Postal deliveries to some areas of Derry are only taking place every other day because of a 12% sickness rate among staff and other vacancies, SDLP Assembly Member, Mark H Durkan has said.
Mr Durkan said he contacted Royal Mail over concerns about deliveries in BT47 and BT48 areas (Derry city and district). In response Royal Mail told him deliveries were taking place “at least every other day to maximise delivery frequency for customers”.
Mr Durkan said an official at Royal Mail told him: “I have spoken with customer operations lead who covers the BT47 and BT48 postcode area. They have advised that mail deliveries to your constituents’ addresses have been affected over recent weeks due to a c.12 per cent of colleagues being away from work through sickness as well as a number of vacancies.”
Mr Durkan said it meant Royal Mail was “falling short” of its obligation as the “universal service provider” which required that letters be delivered six days a week.
He said: “I cannot accept that the significant and prolonged problems with the local service is solely attributable to staff sickness and vacancies. I’ve waited over three weeks for Royal Mail to respond to concerns and they roll out the same tired excuse they’ve used elsewhere in the UK. Royal Mail can’t continue to use staff as a scapegoat but rather should take accountability for clear systemic failings.”
A spokesman for Royal Mail told The Irish News the company was working hard to ensure a consistent and reliable service to households this Christmas.
The spokesman said: “We can confirm mail is being delivered to homes at least every other day with the vast majority arriving on time. If a delay occurs, such as when a route is not completed, we will prioritise that area the following day to help ensure any delays are kept to a minimum.”
The company said 16,000 seasonal works have been recruited throughout the UK and vehicle numbers increased to cope with Christmas trade.