Wait for it
Postal staff in Northampton could lose up to £1,000 a year in pay, customers could get their post later – and it’s all being blamed on the European Union.
Royal Mail is consulting workers on a change to start times from 5am to 7.15am, which would also mean the later deliveries for customers.
It is blaming a new European Union directive limiting lorry speeds to 56mph rather than the current 60mph for all trucks weighing 3.5 tonnes or more.
Apparently the new law will mean mail deliveries will take longer to reach depots, meaning staff with an early start could be left with little to do.
One staff member from Royal Mail’s Northampton depot, who preferred to remain anonymous, contacted the Herald & Post outraged at the proposal.
In their letter they said: “We postmen/postwomen of Northampton find that this plan is unworkable and will result in a 2.25-hour delay in our delivery time to all addresses in Northampton due to our start time being changed from 5am to 7.15am.
“We see this delay will have a high impact upon all the businesses and households of Northampton and Northampton-shire.”
Communication Workers Union regional secretary Lee Barron said his organisation had not yet been involved in discussions.
“Our suspicion is that it’s a cynical ploy to reduce costs,” he said. “Why Royal Mail have gone out on the consultation, God only knows because all it’s caused is anxiety.
“There would be an impact on customer service, start times and take-home pay. But the national union will get to negotiate on final arrangements.”
Mr Barron said staff who started early received an “early shift”
allowance which they could lose amounting to a pay cut of almost £1,000 a year.
A Royal Mail spokesman said management had discussed the issue with staff at Northampton’s St James Mill depot on Tuesday.
“There were comments from a couple of people, mainly centred on the impact on childcare arrangements if start and finish times change,” he said.
“And obviously there are concerns about the impact any changes would have on customers.
“Any changes have got to be discussed with the union. It’s very early days and we’re not sure what the long-term impact will be.”
He said staff wages had three-year protection so workers affected would not feel an immediate pinch.
