'Post and a pinta' scheme attacked

A scheme for milkmen and women to deliver mail in Liverpool is “worrying and unnecessary”, a union has warned.
Express Dairies started to deliver parcels on Monday after winning a 12-month licence.
The licence limits the number of deliveries over the year to 4.6m, but there are plans to extend it to Manchester and Nottingham.
The Postal Services Commission (Postcomm) says the scheme is not designed to take work away from postal workers.
However, a spokesman for the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) said: “The people who are best placed to deliver mail in this country are the postmen and women.
“We see this development as a worrying and unnecessary development.”
However, the spokesman acknowledged that with Consignia – owners of the Post Office and Royal Mail – facing major financial problems, the granting of licences such as the one in Liverpool was inevitable.
Postcomm said no full licences would be granted until January 2003, when open competition for postal services will be permitted by government legislation.

A spokesman said the licences were restricted to make sure that they do not “damage” Royal Mail’s delivery services.

Tim Smith, executive director at Express Dairies, said the company’s first deliveries under the scheme had come through a contract to deliver books for direct marketing firm ADM.

“Our previous experience of parcel deliveries makes us confident that we will be able to successfully meet the needs of our new customers.”