Royal Mail are an essential service and working with the CWU to act as an additional emergency service to connect the nation. In a message from Shane O’Riordain, Managing Director of Marketing, Regulation And Corporate Affairs, a set of Royal Mail Coronavirus updates have been published to let businesses and consumers know what steps have been put in place to protect Posties whilst at the same time keeping the mail moving.
“We understand the important role we have to play in helping people to stay connected. We are working hard to deliver the UK’s mail. The mail is still scheduled to be collected and delivered as normal. This is a fast moving situation and local service levels may at times be impacted by local absences.”
– Shane O’Riordain, Managing Director of Marketing, Regulation And Corporate Affairs, Royal Mail
Royal Mail are altering working practices, set out in the Royal Mail Coronavirus updates, to ensure that, wherever possible, Posties stay two metres apart. They are also minimising the passing of work between Posties and are implementing a new rule which means there will only be one person in a Royal Mail delivery vehicle at any one time. Naturally they are calling for the washing of hands whenever a Postie enters or leaves a Royal Mail building.
As has already been announced, they are suspending collection of signatures on hand held devices and will sign for you and where items won’t fit through your letterbox they will be placed on your doorstep and having knocked the door the Postie will step back to enable you to take the item into your house. If you aren’t at home (and why the hell not?) or are unable to come to the door they will retrieve the parcel and leave a ‘Something for you’ card.
“Public health authorities have advised people receiving parcels are not at risk of contracting coronavirus. From experience with other coronaviruses, we know that these types of viruses don’t survive long on objects, such as letters or parcels. This complements the highly publicised guidance from public health authorities for people to wash their hands more often than usual using soap and hot water.”
– Shane O’Riordain, Managing Director of Marketing, Regulation And Corporate Affairs, Royal Mail
Operationally, Royal Mail are pulling out all the stops to keep the nation’s mail and parcels moving in what must be a scary time for Posties visiting hundreds of houses every day and if your mail is delayed a little at the moment it’s not the end of the world. If you see a Postie, don’t approach them or rush to answer your door when they deliver, but do give them a cheery wave, a ‘Hello’ and a ‘Thank You’.
6 Responses
It’s just a worry when whole country is in lockdown and we are still working I’m quite sure postal services in other countries ie Spain, Italy etc its seems that postal workers do more in troubled times ,storms heavy snowfalls and heavy floods than the armed forces how are we to keep ourselves and our families safe from this dangerous and tragic disaster
No soap in bilbourgh office
In the present climate working within a mail centre, I would of thought wearing face masks would be compulsory.
Today I took a tape measure into the delivery office, our frames are back to back and less the 2 meters apart, there are 6 post people sorting packs all stood together, when I confronted the DOM, he got aggressive, so I asked if I can start later, as to have the recommend space to work safely in these uncertain times, to which he snapped you can start at 11am till 7pm, this I will be doing.
How many other delivery offices are like this?
Sue
Canterbury office is doing fuck all!!!! Why I’m risk in my family’s life and mine for a bit of junk mail???? ?