Reading Mail Centre Update

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

General Meeting held to discuss the proposed closures of Reading and
Gloucester Mail Centres.
Left to right - Parmajit Dhanda MP, Sean McGeough, (Chair), Martin Collins (National Officer)Paul Trehearne (Branch Secretary, Gloucester) Wayne Levy (Branch Letters Secretary, SE5 Branch).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PRESS RELEASE FOR LAUNCH OF
`NOT VIA SWINDON`
CAMPAIGN

 

LAUNCH WITH MARTIN SALTER MP, 08.30am FRIDAY 1ST DECEMBER 2006, OUTSIDE MAIN POST OFFICE – MARKET PLACE, READING
 

Terry Jackson, CWU South East Regional Secretary, urges members of the public, and the business community, to send a message of good cheer to all the workers at the Reading Mail Centre under threat this Christmas.

The Mail Centre is threatened with closure, with the loss of up to 500 jobs. Work is planned to move to Swindon within 18 months, subject to planning permission and approval of the business case within Royal Mail. The CWU believes that quality of service will suffer, the environmental costs will be horrendous and that the move would cause misery to workers.

A Christmas campaign to raise awareness and seek support to save Reading Mail Centre is launched under the title of “Not Via Swindon“.

Anyone can help by simply writing `Not Via Swindon` discreetly on all the Christmas cards they send and highlighting the message with a yellow highlighter.

Alternatively stickers with the campaign messages, for attaching to cards, can be obtained free of charge by emailing your name, address and the number of stickers required to terryjackson@cwuse5.org.uk.

The postal address for sticker requests is:- Stickers, CWU, The Business Centre,
12 Chequers Road, Basingstoke RG21 7PU.

You can telephone 01256 474000 for supplies, but lines may be busy.

Ian Warrick, the CWU Representative for Reading Mail Centre said, “We are expecting an extremely busy Christmas, where our members will be working flat out to collect, sort and deliver record amounts of mail. The morale of our members would be lifted enormously by a large display of public support for their plight”.

 

FIGHTING TO KEEP A MAIL CENTRE IN READING

The campaign against Royal Mails plans to close the Reading Mail Centre has been stepped up with a series of activities aimed at stopping the Business from moving out of the town.

The Branch has overseen the establishment of a Campaign Committee which in turn has arranged a series of meetings with the membership.

A comprehensive document has been drawn up making the case for keeping a Mail Centre in Reading and this has been circulated to MP’s, Councillors, the Chamber of Commerce and Community Organisations.

The Member of Parliament for Reading West, Martin Salter has raised the issue in the House of Commons in the form of an Early Day Motion opposing the planned closure.

Wayne Levy on behalf of the Branch said “The campaign is underway now and we are undertaking numerous activities aimed at opposing Royal Mails proposal. We are also working very closely with our CWU colleagues in Gloucester to ensure both towns retain a Mail Centre in their area”.

MAIL CENTRE REVIEW

The Branch has expressed its dismay and anger at the announcement by Royal Mail that they are to carry out a feasibility study which includes a proposal to close the existing READING MAIL CENTRE and transfer the Processing operation to SWINDON.

Wayne Levy, the Branch Letters Secretary speaking on behalf of the Representatives and Members at Reading said “This plan is poorly thought out and appears to be purely based on short term financial gain. The way in which it was announced was a disgrace. The employer has not followed the agreed procedures and this is being taken up at National level. The Business cannot be allowed to treat our members in this way”.

He continued “The campaign to keep a Mail Centre in Reading has already began with support from Local MP’s, the public at large and also the Swindon TUC”.

The Branch will also be working closely with other threatened Mail Centres in COVENTRY and GLOUCESTER, to ensure that the Business listens to the Union’s alternative proposals over the coming months.