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Mail is going undelivered for “up to two weeks at a time” according to fed-up Highland residents and urgent action is needed to tackle the problem a local MP has warned.
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey MP Drew Hendry was speaking after receiving a number of responses to his newly-launched survey into the state of Royal Mail deliveries in the region.
He set up the online survey last week in response to a spate of complaints from residents, some of whom said they had missed hospital appointments after letters informing them of their date failed to show in time.
Tales of people going weeks waiting on new bank cards had also been reported, and he wanted to gauge the scale of the problem.
Now, just days into the survey, Mr Hendry says it appears the problem is an “all too common story”.
He said: “First of all, a huge thanks to everyone who’s already taken the time to fill out my survey on this matter. If you haven’t yet, please do so, as you will be playing a huge part in getting to the bottom of the issues.
Related: Royal Mail postal delivery ‘crisis’ sparks launch of survey by Inverness MP to gauge scale of Highland problem
Related: Royal Mail postal deliveries in Highlands at ‘breaking point’, Communication Workers’ Union warns
“Previously, I had mentioned people getting in touch with specific issues such as missed medical appointments or going without bank cards as a result of delayed mail. I’m afraid to say that, so far, the responses from the survey bear this out even further; it is an all too common story.
“Many of the respondents so far have reported going without mail for up to two weeks at a time, only to have a big bundle delivered when their address is next served. This isn’t the service Royal Mail should be operating, and solutions should be implemented urgently ahead of the busy Christmas period.
“Our posties have served our communities for years. Again, I want to clarify that this is not their fault. Royal Mail management knows what needs to be done to get the service back up to scratch. I’ll be using the results of this survey to push for this to happen as quickly as possible.”
The survey can be found here.
His survey update comes after a senior member of the Communication Workers’ Union in the Highlands warned the Royal Mail’s postal service was being pushed to “breaking point”.
Citing low staffing levels, a failure to recruit new posties, and “far inferior” employment terms for would-be recruits, Roz White, the CWU’s Highland AMAL Branch chairwoman, warned the service faced a perfect storm.
And she warned that the situation was growing worse, with postal workers being left to do increasing workloads with less time and using infrastructure which is “minimally maintained” and nearing the end of its operational life.
She said: “The pressure posties are under is taking its toll. We are being handed unachievable workloads on an everyday basis, and expected to somehow muddle through.
“Our vans are minimally maintained, and many are well beyond their usual expected lifespan. Combined with the aftermath of an ongoing and lengthy national dispute in which management’s approach has been questionable (to be polite)… the levels of frustration and despair have, for many of our members, reached breaking point. Mental health issues throughout offices nationwide have soared. Many are leaving the business rather than continue under such conditions, and they are not being replaced.”
The Royal Mail has acknowledged that there are problems in the Highlands.
Speaking after Mr Hendry first announced the launch of his survey, a spokesman for the Royal Mail said: “We are sorry to residents who have experienced delays in Inverness and the surrounding areas. Improving our quality of service is our top priority, and we are committed to restoring service levels to where our customers expect them to be.
“There have been minor delays to mail deliveries in the area and we would like to reassure residents that every effort is being made to keep these delays to a minimum. If a resident has mail and does not receive it on the day they expect, their route will be prioritised the following day.”
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