Posted missing on Jura
A breakdown in communication between management in Oban and an Islay sorting office has left Jura with a less than first-class Royal Mail service, it has been claimed.
Confusion over the relief service when the usual postie was on holiday could mean a three-week stretch with no mail for the island and nothing leaving Jura either, said Chris Lamb who manages Jura Community Shop.
Blood samples are also sent off the island through the post, said Mr Lamb, and Royal Mail is also contracted to bring newspapers over from Islay so that has not been happening either.
Mr Lamb said: ‘Going without mail hasn’t happened to this extent before. We expect it if ferries go off because of bad weather or breakdowns, but not because of Royal Mail.
‘Our relief postie believed everything was organised. Potentially it could affect us for three weeks, but we hope not.’
In normal circumstances, the Jura postie picks mail up from the sorting office in Port Ellen.
The relief postal worker had agreed via management at Oban sorting office that instead of crossing to Islay, she would pick up the post off the ferry on the Jura side at Feolin.
But the Port Ellen office knew nothing about this arrangement.
Royal Mail’s service to Jura was ‘not up to scratch’, said Councillor Alastair Redman, adding: ‘This is a failure in management, not our hard-working postal workers.’
Councillor Anne Horn said: ‘I appreciate the difficulty this brings for residents, businesses and GP services when there is not a reliable service.’
And Argyll and Bute Council leader Robin Currie said: ‘I know they have been trying to get staff on the islands and elsewhere and they are finding it difficult, but people should get a daily delivery. It is a very serious situation.
‘The service on Islay, where I stay, is affected as well. Some people only get deliveries a few times a week. I have had hospital appointments sent to me and they have never arrived or arrived after the appointment date. This is a cost to NHS for missed appointments and could be serious for me missing appointments.’
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: ‘We understand the particular importance of postal services for rural island communities like Jura’s, so we appreciate the significance of any potential delays to our services locally. However, we can confirm services on Jura are currently operating as normal, with no delays anticipated.’