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STRETFORD’s Kate Green met Royal Mail’s management this week to discuss its approach to postal problems in the area.
The Messenger reported last week the MP was seeking a meeting after residents in Stretford, as well as in Old Trafford, complained of no deliveries in months.
Although some roads in the area seem to be receiving their deliveries as normal, other roads are not receiving them at all, with residents missing important items like bank cards and doctor’s appointments.
In a post on social media on Wednesday, January 5, Ms Green said she had been in touch with Royal Mail for some time, and she had been told the reason for the problem was sickness and staff shortages.
Now the MP has confirmation of this reason, with more than a fifth of postal staff absent from the Norton Street delivery office last week, and the postal service struggling to replace them with temporary staff.
She has been assured management are taking action over the problem, but intends to wait and see if this action is working.
READ MORE: MP seeks Royal Mail meeting over ‘black hole’ in Stretford and Old Trafford.
In another post on social media, Ms Green said: “Royal Mail told us absence rates are now beginning to come down.
“They’ve redeployed some staff from other offices, and recruited additional temporary staff for the Norton Street delivery office. However, competition in the labour market has meant they haven’t been able to recruit as many temporary staff as they’d like.”
The MP explained Royal Mail are prioritising parcels over letters due to the space these take up in the delivery office.
The postal service are handling 35 per cent more parcels and 25 per cent fewer letters than a year and a half ago, and are considering changes to postal staff’s rounds to reflect these developments.
Ms Green added: “I’m arranging to visit the delivery office to see the situation for myself, and to chat to the posties.
“In the meantime, please do let me know if you continue to experience problems with deliveries, so that I can judge whether the situation is improving as a result of the action Royal Mail is taking.”
