Strike ballot warning at PO sorting offices

A Royal Mail union will ballot staff for industrial action unless talks with management over closing sorting offices, including Oldham, are successful.

The Communication Workers’ Union has taken the decision in principle because 10 sorting offices are threatened nationally.

Oldham, Bolton and Stockport sorting offices could close with work moved to Manchester and Preston.

Local CWU branch official Des Carney, who represents 150 sorting staff out of 450 staff at Oldham’s Royal Mail depot in Hamilton Street, said up to 1,000 jobs could be lost nationally.

The Oldham delivery office, which shares the Hamilton Street site, is not affected.

But Mr Carney said the knock-on effect in Oldham could mean sub-postal delivery offices in Dobcross, Greenfield and Uppermill could close with work transferred to space in the Oldham depot.

Mr Carney added: “We challenge the viability and the basis on which the plans have been based. In our view they are not economically or strategically viable.

“We believe there is a future for sorting in Oldham. We know that in the long term Middleton delivery office is part of a possible compulsory purchase order, and that is only a few miles down the road.

“We are saying to the business we want joined-up thinking and want to plan a viable network for the future mail centres and delivery offices, and want to get it right.

“Over the last few years it has been a panic approach of cut, cut, cut and then it doesn’t work, as experienced by people getting deliveries at 2 o’clock in the afternoon.

“We are not opposing mechanisation of mail centres, and some jobs will go.

“It is about there they are and how we achieve that.

“Approaches have been made to Royal Mail and we are awaiting a response.”