Council to target posties in retaliation for office closures? (From Echo)
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Southend Council to target posties in retaliation for office closures?
1:00pm Tuesday 1st January 2013 in Local News
Royal Mail
FURIOUS councillors want to ban posties from chaining their trolleys to fences and slap parking tickets on their vans in retaliation for the closure of five delivery offices.
The outlandish proposals have been put forward by members of Southend Council’s Independent group after Royal Mail announced it would shut bases in Rochford, Leigh, Shoebury, Canewdon and Great Wakering.
The move has been met with outrage by residents, who face a lengthy trek to the company’s main depot in Short Street, Southend, when the controversial closures go ahead next year.
But two councillors have now advocated taking retaliatory action by refusing to allow Royal Mail to tie mail trolleys to public fences or lamp posts, and cancelling the blind eye currently shown to vans parked on yellow lines.
In a letter to Rob Tinlin, the council’s chief executive, Independent councillor Mike Assenheim reiterated previous suggestions made by fellow Independent Steve Aylen.
He said: “The administration should stand fast with the public and inform Royal Mail that they are not prepared to cooperate in future in respect of Royal Mail’s activities within the borough.
“This move might go some way to redress what they are doing to the community and help to change their minds about closures.
“It might sound harsh, but I feel it is the only way to stop Royal Mail riding roughshod over the community.”
Royal Mail wants to close the delivery offices, which allow residents pick up parcels which could not be delivered because they were out, to cut costs.
It says all staff will be relocated and residents will still be given a number of options about how they want their packages delivered.
Residents in Great Wakering and Canewdon will still be able to collect their parcels from the villages’ post offices.
However, the company refused to launch a public consultation and infuriated Southend Council chiefs by agreeing to a meeting and then revealing it had already made up its mind about the closures.
Earlier this month, James Duddridge, the Tory MP for Rochford and Southend East, branded the way Royal Mail had handled the situation “appalling”.
A spokesman for Royal Mail refused to comment on Mr Assenheim’s suggestions, but said “modernising” the company was essential.
He added: “These relocations are a commercial business decision.
“Royal Mail does issue information to stakeholders and all customers before any changes to our mail operation take place.
“We met with Southend Council earlier this month to keep them informed of our plans and we have written to other stakeholders in this area. We will be writing to customers and stakeholders four to six weeks prior to any changes happening.”
Comments are closed on this article.
Comments (40)
1:07pm Tue 1 Jan 13
Carnabackable says...
1:41pm Tue 1 Jan 13
Max Impact says...
Very misleading headline, that other council members might object too, as they might not agree with the actions these two want to adopt.
Wonder if they sent the letter through the post
2:08pm Tue 1 Jan 13
Shoebury_Cyclist says...
They have removed a service from me so I have no sympathy for them at all.
2:29pm Tue 1 Jan 13
Max Impact says...
Your waiting at home for a parcel to be delivered, you wait and you wait and you wait... Your parcel does not arrive you phone Royal mail in a fit of rage to be tole...
The van was clamped who do you find fault with.
Royal Mail
or
SBC for bringing in the clamp Royal Mail vans.
You have alive of bike riding why not get on the saddle and ride to Short Street.
I live a short drive from Short Street so as long as they don't close that facility I'm happy.
Happy New Year my friend and sparing partner.
2:44pm Tue 1 Jan 13
Eric Whim says...
It seems a bit unfair targeting the postmen/women themselves as I doubt very much if it was their decision to shut the Delivery Offices.
2:54pm Tue 1 Jan 13
Keptquiettillnow says...
Mind you its the Indies creating the fuss, who will soon get back into the Tory line once someone has a word, lol.
3:44pm Tue 1 Jan 13
Sensible of Leigh says...
Of course the Post Office is acting like a commercial concern, it is required to by this Government as it prepares for privitaisation. Incidentally I have always found parking near the Leigh sorting office a real problem and will find it so much easier when I have to go to Short Street. But then, finding an improvement in a service isn't considered newsworthy!!
4:05pm Tue 1 Jan 13
reptile says...
4:20pm Tue 1 Jan 13
shallotman says...
6:19pm Tue 1 Jan 13
Nebs says...
6:33pm Tue 1 Jan 13
A.I.K. says...
10:39pm Tue 1 Jan 13
_champagne2 says...
11:00pm Tue 1 Jan 13
Max Impact says...
Think you need to lay off the champagne!
1:00am Wed 2 Jan 13
Greatscot1777 says...
The best retaliation SBC could take would be to use private companies and local enterprises to deliver their mail and parcels and do their best to encourage all residents to seek an alternative to the Post Office including pushing for more online services generally. Boycot the Post Office until they realise they owe a service to customers in exchange for their state monopoly for letter deliveries.
1:47am Wed 2 Jan 13
Brunning999 says...
1:47am Wed 2 Jan 13
Brunning999 says...
7:57am Wed 2 Jan 13
Shoebury_Cyclist says...
Now I'll have an eight-mile round trip to Short Street, into the busiest, most traffic laden part of Southend.
That is not an improvement in service, not even in your fevered Tory imagination.
10:21am Wed 2 Jan 13
Liam Nam says...
http://www.southends
tandard.co.uk/news/8
931981.Tax_bills_go_
on_100_mile_trip_to_
reach_our_doors
10:37am Wed 2 Jan 13
Broadwaywatch says...
10:42am Wed 2 Jan 13
Beth the original one says...
Just because something doesnt affect you NOW, doesnt mean it wont in the future.
10:46am Wed 2 Jan 13
fredfoot says...
12:52pm Wed 2 Jan 13
Soouthchurch59 says...
1:27pm Wed 2 Jan 13
reece123 says...
1:37pm Wed 2 Jan 13
TrueBlueTerrier says...
Royal Mail will NOT be affected in anyway, except that it will take longer to make the deliveries.
Good to see elected officials showing a complete understanding of the subject they are commenting on.... NOT.
1:37pm Wed 2 Jan 13
TrueBlueTerrier says...
Royal Mail will NOT be affected in anyway, except that it will take longer to make the deliveries.
Good to see elected officials showing a complete understanding of the subject they are commenting on.... NOT.
1:37pm Wed 2 Jan 13
Max Impact says...
Better still the neighbours are always in so it gets left there quite a bit, even better the lady of the house is a cougar (don't tell the wife I said that!) she normally swans round is not very much!
Think of my family and friends before anyone else what id wrong with that I bet we all do the same.
2:40pm Wed 2 Jan 13
Broadwaywatch says...
I certainly would not 'tell your wife' anything.......for one I don't understand what you are trying to say regarding a cougar not swaning around very much.
2:46pm Wed 2 Jan 13
Max Impact says...
As for cougar check out that dire US tv "show" cougar town...
3:56pm Wed 2 Jan 13
Broadwaywatch says...
10:36pm Wed 2 Jan 13
wishblossom says...
10:58pm Wed 2 Jan 13
Letmetryagain says...
11:12pm Wed 2 Jan 13
wishblossom says...
12:26am Thu 3 Jan 13
ally_1 says...
Locking trollies to lamp posts etc will become a non-issue as every delivery in Leigh, Shoebury and Rochford will become a van share between two posties. Only posties close to an office get a trolley.
These councillors know all too well that it has been consecutive governments policy to create competition in the mail market and allow other mail companies to undercut Royal Mail's prices, employ a couple of hundred staff to collect the profitable mail from the top 100 companies in the country (banks, utility companies etc) who post the majority of the mail, sort in in their machines and drop it off to Royal Mail's doorstep who have to employ 160,000 staff to deliver it at a small fraction of the original price.
This is also the main reason why stamps for residents and small businesses have increased from 20p in 2000 to 60p in 2012, Royal Mail's profit of £600 million per year in the late 90's has been wiped out by allowing competition in the mail market, a competition that has no intention to start actually delivering the profitable mail, especially in rural areas - why would they? that would be a huge drain on profits. Instead Royal Mail now needs to try and make a profit on every letter that is posted, but this will only really happen when the price of a stamp hits £1.
Local management would have already been told to cut costs and reduce overheads from top, top management, but this is nothing new. Delivery offices have been closing all over the country, as well as major sorting offices (even in London) and it will continue as the Government take the cash from selling on the lucrative building assets. This is probably how Royal Mail will show a profit this year and try and entice another company to buy Royal Mail as a private venture.
Who really cares if the posties are based in Southend? Yes, it will affect the posties themselves. These councillors should be securing locations with Royal Mail over where customers packets can be left in Leigh, Rochford and Shoebury if no one is in to collect.
Its easily possible for Royal Mail to pay a fee to post offices in the deliveries vicinity to take in parcels for customers, thus stopping the need for customers to trek to Southend! I can see in the future with a private Royal Mail where packets are on the rise that this cost of collecting letters or packets could become a surcharge to collect your parcel? a fee for not being in to collect in the first place!
Overall it will always be the local resident and small businesses that will lose out due to the governments medaling in privatising the mail market - and these councillors know it.
8:49am Thu 3 Jan 13
Shoebury_Cyclist says...
No they shouldn't. Why should public money be spent propping up a business that refuses to put the customer first? Royal Mail is removing its service from the Southend area, it is Royal Mail's responsibility to ensure the customer sees no disruption to services.
I think Southend council should quite bluntly tell them, "If you cut these services you get no more special treatment from the council". First thing they should do is increase parking enforcement ten-fold around Short Street. And yes, remove all those unsightly Royal Mail trolleys from lampposts, we wouldn't tolerate shopping trolleys being left tied up in areas around supermarkets. And yes, make parking rules apply equally to Royal Mail vehicles, just as they do for all other courier services.;
9:12am Thu 3 Jan 13
Eutraveller says...
As for clamping and fining, who will pay ni the end, the public. You STUPID stupid councillors, get a life.
11:11pm Thu 3 Jan 13
siddymint says...
It might be wrong but they are doing somthing .
What are all the others doing???
11:25pm Thu 3 Jan 13
Nebs says...
7:13am Fri 4 Jan 13
Hannah Foster says...
4:28pm Fri 4 Jan 13
shoeburylad says...
Or the leaders of all the four groups who along with the Chief Executive met with Royal Mail representatives to try and persuade them to change their minds as reported in the Echo recently.
You would have us believe that it is only these two crackpots who have done anything.
9:23pm Fri 4 Jan 13
siddymint says...
Thanks for the info it needs to be shouted the coucnillors who are doing anything, the more that actaully stand up to be counted even if they are crackpots
The post office might start to listen.
Sadly there are those who think being a councillor is drinking tea and eating bisciuts .