BinB News | BinB Events Town Sites | Ascot | Bracknell | Henley | Maidenhead | Marlow | Newbury | Slough | Reading | Windsor | Wokingham
Caversham Mail Centre Parliamentary Protest |
Reading West MP, Martin Salter, this week condemned the decision by Royal Mail to close its mail centre in Caversham Road, Reading, and transfer operations to Swindon, leaving the fate of sorting office staff hanging in the balance. Royal Mail announced last month that a £20million expansion of the mail centre in Rowland Hill, Swindon will replace the sorting offices in Reading and Gloucester.
Mr Salter tabled a Commons Early Day Motion on Wednesday expressing dismay that Royal Mail had failed to consult properly on the decision, and has called for all the evidence that led to the proposed closures of the centres in Reading and Gloucester to be published. Mr Salter has also argued that centralising the mail centres will lead to thousands of miles of unnecessary extra road journeys, causing considerable and completely avoidable environmental damage. Mr Salter said: “I am extremely disappointed that Royal Mail has announced this decision without a full consultation or without publishing any evidence to support it. Furthermore, at a time when we are consciously trying to reduce our carbon emissions, closing the Reading Mail Centre will lead to a massive increase in unnecessary movement of post in the roads around the region, damaging the environment”. Mr Salter added: “I fully support the campaign of the Communication Workers Union to save the jobs of the Reading Mail Centre workers, who have been plunged into uncertainty by the proposed closure, and will be meeting shortly with union representatives to see how I can help their case. I am also working with Labour MPs in Gloucestershire on taking a delegation to meet with the Post Office Minister, Jim Fitzpatrick MP.” |
