Union slams mail office merger plan

Photo: Darren Robinson - Oldham Chronicle

New delivery and collection office at Royal Mail, Oldham

Communication Workers Union area representative Paul Fenney says proposals to close Heywood and Ashton delivery and callers offices and move to Oldham's Hamilton Street site would have a huge impact on the workforce and customers and pose a road safety issue for nearby Horton Mill Community Primary School.

A consultation process is currently taking place to thrash out the proposals which would see 40 staff from Heywood and 80 from Ashton transferred to what is currently an unused vehicle workshop.

Mr Fenney says from what the union has seen of Royal Mail's plans to convert the old garage there isn't enough space to house the workforce and production and there would also be an impact on the Oldham staff who work there.

It would mean at least a 30 minute journey for customers from Heywood and residents from Tameside having to travel up to 16 miles to collect their undelivered mail.

He says there is an existing agreement for Royal Mail to consult the public on such moves but since privatisation they are refusing to do so.

Mr Fenney said: "At the moment they have car parking space but if these proposals go ahead they won't have one space for staff which means they'll have to find alternatives on surrounding streets and Royal Mail will be seen as a bad neighbour by other business and the community.

"There's a school around the corner and it could pose a serious risk. At school pick-up and drop-off times this extra traffic would be dangerous.

"They're proposing to convert an old motor workshop to house the Ashton and Heywood offices but from the plans we've seen there isn't space. They'd have to knock a lot of walls down but they just seem to be doing everything they can to make it viable so it will fit."

If the proposals go ahead - which could be as early as mid 2017 - he says the knock on effect to customers and staff will be huge and the union is fighting it every step of the way.

"During the consultation Royal Mail have to present us with the benefits of moving them to Oldham and closing down the offices and at the minute there's no benefits at all," he said.

"They have been in touch with local Post Office Counters to see if they can take on some of the undelivered mail but they haven't had a response yet.

"In Ashton the callers' office is convenient for customers in the town centre. The best way to maintain service to the customer is to leave it where it is but it looks like these proposals are based on a cost-saving exercise and if they have an empty unit or building they want to use it.

"At the minute our members can walk to work in Ashton and Heywood but if they move to Oldham a lot of people might not be able to get there."

He said the moves would also disrupt delivery times as postal workers would have to take their journey times to their rounds off their allotted four-and-a-half hours.

It could also jeopardise Ashton and Heywood's contracts with British Gas to act as a daily equipment collection pick-up point.

"There are so many things we don't know about these proposals and the impact they'll have which is why we're opposing them on behalf of our members and the public," he said.

Heywood and Middleton MP Liz McInnes has joined the campaign against the plans to close Heywood Delivery Office on Hind Hill Street.

She said: "People are quite rightly worried about the effect this would have on the quality of the service, causing massive inconvenience for residents, and there is also a risk to the jobs of the many people employed at the Heywood office.

"I have asked Royal Mail for a meeting and will be sitting down with them soon to raise the concerns of residents and staff.

"The Communication Workers Union is working hard to fight the plans and I will be giving them all the support I can in order to keep our local Delivery Office open for the good of everyone in Heywood."

Royal Mail, which is proposing to close a number of Greater Manchester delivery offices, said the moves are at the proposal stage and they couldn't comment while discussions with employees and the Communication Workers Union were ongoing.