Royal Mail Sorting Office Closure Meeting..

[PennyDreadful]

So just when we were thinking that it was going to be a bit inconvenient to have to go into Peckham to collect parcels...today we received a 'Sorry we missed you' card from Royal Mail telling us to pick up our parcel from a delivery office in SOUTH NORWOOD!

This would involve us getting a bus to Forest Hill and then a train to Norwood Junction....we're carless and skint (and I'm not well). Feeling a powerful urge to shove a custard pie (or worse) in Vince Cable's face right now.

[damzel]

I would strongly suggest you call them first and check as I once had a delivery card from Brixton and drove all the way over, only to find that Sylvester Rd had run out of their own cards so were using Brixton's! My parcel was about 400yds from my home...

PennyDreadful Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> So just when we were thinking that it was going to

> be a bit inconvenient to have to go into Peckham

> to collect parcels...today we received a 'Sorry we

> missed you' card from Royal Mail telling us to

> pick up our parcel from a delivery office in SOUTH

> NORWOOD!

>

> This would involve us getting a bus to Forest Hill

> and then a train to Norwood Junction....we're

> carless and skint (and I'm not well). Feeling a

> powerful urge to shove a custard pie (or worse) in

> Vince Cable's face right now.

[PennyDreadful]

Oh, thank you damzel - that's good to know. We'll give 'em a ring!

[se22]

Chances are that a postie based in South Norwood was covering for staff shortage in East Dulwich and used the wrong cards.

[singalto]

You can also ask them to redeliver.

[katanita]

I guess the end is nigh (see attached). Maybe someone could buy it up and turn it into a Royal Mail sorting office??

:(

[Sue]

:(

[Jim1234]

Another reason never to vote Lib Dems. This is the inevitable consequence of privatisation.

[redjam]

Still can't quite believe this. So I've now got to do an hour's round journey by bus to get over to Peckham every time I miss a parcel? Either that or wait two days (presumably?) for redelivery - and just pray that you happen to be in second time around. Are they really the only two options now?

[singalto]

Jim1234 what has this got to do with the LDs?

[rendelharris]

singalto Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Jim1234 what has this got to do with the LDs?

Vince Cable as Business Secretary in the coalition oversaw the privatisation of Royal Mail in 2013, selling it at a ridiculously low price (within six months shares were trading at an 87% premium). Unions and experts warned that privatisation would lead to exactly the sort of closures ED has now experienced.

[worldwiser]

I'm can't say I'm especially happy that the sorting office is being moved but there are about 10 or 15 local shops that accept deliveries from all sorts of delivery companies including Royal Mail. Make use of one of them. And buy a few items in there while you're at it or they may not continue the service. Royal Mail has to stand on its own feet now and there's just no way loads of local sorting offices are remotely viable given that reality.

[Sue]

worldwiser Wrote:

------------------------------------------------------Royal Mail has to stand on

> its own feet now

What do you mean?

It was never subsidised, was it?

[Sally Eva]

Thatcher used it as a cash cow. She put the price of postage way above the cost and subsidised other parts of government. She did not permit the cash generated to be re-invested.

[Sue]

Sally Eva Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Thatcher used it as a cash cow. She put the price

> of postage way above the cost and subsidised other

> parts of government. She did not permit the cash

> generated to be re-invested.

Well, yes, exactly.

Not only was it standing on its own feet, it was subsidising other things.

ETA: But it wasn't Thatcher who set the price of stamps.

[rendelharris]

worldwiser Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

Royal Mail has to stand on

> its own feet now and there's just no way loads of

> local sorting offices are remotely viable given

> that reality.

This is doubtless what we'll be being told about the NHS in a few years - multiple GP surgeries are no longer viable, the NHS has to stand on its own feet now...what's wrong with a vital national service remaining in government control and getting a helping hand (not a very large one, in governmental terms) from our taxes?

[Sally Eva]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sally Eva Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Thatcher used it as a cash cow. She put the

> price

> > of postage way above the cost and subsidised

> other

> > parts of government. She did not permit the

> cash

> > generated to be re-invested.

>

>

> Well, yes, exactly.

>

> Not only was it standing on its own feet, it was

> subsidising other things.

>

> ETA: But it wasn't Thatcher who set the price of

> stamps.

it was the chancellor of the exchequer. It used to be announced in the budget.

[James Barber]

Hi rendelharris,

GP's are all private businesses. That's been the case since the NHS was founded.

I personally think they should be run on a public ownership model. With modern medicine it seems crazy for doctors to be running a business and keeping up with all the requirements of operating the best possible medical service. Personal friend gets to work at 5am to spend 2-3 hours most weekday catching up on the paperwork off running their GP practice and finding doctors keeps them almost as busy - non of whom want to become partners.

Back to the sorting office. Their must be sufficient space to sell the site and retain space for parcel collection on site. And that is what Lib Dems will be campaigning for.

It seems clear the Communication Workers Union (for transparency I used to be a member) are happy to centralise into Peckham - suspect the facilities for staff are better there - hence they've not caught to keep this one open. So we will also seek CWU support to keep a satellite parcels collection point in the replacement building.

[rendelharris]

James Barber Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi rendelharris,

> GP's are all private businesses. That's been the

> case since the NHS was founded.

I didn't say they weren't James (though it's a bit of a misnomer as although they're self employed all their wages, staff costs and premises costs are paid by the government), but if the government decides to cut funding for GP surgeries and move towards a private model we'll experience closures just the same.

[Sue]

Sally Eva Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sue Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Sally Eva Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > Thatcher used it as a cash cow. She put the

> > price

> > > of postage way above the cost and subsidised

> > other

> > > parts of government. She did not permit the

> > cash

> > > generated to be re-invested.

> >

> >

> > Well, yes, exactly.

> >

> > Not only was it standing on its own feet, it

> was

> > subsidising other things.

> >

> > ETA: But it wasn't Thatcher who set the price

> of

> > stamps.

>

> it was the chancellor of the exchequer. It used to

> be announced in the budget.

I am pretty sure Royal Mail (and prior to that the Post Office) has always set the price of stamps, obviously taking into account the money the government required it to raise.

[rendelharris]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I am pretty sure Royal Mail (and prior to that the

> Post Office) has always set the price of stamps,

> obviously taking into account the money the

> government required it to raise.

I seem to recall it was Ofcom who set the caps on stamp prices pre-privatisation?

[Penguin68]

The Post Office (which included Telecommunications) was 'nationalised' (from being a government department) in 1969. However it still fell under the control of the Post Master General, a government minister, famously including both Tony Benn and John Stonehouse. When BT was privatised, Oftel set pricing structures for certain types of product - on an RPI-x% formula (i.e. prices could only rise by a percentage less than RPI). This covered those prices where BT was seen as still having a monopoly or virtual monopoly. It did not however set absolute prices, but agreed pricing formulae, and what cost elements should be considered as forming part of that price. On that basis I am not sure that even when Royal mail (Postal Services) was privatised, Oftel (or more probably its successor Ofcom) directly set any prices - although again pricing formulae might have to be agreed.

This sets out the position from 2014.

http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06296/SN06296.pdf

[Boddle]

Spoke to them today an dlooks like is due to close next month. I recall filling in a an online form but never got a paper survey- we only live a few street away. Anyone know if there?s any fnal way of protesting?!

[Sue]

Boddle Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

Anyone know if there?s any fnal way

> of protesting?!

Far too late now, I fear.

Hardly anybody turned up to a protest which was arranged long ago and publicised on here, apart from Helen Hayes our MP and a few local residents.

Some of us also wrote to Royal Mail before the decision had been finalised. Clearly not enough.

[FightingFit]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Boddle Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> Anyone know if there?s any fnal way

> > of protesting?!

>

>

> Far too late now, I fear.

>

> Hardly anybody turned up to a protest which was

> arranged long ago and publicised on here, apart

> from Helen Hayes our MP and a few local

> residents.

>

> Some of us also wrote to Royal Mail before the

> decision had been finalised. Clearly not enough.

.. but they didn't deliver the letters