HADFIELD POSTAL WORKERS PICKET

In a few hours time Hadfield Postal Workers will step up the fight to save the Local Delivery Office from closure. Today marks the first of two planned one day strikes which will begin with a picket of the Station Road office from 5.00am this morning. The second of the two strike days will be on Monday 14th July.

Local postmen were balloted last week and returned a 100% vote in favour of industrial action such is the strength of feeling over the issue. It is clear from the number of posters displayed in the windows of residents across the whole of Hadfield that local people share their outrage.

From the perspective of the postmen, most of whom live locally, the notion that they should have to drive to Hyde to sort mail then drive back again to Hadfield to deliver it, is truly outrageous. From an environmental perspective, this madcap idea puts additional traffic onto local roads and is a disgraceful waste of fuel. No doubt that is of little consideration to Royal Mail who will expect Postal Workers themselves to bear the burden of travel costs.

As residents we have something more to fear and that is the loss of Hadfield Post Office itself. I have raised the argument in a previous post, which you can view by clicking here, that a small business such as Hadfield Post Office will struggle to overcome the loss of income which is derived from Royal Mail's use of the Delivery Office.

Unless and until Royal Mail are prepared to give categoric assurances that the future of Hadfield Post Office is secure or that there is a viable business plan in place that would enable the Postmaster to sustain such a loss of income (which I believe to be in excess of £30,000 per annum) then the assumption must be that the odds are stacked against its long term viability without the Delivery Office in situ.

This being the case we wholeheartedly support the Postal Workers industrial action, which will also see a work to rule on Friday and Saturday. Hopefully, the bad publicity that Royal Mail will generate for themselves might persuade them that any financial savings they hope to make through closure of the LDO will be outweighed by public disgust at what they are doing and loss of goodwill amonst their own staff.

For our own part, we intend to support the Postal Workers by launching a postcard campaign. We are looking to deliver a postcard to every household in Hadfield so residents will have a quick and simple means of showing their anger.

We are also attempting to hold a Public Meeting and are currently seeking a local venue. We intend to invite representatives from both sides to explain their position as they see it. I would particularly like to hear why the alleged Health and Safety issues cannot be resolved without such drastic action as closure, which seems excessive. Further details regarding the industrial action and news of our own campaign will appear on this blog as soon as they are available.