RM sends letter thanking temp for doing job he never had

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Royal Mail sends letter thanking temp applicant for doing job he never had

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PAYROLL problems for temporary staff at Royal Mail took another twist when a Derby man received a thank-you letter from the firm – despite never having worked there.

Ben Newsome, 20, had already received £128.55 for work at the Royal Mail's Midland Road sorting office after he successfully applied for a job but did not take it up.The company has never contacted him about the cash and has now sent him a letter thanking him for his efforts over Christmas.

In December, hundreds of Royal Mail staff across the country, including some who worked at Midland Road, were not paid on time.

The firm had said it had paid most of those who missed out and said any outstanding wages would go into people's accounts over the weekend of January 7 and 8.

But one Derbyshire man said he was still awaiting £300 and a 72-year-old temp said £400 of his wages were paid into the wrong bank account.

Mr Newsome, of Speedwell Close, Oakwood, said he found his letter from Royal Mail "amusing".

He said: "They've been in contact with me to say thank-you for all my hard work over the Christmas period.

"I've heard from a Royal Mail worker that they are not planning to claim back from anyone who got less than £300 by mistake.

"I've still got the money and I've kept it to one side for now."

Andrew Humber, 42, of Fletcher Street, Heanor, said he was still owed £300 for his Christmas temp work.

Mr Humber said he would work for Royal Mail again but not through the employment agency he used last year, Angard Staffing Solutions.

The agency is owned by Royal Mail and was set up by the firm last year to handle its temp needs.

Mr Humber said the agency had told him his money was on its way three times – on January 6, 11, and last Friday – but he said he was yet to receive anything.

He said: "It's pretty diabolical. Thankfully, my wife works full-time so it's not too much of a disaster but we had budgeted to have this money.

"It could cause us problems when the next round of bills comes."

Like several other workers, Derek Ellison, 72, of Derby, had received overdue wages for sorting Christmas mail in the form of a voucher, which he cashed at the post office.

But he said he said he was given £96 and that Royal Mail owed him about another £400.

He said: "They had sent that cash to a Barclays bank account that, as far as I know, doesn't exist. I've given them my bank details again."

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said that managing director Mark Higson had written to temporary workers to "thank them sincerely for their efforts".

She said: "Mr Higson has acknowledged in his letter that, for some people, there were delays and difficulties, and he has apologised for this – as the company has already done before Christmas. We acknowledge there are lessons to be learned and we are in the process of doing that."

When asked if Royal Mail would apologise for its claims that payments would be made earlier this month, she did not respond.