Letter: Royal Mail need changes
In response to the article ‘Fears of union boss over Shropshire mail office threat’ (Shropshire Star, October 16), I would like to respond on behalf of Royal Mail.
When we announced that our formal proposal was to relocate the bulk of our processing operations from Shrewsbury to Chester, Cardiff and Wolverhampton mail centres, it was done as part of a wider ongoing review of mail centres across the UK and in response to the growing decline in mail volumes nationally.
We need to respond to the growth in electronic communications and decline in overall mail volumes.
In Shropshire and Mid Wales, mail volumes of items posted to addresses in the area from other parts of the country have fallen by 24.3 per cent in the last five years. Mail volumes of items posted in Shropshire and Mid Wales to addresses outside the area have fallen by 35 per cent.
Within this shrinking postal market, rival postal operators now carry more than one in three letters and more than half of all business mail in the UK. Our revenue has been declining.
The proposal has not been considered lightly and follows a review of our operations in Shrewsbury, which began in February 2012 and involved more than six months of consultation with our employees and unions. This proposal is aimed at allowing us to deliver the most efficient, consistent and reliable service to Royal Mail customers and help secure long term employment and job security.
There are around 240 processing and network staff currently working at Shrewsbury Mail Centre and it is too early to say what the impact of the proposal will be on these people. This depends on the final outcome of the consultation with unions and our people.
Royal Mail’s aim is to minimise any job reductions and our intention is to make changes without compulsory redundancies. By asking people to demonstrate reasonable flexibility, we expect to be able to find roles for everyone who wants to continue to work for Royal Mail.
This review is part of the ongoing modernisation and investment in our business and one we consider vital in order to put Royal Mail on a sound, secure and sustainable footing for the future.
Paul Wills
Royal Mail Director
Comments for: "Letter: Royal Mail need changes"
Roger
Volumes of items posted in the Shrewsbury catchments have fallen by 24.3%. What was the volume fall in items sorted and delivered in the area. The Post Office universal Service Requirement means that the Post Office must sort and deliver all of their rival’s mail. This has lead to Cherry Picking where the rival collect mail in bulk from the larger customers and only sort it as far as the local Post Office sorting Office. This is unfair competition since it leaves the expensive part of the operation with the Post Office which will not change by closing Shrewsbury Sorting Office. It will make it cheaper for the rivals by reducing their bulk destinations by one.
If full competition were introduced the rivals should be required to deliver from end to end. That might reduce the total number of staff required by the Post Office but would enable them to recapture the profitable bulk sector.
It seems to me that the distribution of mail to delivery offices will cost more but the saving would come from the release of property and concentration of technical services in the sorting centres. I would question if the Post Office will realise any saving by selling property into a fat market and even that could only be facilitated by creating a new and separate delivery office in Shrewsbury.
In my view the Post Office should be focusing on the customer service which has fallen so dramatically in recent years. I rarely get my delivery before three in the afternoon even though I live in Shrewsbury. The prospects of dealing with anything by “return of post” are no longer feasible since the last collection is only two hours after delivery
john
Royal Mail don't build new premises,they rent the relevant space required for their operations.I notice in the original article Paul Wills neglects to mention where staff who wish to stay with RM will be re-deployed.The reason being he doesn't know.Mail currently being processed at Shrewsbury will be divided up between Chester,Wolverhampton and Cardiff.RM is trying to fit a square peg into a round hole,they have not forward planned at all in relation to redeploying people in other offices especially Chester and Wolverhampton.
He also neglects to mention that RM have a target of 35 mail centres to be operating when it comes to privatisation which doesn't include Shrewsbury.Although a 6 month review was carried out it was always their aim for Shrewsbury to either close or take out the processing part and so be downgraded to a delivery office.
RM will get their way unfortunately
john
Royal mail have not really consulted with the people who work in Shrewsbury Mail Centre, they have consulted with the union,who have told the union members HARDLY anything,the consultation excercise has been a DISGRACE, they only tell you what they want to tell you.
What they dont tell the public is that the mail centres they are sending the mail to, ALL FAIL (dont get the mail out on time) EVERY-NIGHT, that is with the mail that they handle at the moment , never mind the shrewsbury mail, So i DONT think the people of shropshire will get a better service.
Why doesnt the shropshire star do a survey of letters posted in shropshire and mid wales NOW. And then do one when the mail goes to these other mail centres, then we will see if ROYAL MAIL is correct in saying it is to give a better service.
Royal Mail also says that it is asking employees to DEMONSTRATE REASONABLE FLEXIBILITY with regards to redeployment,
ie CHESTER 1 hour 15 minutes travelling (each way)
WOLVERHAMPTON 1 hour travelling (each way)
OR if theres a vacancy at KNIGHTON delivery office you can go there!!!!!!
Royal Mail does not care about it's employees,its all about SAVING MONEY and getting ready for PRIVITISATION.
For-Got to mention i know because i am one of those workers who is about to lose their jobs