Postal Strike Effect

wendym

I am now up to date on packets, but there is a lot of letter post still missing eg credit card bill, new debit card (cancelled before anyone else used it, thank goodness), letter from insurers, bank statement...............

custardy

there are still huge backlogs in some areas. the later starts and some other operational issues have really compounded the issue.

A million letters and parcels could be held at Streatham Delivery Office in the huge backlog which has reached crisis point since the last month's strike action.

This means thousands of Streatham and Norbury residents, who are all served by the office in Prentis Road, have been left without crucial mail and are subject to sporadic deliveries.

The worrying situation comes weeks after the official postal strike over pensions and pay ended. Wildcat strikes continued after this at the Streatham office.

Greg Charles, branch secretary of south-west London Postal Communication Workers' Union (CWU), said the number of postal items held at the office could now reach the million mark.

"The Prentis Road office is one of the worst affected in the country and has not been able to recover since the strikes," he said. "I've heard horror stories of people only getting two deliveries in four weeks."

He said the union is currently in talks with Royal Mail to agree on overtime to clear the backlog and to discuss health and safety issues. "We are doing our damnedest to sort it out," he added.

Paulo Dias, from Norbury Crescent, has logged three complaints with Royal Mail about the situation. "I've been expecting the contract for the purchase of my new house since early October, " he said. "I'm really suffering because I can't move house until I receive it. My mortgage offer expires early next month and I'm running out of time to exchange and complete the purchase.

"There's such a huge backlog and the workers cannot cope with the chaos inside the office," he continued. "I want everyone to complain to the Royal Mail and demand workers are paid overtime to clear the problem."

A Royal Mail spokesman apologised for the delay in clearing the backlog, saying it was due to the unofficial strikes which followed the official ones, as well as strained industrial relations. "Customers can be assured we are doing all we can to clear the remaining few backlogs as soon as possible and this has included drafting in extra management volunteers and reserve staff," he said.

But Chris Nicholson, Streatham's Liberal Democrat Parliamentary spokesman, said: "Given that the strike finished a few week weeks ago it's completely unacceptable mail services should still be trying to get back to normal. "

THE Royal Mail has begun telling people to pick-up their own post as they struggle to clear a backlog created by the recent strikes.

It is understood thousands of parcels are still waiting to be delivered at the main Brunswick Road depot, almost a month after the industrial action ended.

As staff battle to clear the delayed mail, hundreds of residents are being sent postcards suggesting they collect undelivered items.

Industry regulator Postwatch today hit out at the decision, saying customers who paid to have their packages delivered would at the very least have expected the company to try to make a delivery.

Residents in EH7 and EH8, covering central Edinburgh and the Leith, Restalrig, Southside, Newington and Canongate areas, began receiving the postcards at the weekend.

The postcard also states residents have the option of phoning up to arrange a delivery or paying to have it delivered to a post office.

One postal worker, who asked not to be named, said: "People have paid for these items to be delivered, but Royal Mail has decided it is not going to bother.

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1774932007

these are just a couple of areas ,so scale it up

roses

I think my items have been lost forever, still missing 2 packages

golddustmedia

Anyone know how this is affecting airmail INBOUND to the UK?

I'm waiting on 2 items from the USA (1 letter & 1 parcel) neither of which have turned up in the last 3 weeks. I'm assuming that USA items would most likely come via London.

custardy

yup nearly all come via mount pleasent.
remember if an item gets pulled by customs it will be delayed.
i know there 'were' huge backlogs at mountpleasent but cant confirm now.
remember a backlog at your delivery office will delay items as well