‘Remember that postmen and women are key workers too’

WITH regard to the two letters from A Wesley and then Margaret Brown, as a postman I would like to enlighten them both on the real reason that ‘Sporadic deliveries now seem the norm’.

Where have these two people been living since March? As a regular letter writer on every subject going I think that Ms Brown has forgotten that for the last six months we have been living through the worst pandemic the world has seen in 100 years.

We have had lockdown. We have had widespread sickness. At our depot in Leek we have had two people retire recently.

With the loss of revenue from a billion letters since this Covid epidemic started and no sign of it ending, Royal Mail are very reluctant to take on new staff because of the uncertain economic future.

Therefore, there is a block on new recruitment and as such these two workers have not been replaced, and the unusual amount of mail being generated still has to be delivered - but by fewer staff!

At other depots there have been posties going off sick with the virus or being put into self-isolation – again leaving less staff to do all the work.

Several posties in the country have died from this virus, and down south a fortnight ago it was reported that two posties had actually died while out on their rounds from heart attacks due to the extreme heat (and no doubt the extra stress the job now entails).

With regard to Ms Brown’s comments on ‘Prioriy Post’ boxes – if she cares to look closely at the label she will see a little blue NHS sticker on them.

The ‘prioriy’ is not for the mail, but for the Covid tests that people are asked to put into these certain ‘priority’ boxes.

It doesn’t mean that the other boxes are not as important to us because they all have to be emptied in the normal way.

That’s another job that we posties have to deal with. Handling Covid Tests is very time-consuming, it’s not very nice and it’s dangerous work as well, so get your facts right first Ms. Brown!

Also, I agree that Saturday deliveries were trialled to be cut – but only on actual letters and not on the 33 per

cent rise in parcels we have had to handle since this all started – due to people buying more and more things on-line and us having to deliver it – with less staff!

There are only so many hours in the day after all and even posties like a bit of leisure time – especially at the weekend – and after having worked a six-day week!

I assume that A Wesley and Ms Brown still think that us posties are ‘Glorified Paper Boys’, but I can assure you that isn’t the case.

Working for Royal Mail is a very intense job.

Don’t forget also that we’ve got winter coming up in the next few months so that will slow down the deliveries as well.

It’s not just all about putting letters through boxes, and if and when this Covid crisis does ever end, then I’m sure that these two people would be only too happy to come into one of our depots and spend a day with us from start to finish just to see how difficult and tiring the job can be.

Then again, it’s much easier to write a letter from the comfort of your own home, complaining about something that they are totally ignorant about, than to actually find out the true facts themselves first!

If and when these two writers applauded the NHS and key workers on a Thursday night all those weeks ago, did they not realise that Royal Mail is an Essential Service and that posties are Key Workers as well?