Post chief 'sorry' for threatening lette

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/campaigns/ ... age_id=508

Richard Dyson, Financial Mail
29 July 2007

The Post Office has apologised to 14,000 postmasters and postmistresses after it sent them a heavy handed letter threatening to punish them financially unless they toed the company line on branch closures

Bosses are desperate to limit negative public reaction to plans to close up to 2,500 post offices by the end of 2008.

A week ago, a four-page letter was dispatched to all postmasters, outlining what they must say to the public if asked questions regarding the closures.

They rammed home their message with an alarming threat: 'Representatives of Post Office Limited will visit branches at random, on an anonymous basis, to ensure these 'key messages' are being delivered in an accurate and professional manner.

'Any compensation offered to you if your branch is selected for closure shall be subject to you having complied.' In other words, if postmasters do not parrot the official line, they could be be found out - and punished.

The letter also forbade postmasters from talking to the Press. 'It is likely that members of the local and national Press may contact you in relation to the programme,' it said. If so, journalists were to be referred to the Post Office's public relations headquarters in London, where the newsflow could be closely controlled.

Several postmasters contacted Financial Mail about the letter, though they were very guarded about disclosing their identity.

In the enormously popular campaign waged by Financial Mail to keep post offices open, scores of postmasters have spoken out and supported our aims. But last week many of these men and women were too afraid to return our calls. Others talked, but on condition that they were not named.

'It's too frightening,' said one postmistress in a village branch in the South-West. 'If my branch is selected for closure, there is nothing I can do about it. In that case, I will need the compensation. I cannot do anything to jeopardise it.'

Another, from a branch in a larger town, also in the South-West, said: 'This letter seems intended to intimidate us, nothing less. It really is like Big Brother. I can't say anything to people I don't know - and certainly can't say anything to journalists - without worrying that I'll be reported.

'If this branch is listed for closing, it will be like Judgment Day. I can just see it. They'll pull out a file and say they have evidence that I wasn't spinning the right story. It's despicable, really.'

The Post Office's about-turn came late last week. By then, George Thomson, director-general of the National Federation of SubPostmasters, had written a sharply worded letter to Alan Cook, the Post Office's boss.

'Paragraphs about monitoring staff were completely inappropriate,' said Thomson, adding that the letter risked creating hostility among thousands of postmasters whose support would be needed after the closure programme.

Cook, who was travelling in Spain, appeared to agree because a statement of apology was sent to Financial Mail, saying: 'We are sending subpostmasters clarification and an apology for the unintended impression given by the letter.' But it appears that with the threat made, postmasters are still anxious.

The idea of spies scouring the network in search of offenders is what really perturbs most. 'Actually, I'm very loyal to the Post Office brand,' said one. 'So why should I be subject to surveillance, like a criminal? Why can't I get on with serving my customers as well as I can?'

Although the Post Office has said it will not now use spies as threatened, the concept of staff surveillance is not new. Two weeks ago, Financial Mail revealed how staff were being turned into financial salesmen, pressured to sell insurance policies or credit cards. How well they perform these tasks is monitored by 'secret shoppers' - or spies posing as customers.

[evilc]

Well, that just about sums Royal Mail up, bullying, harrasment , threatening to withdraw compensation.