LETTER: I'm a postman and Covid-19 crisis proves Royal Mail sell-off was a big mistake

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://www.andoveradvertiser.co.uk/new ... g-mistake/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I work as a postman for Royal Mail at the Basingstoke delivery office and have done so for many years.

At the time of the privatisation of Royal Mail I wrote to my local MP, warning that it was a mistake to sell off this great public service to the private sector.

Royal Mail has now been in private hands for seven years and I now feel that I can say I feel fully vindicated about my prediction.

Since Royal Mail was privatised, I have witnessed on a daily basis the standard of service being compromised for the sake of profit, never so much so than in the past few days.


We are now in the middle of a national crisis and I can tell you that many people are not receiving their mail and parcels because all Royal Mail bosses are concerned about at this time is the state of their balance sheets.

At the Royal Mail delivery office I work at I believe 85+ out of 250 of our staff are off work self isolating etc, so it is fair to say that Royal Mail are in a very difficult position.

This situation the company find themselves in has obviously meant that lots of mail and parcels are not being delivered resulting in a backlog.

Two days ago it was announced to all the staff at the delivery office by Royal Mail management that they would not pay us if we worked over our time, they wouldn’t allow us to work our days off or let us cancel the annual leave that we had booked, that was now useless to us.

Many of us at Royal Mail are prepared to work over our contracted hours every day, work our days off etc to ensure that the public receive their mail and parcels.

I must say I find it unbelievable that at this time of crisis Royal Mail are putting profit before the sake of service and national morale.

What I have witnessed over the past few years and most importantly days has clearly demonstrated that the privatisation of Royal Mail was a massive mistake.

Name and address supplied.

[ted_e_bear]

Well said,I would like to see that published in a national paper.

[charlatans]

i Do have a feeling of "you didn't want us then" so tough. I Feel there is a certain amount of necessity to our work but were gona get shafted when its over. A lot of people don't even know were a private company. I Don't have to go to peoples doors so i'm in a better position than posties but still would rather not be in m.c with other people.
If i were in charge i would be following through with the four pillars as a sort of carrot rather than stick approach. This would also buy me a lot of goodwill at this time and be very productive. I feel the management of this company are charlatans of the highest order.

[pieoftheday]

Funny how different D.O's work, I've been asked to work my day off tomorrow