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Was most of the backlog cleared before Christmas?

A forum for our Mail Centre, Processing and Distribution colleagues.
PeterR
Posts: 35
Joined: 17 Dec 2009, 10:54
Gender: Male

Was most of the backlog cleared before Christmas?

Post by PeterR »

Just wondering, was most of the backlog at Mail Centres cleared before Christmas? If not, should it be possible to clear it in the next few days, given no strikes and no more Christmas items being sent out?
SpacePhoenix
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 11945
Joined: 12 Nov 2008, 17:03
Gender: Male

Re: Was most of the backlog cleared before Christmas?

Post by SpacePhoenix »

We never had a backlog, the last couple of days before Xmas there was times when we were scratching around for work, and that's even when taking diversions from other MCs
BenacreNick
Posts: 1137
Joined: 18 Jul 2022, 13:27
Gender: Male

Re: Was most of the backlog cleared before Christmas?

Post by BenacreNick »

I imagine it will take the rest of this week to get all the back-log delivered Peter.

I also think there will be a little bit of abuse from customers, claiming that parcels are actually Christmas presents and that they are being delivered too late. Not everyone - but just a few.
NW11851
Posts: 374
Joined: 09 Mar 2017, 14:24
Gender: Male

Re: Was most of the backlog cleared before Christmas?

Post by NW11851 »

If reports are correct, the backlog was spirited away from MCs during various nights of last week.

The CEO went on a tour of various MCs and the MCs Managers ‘cleared’ the horrendously backlogs by trucking it out.

There was a definite report of Southampton’s stuff being taken to a warehouse near Cardiff.

Gatwick’s was sent to Greenford, West London.

Medway’s was sent to either Greenford or a huge warehouse near Tilbury, Essex.

There were also specific reports of agency drivers driving a fleet of 128 trucks around the M25.

The NDC is reported to have a great many trailers in the yard awaiting taken to the dock area for unloading.

I imagine variants of these devious manoeuvres took place all over the country.

Managers need to be able to declare ‘All Clear’ and to demonstrate this to the CEO, in order to be sure of their bonuses.

Some reckonings have it that, by the time all this hidden work has been processed, it will be well into February!

It’s an utter disgrace!
baldrick
EX ROYAL MAIL
Posts: 5036
Joined: 13 Sep 2007, 23:37
Gender: Male

Re: Was most of the backlog cleared before Christmas?

Post by baldrick »

I know a lot of my mail has disappeared somewhere (I'm not complaining). I support you guys (and ladies!) absolutely.

My postman gave me a bundle of mail on Thursday which included a fixed penalty notice demanding £200 from the council saying I hadn't replied to their previous letter (which I never received) about me flytipping. I've never littered or flytipped but they found a packaging for an asthma inhaler in a bag of rubbish about four miles from where I live. It had the same surname as me, but a different initial. I don't have asthma and I've never been to that road.

The letter is dated 16 December and gives me 7 days to pay the £200 or face a criminal prosecution.

I have emailed them but don't think I will hear anything before the New Year. I just hope they don't refer me to bailliffs/debt collectors as I've seen on tv they are a nightmare to deal with.
Lockardian
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 419
Joined: 29 Oct 2015, 06:19
Gender: Male

Re: Was most of the backlog cleared before Christmas?

Post by Lockardian »

Same at our Mail Centre. Tuesday night was dead, only a couple of artics turned up with Tracked stuff and they weren’t full - maybe 90 Yorks altogether over the shift. It was kind of a “Sunday night” but we had a lot more staff on than we would on a Sunday so people were standing around or sitting in the break room most of the shift!
Last night (Wednesday) was pretty dead as well - hardly any non-tracked packets until the first class started arriving late in the shift. Tracked was quiet too. Flats and letters seemed the busiest!

I can’t believe the backlog is cleared so it’s either stuck somewhere or hidden away as suggested above!!
SpacePhoenix
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 11945
Joined: 12 Nov 2008, 17:03
Gender: Male

Re: Was most of the backlog cleared before Christmas?

Post by SpacePhoenix »

Hardly any Xmas cards that had been posted in the UK, just about all the Xmas cards we put through for wave 2 last night were ones posted abroad
N|M
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 192
Joined: 19 Nov 2021, 21:26
Gender: Male

Re: Was most of the backlog cleared before Christmas?

Post by N|M »

We had loads of xmas cards posted around the start of December - best one found was 28/11/22

Also had one xmas card posted in Ireland for Ireland but came over here just to be sent back :funneh
yubin282
Posts: 973
Joined: 25 Jul 2014, 19:18
Gender: Male

Re: Was most of the backlog cleared before Christmas?

Post by yubin282 »

My office has 10 unsorted yorks of mail, probably about 75% xmas cards.

The DOM was round yesterday morning taking photos of the "cleared" frames.

Hardly seen any international mail at all.
seesred
EX ROYAL MAIL
Posts: 123
Joined: 24 Feb 2015, 18:44
Gender: Male

Re: Was most of the backlog cleared before Christmas?

Post by seesred »

I got to work at the MC yesterday evening to learn that 90 yorks of our work had been sent to Atherstone that afternoon. So everything seemed quiet, but because the bulk of the parcels have to go through the PSM, that was still running while the wagons were being loaded for late dispatch.
centenaryman
Posts: 512
Joined: 12 Jan 2010, 20:31
Gender: Male

Re: Was most of the backlog cleared before Christmas?

Post by centenaryman »

i work in a processing place......friday night weve been processing parcels with dates ranging from last week in November till 1st week in December
and i dont mean the odd parcel....it was trailers full of the stuff
rambo1
EX ROYAL MAIL
Posts: 3266
Joined: 12 Jun 2013, 20:00
Gender: Male

Re: Was most of the backlog cleared before Christmas?

Post by rambo1 »

so when can we expect this on delivery as today was the lightest day i've seen for a very very long time .
SpacePhoenix
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 11945
Joined: 12 Nov 2008, 17:03
Gender: Male

Re: Was most of the backlog cleared before Christmas?

Post by SpacePhoenix »

rambo1 wrote:
03 Jan 2023, 18:40
so when can we expect this on delivery as today was the lightest day i've seen for a very very long time .
It seems to be very hit and miss as to what areas have got backlogs. We were very quiet last week, I'm surprised that they didn't offer a few days unpaid leave
rambo1
EX ROYAL MAIL
Posts: 3266
Joined: 12 Jun 2013, 20:00
Gender: Male

Re: Was most of the backlog cleared before Christmas?

Post by rambo1 »

SpacePhoenix wrote:
04 Jan 2023, 11:31
rambo1 wrote:
03 Jan 2023, 18:40
so when can we expect this on delivery as today was the lightest day i've seen for a very very long time .
It seems to be very hit and miss as to what areas have got backlogs. We were very quiet last week, I'm surprised that they didn't offer a few days unpaid leave
I did notice a Xmas card dated 6th Dec today posted in the NW. There must be more unless it's just got a bit lost?
SpacePhoenix
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 11945
Joined: 12 Nov 2008, 17:03
Gender: Male

Re: Was most of the backlog cleared before Christmas?

Post by SpacePhoenix »

rambo1 wrote:
04 Jan 2023, 14:53
SpacePhoenix wrote:
04 Jan 2023, 11:31
rambo1 wrote:
03 Jan 2023, 18:40
so when can we expect this on delivery as today was the lightest day i've seen for a very very long time .
It seems to be very hit and miss as to what areas have got backlogs. We were very quiet last week, I'm surprised that they didn't offer a few days unpaid leave
I did notice a Xmas card dated 6th Dec today posted in the NW. There must be more unless it's just got a bit lost?
Might have been trapped under or inside a machine. Not every MC will check for trapped items regularly