Letters pile up in sorting offices as another strike day looms
THE postal dispute saw tens of thousands of undelivered letters pile up in Islington’s sorting offices this week.
With another strike day threatened for Wednesday, the Tribune was handed photographs showing heaps of untouched mail in local sorting offices.
At the giant N1 Sorting office at the Angel – featured in some of the photographs – thousands of letters were being returned to an East London central mail centre because space was running out.
Mark Bolan, local Communications Workers Union official, said: “It’s becoming a heath and safety matter. If they take any more post there will be accidents.”
Andrew Mortimer, chief executive of Islington Chamber of Commerce, said postal delays were a concern for business.
“We are irritated and frustrated by it,” he added. “But so far as far as I know normal business is not yet being affected.
“A lot of people trade electronically so the impact is rather less than it might have been a decade ago when we suffered the horrors of long-term postal strikes.”
Patricia Harvey, of Archway-based Islington and City Credit Union, was worried about the effect on people desperate for financial loans.
She said: “We advise people to scan applications and send them by email. But many of our customers do not possess or can’t afford computers let alone scans.
“They can go to the library but they often need help with the technology and have to pay for the paper.”
People paying off Credit Union loans are not being penalised if cheques are held up in the post, provided they phone to say they have been posted.
George Durack, chairman of Islington Pensioners Forum, said his organisation had not received mail for three days. He added: “Obviously, we’re not happy about it but as a former postal worker I’m 100 per cent in support of the CWU.
“I’d rather have a few days without post than see the service privatised, which is what the management want to do.”
Fiona Ross, director of Business Network, which stages weekly networking lunches for small firms in the borough, said: “We have people who still pay by cheques and those cheques are not turning up. It is very difficult.”
Mr Bolan apologised for problems but said that postal workers were trying to defend the service.
“The Royal Mail are threatening to privatise and dumb down the postal service,” he added. “The public have been fantastic so far and we hope they will continue to stand by us.”
Islington Council’s Lib Dem leader Councillor Terry Stacy called on the CWU and the Royal Mail to “get their fingers out” and come to an agreement.
”If it means comprise on both sides so be it,” Cllr Stacy added. “Anything is better than this damaging dispute going on for another few weeks.”
The Royal Mail has said it remains committed to talking to the union. Further strikes could only damage the business and its ability to provide the one-price-goes-everywhere universal service, it has warned.
