Royal Mail workers 'astounded' by redeployment amid fears of virus spread

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/184 ... us-spread/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ROYAL Mail workers have expressed fears over being redeployed across offices in Glasgow.

One worker, quoted anonymously in a letter to Springburn and Maryhill MSP, Bob Doris, said: “This situation beggars belief...We are already putting ourselves and our families at risk. For the Royal Mail to think they can get away with this is astounding.”

READ MORE: Dramatic moment fire crews rescue Cambuslang man from top floor inferno as flat gutted by blaze

In the letter to Royal Mail’s CEO Rico Back, Mr Doris said he was “deeply worried” by the concerns raised by his constituents working for the postal service.

Postal workers are worried that by increasing the distances they travel, as well as broadening the number or range of people they come into contact with, they will contribute to a greater spread of Covid-19.

Royal Mail has said social distancing is being enforced at sites and that drivers are now travelling one person to a vehicle.

Mr Doris asked that the situation be reviewed “with great urgency”.

The postal union, CWU, has reportedly not been involved in the decision to move workers around offices.

A spokesman for the Royal Mail said: "We fully recognise the important role we have to play in keeping the UK connected at this time. In exceptional circumstances, Royal Mail may occasionally re-deploy colleagues from one delivery unit to another neighbouring unit so that we can better manage any fluctuations in resource and mail volumes. This enables us to deliver a better service. In such circumstances, we would pay for any travel expenses incurred.

"If colleagues chose to travel to the alternative site in a Royal Mail van, they would travel alone in line with our temporary new policy of one person per van. Each of our delivery units follows enhanced social distancing measures. Standard ways of working have been revised to ensure that colleagues stay two metres apart. We remind colleagues to maintain a 2m distance at all times.

"Delivery practices remain the same. We were the first UK company to put in place social-distancing measures in relation to parcel delivery. We pioneered contact-free delivery. We are temporarily not handing over our hand-held devices to customers to capture signatures."

He added that the postal service was in engaging with the CWU "daily" and said the union and the Royal Mail were cooperating to find solutions to issues that emerge.