a bag does gets stolen. Then the driver and probably the postie get s**t for it.

RM is run so badly its not even funny any more.