Union vow to fight plans 'to the end' on Shrewsbury mail plans

Darren Jones, secretary of the Shropshire and Mid Wales branch of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), said the plans to move sorting operations to mail centres in Chester, Wolverhampton and Cardiff would result in a 'massive quality of service failure' that would have a significant impact on delivery times.

He also questioned the merits of the move as a cost-saving measure, claiming it could take up to 10 years to make £8 million of savings.

It comes just a day after Royal Mail revealed that 96 per cent of mail in the TF postcode area and 95.7 per cent of mail in the SY postcode area was delivered on time between April and June this year.

More than 160 jobs are at risk after the plans to end mail sorting operations at the Castle Foregate centre were unveiled by Royal Mail in response to a dramatic fall in the number of people in Shropshire and Mid Wales sending and receiving mail.

Under the plans mail for SY postcodes in Shrewsbury and Mid Wales will be sorted in Chester, Telford's post will go to Wolverhampton and post for the Llandrindod Wells area will be sorted in Cardiff.

All three are currently sorted in Shrewsbury.

Royal Mail chiefs have said the move is necessary to maintain a secure financial footing and have pledged to minimise job losses – although it is understood staff could be asked to relocate to Wolverhampton or Chester.

Mr Jones said: "We will fight this to the end.

"These proposals will result in a massive quality of service failure. All deliveries in Shropshire will be delayed.

"If the Royal Mail presses ahead with these proposals in the short term it will still take 10 years to make a saving of £8 million."

Mr Jones said he understood the Castle Foregate site would continue to be used for collections and deliveries in the SY1 to SY6 areas of Shrewsbury.

Shrewsbury and Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski said he would work hard to try to encourage Royal Mail to reconsider.

He said: "I am hugely saddened to learn Royal Mail has today proposed moving its mail processing operations away from our county town, and I am committed to working alongside all of the agencies and departments involved to ensure the 240 employees affected receive the most positive outcome possible.

"The Royal Mail has had a presence here in Shrewsbury since the 1880s, and a mechanised office for the last 32 years, and its loss will be a blow to the town and to both present and past employees.

"If they will not be swayed then I will do everything in my power to help minimise compulsory redundancies and to ensure that those staff who wish to remain within Royal Mail's employment are offered a suitable alternative role."

Paul Parvin, processing director for Royal Mail, said: "Change is absolutely essential to meet customers' expectations of a world class postal service, ensure we operate efficiently and provide a great quality of service in a smaller and radically changing market.

"Any change to our mail centre in Shrewsbury will, unfortunately, impact on some colleagues. Our agreements with the CWU set out an agreed approach to managing these changes and we will be working very closely with the CWU and Unite CMA to support our people during what will, inevitably, be a period of uncertainty.

"This review is part of the ongoing modernisation and investment in our business. This is vital in order to put Royal Mail on a sound, secure and sustainable footing."

There are currently 58 mail centres across the country and Royal Mail has already announced that 16 are to close, including Worcester.

By Catherine Ferris