Letter: Leave our post alone
Wednesday 14th October 2009, 8:00AM BST.
Letter: We are so fortunate having postmen/women who do a great service in Shrewsbury.
Frankly I don’t care what time our postmen finish and go home, as long as I get my post early and accurately.
The management who are wanting to introduce the new computerised “Pegasus” service are once again detached and far removed from reality.
Pegasus was a mythical winged horse, it would seem that they now expect our posties to gallop and fly around their delivery rounds!
Pegasus gives specific times to do the “walks”, regardless of weights of bags, regardless of terrain, weather etc. What they don’t understand is the importance to many people of having the postman call (we have mostly lost our milkmen). For some this may be the only person they speak to all day.
Posties don’t just post letters through our doors, they know the people, they see things going on which often helps the general security of an area. They notice when things are amiss, often with elderly people.
Our postie is amazing. We get our post early, he always has a friendly word for everyone he meets, and he is very much a part of our community.
We neither know or care what time he finishes as long as he continues with the quality service he provides.
So to the heirarchy of the Royal Mail, I say leave well alone, stick to reality, dump “Pegasus” in the mythical world he belongs and let our posties do what they are good and reliable at.
Judith Williams
Shrewsbury
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I’m glad Judtih thinks of her postman as reliable – unfortunately that’s not my experience and think a well overdue overhaul is needed. However I do agree that this Pegasus system does not sound appropriate.
Last night our business postman decided to pull out across me in his van into the main road just as I was about to pass him on the main road nearly causing a collision – hardly a shining example!
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The above does talk sense, however we can’t be ordered around by the postal union. Small business will suffer etc competition is what is needed in the postal sector.
Speaking about unions lets face it 2009 the laws protect workers rights so we need not be threatened or blackmailed by unions. I was rather worried to hear on the news the other week the NUT threaten the tory’s with industial action over an issue, this is even before the torys have got in to power . I say to the postal union and the NUT beware the tory ‘s took on the miners union yours will be next .
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I’m afraid Judith’s postman will soon be given so much more work that he will have no time to say hello, get there in good time or even check he’s putting the right letters through the right doors. I’m a postman and what people don’t realise is that the service is poor not because postmen are lazy but because many postmen have been given excessively large duties and no longer have time to check every item as they used to. 10 years ago your postie had 2 bags a day to deliver, now the average is 6-8, that’s in our office of over over 120 rounds. This strike is about stopping Royal Mail giving us even more and making the service even worse. Simple as that, the union are trying to save the service and save our backs and knees. Nothing more complex than that.
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Andrew finch said:
…competition is what is needed in the postal sector.
The UK postal market is already liberalised, but the fact of the matter is that the delivery part of the network is unprofitable therefore there are no commercial rivals willing to take it on.
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Suellan, did you have you headlights on?
So many people drive on sidelights in bad visibility around here that Pat has to rely on my nocturnal vision to see them coming but , unfortunately, I was asleep on the seat last night.
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It’s time people over 50 yrs became “WEB SAVVY” in the UK. Some of my old friends and acquaintances in Shropshire can’t even use a Mobile phone. Money is not the issue, on V***phone I pay $30.00 per year for mine, thats 15GBP, I’m a pensioner and mostly use the SMS or incoming calls. Has nobody heard of EMAIL in the UK? You get your mail quicker and it takes the load off “Posties”.Here in Brisbane one can “book an hour” on a computer in any local Library and get instructions.
Our Posties ride on small Yamaha bikes, but then our Postboxes are on a pole at the gate.
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@Peter Wignall-Australia
Unfortunately packets and signed for have to be delivered by hand not by email!
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I know one postie who gets 15% of his annual income (tax free) at Christmas.Well the strike is going to save me a tenner and cost Postman Pat the same amount at Christmas. He’ll vote with his feet I shall vote with my wallet. Wake up and smell the coffee Pat because moneys tight and times are hard well you ain’t gonna get my Christmas card!
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sack the lot of them, just like the miners, the bin men and the council workers, they all work short hours for big pay, cosy deals with trade unions we must not have, bring back maggie, she would smash these socialist strikers
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“Simon said:
Oct 17th, 2009 at 16:09 I know one postie who gets 15% of his annual income (tax free) at Christmas.”
I’m a postman and this statement is a load of rubbish! He may get a bonus at Xmas but it certainly isn’t tax free! And it wont be anywhere near 15% of his salary! Unless He’s a manager! It’ll be nearer 1.5%.
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The postmen/women in whitchurch are wonderful.
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