Calls for meeting staff as Royal Mail issues continue

For at least the last 12 months Colchester residents in certain parts of the city have bemoaned the length of time they have had to wait for their letters to be delivered.

Some have even said they only receive mail once a month, leading them to missing important hospital appointments or waiting lengthy periods for vital and urgent documents. 

In a recent letter sent to Mile End councillor Martin Goss, however, Royal Mail bosses moved to reassure the public, telling him the delays were down to staff sickness. 

Under pressure – Colchester’s Royal Mail sorting office (Image: Newsquest) (Image: Newsquest)

They said: “The Customer Operations Lead at Colchester has advised that mail deliveries to some addresses in Colchester may have been affected recently due to colleagues being away from work through sickness. 

Latest from Royal Mail on failing mail delivery in Colchester. This time staff sickness. I will follow up again. pic.twitter.com/BiQuOWfOYJ

— 🔶Martin Goss🔶 (@MartinGossCol) May 7, 2024

“Sickness levels have improved, at present mail deliveries are taking place to the majority of addresses, served by the Colchester Delivery Office, six days a week when there is mail to deliver. 

“If this is not possible, mail will be delivered the next working day. I would like to reassure we are working hard to further improve the service to customers in Colchester so that we deliver consistently six days a week to all addresses.” 

Concerned – Councillor Martin Goss wants to meet staff at Colchester’s Royal Mail depot

Mr Goss, however, remains unsatisfied and has now once again moved to put pressure on Royal Mail in a bid to encourage bosses to make changes to ensure the service quickly improves.

He has called for a meeting at Royal Mail’s East Gate mail depot in order to get to the bottom of the issue and so he can speak with frontline staff as opposed to managers. 

Mr Goss said: “I followed up on the letter by asking to meet staff not management to understand what’s going on. 

“Nobody believes what they are saying and the excuses, which are now involving staff sickness. 

“The important message here is also that letters for medical appointments continue to arrive after the appointment. 

“Colchester Hospital and the NHS need to engage other technologies to inform their patients of dates for appointments because Royal Mail is not up to standard anymore.” 

Royal Mail has been contacted for comment.