Postmen and women across the country are being required to turn up for work on Saturday December 27th, despite the fact that there is unlikely to be very much post to sort, Lewes MP Norman Baker has learnt. Now the Lib Dem MP is calling on the government to step in to ensure Britain's postmen and women get a proper break.
The MP, who this morning visited the sorting offices at Seaford and Newhaven to thank our local postmen and women for their work, was astonished to learn that Saturday 27th December is due to be a full working day for the Royal Mail staff.
Norman says: "The Royal Mail is hardly showing the Christmas spirit when it comes to their own staff. With Christmas Day and Boxing Day falling on a Thursday and Friday respectively, for once our postmen and women could have a 4-day break. It is mean to force them to come in on the 27th. With their traditional early start, that effectively knocks out Boxing Day evening as well.
"It's not as if the 27th will be a crucial day for post. With the main sorting office at Gatwick having been closed, there is unlikely to be very much to deliver in any case.
"I think my constituents would be prepared to go without a delivery on the 27th if it means our hard-working postmen and women can get a decent break."
The Lewes MP has now written to the BERR Secretary of State, Peter Mandelson, to ask him to intervene and ensure that the 27th is a day off. Royal Mail have told their staff that the Universal Service Obligation requires them to be at work that day, so it may be that government intervention is required.
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Contact Norman at:
Norman Baker,
23 East Street,
Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
Tel: (01273) 480281.
Fax: (01273) 480287.
Email: info
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