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| Morning post 'may be ditched' Morning postal deliveries could be a thing of the past under radical proposals being considered by the Royal Mail. The plans could form part of a massive shake-up facing the service aimed at saving £1.2bn a year. It is part of a move to prioritise its business service in the morning, leaving home deliveries until later in the day. But the idea has come under fire from the Federation of Small Businesses, which warned is would have a "crippling" effect on thousands of people who work from home. Spokeswoman Diane Rayner said: "In business it's vitally important to get your post before 10am because crucial documents like cheques and contracts arrive by mail." Consignia, which owns the Royal Mail, says that as many houses are empty by the time the morning delivery is made, most householders may not feel the effect of the change. "Lifestyles have changed from 30 years ago when the current delivery system was brought in," a spokesman said. "Most people are out of the house nowadays by 8am and so it does not really matter to them whether their post arrives at 9am or 3pm. "We are looking at a number of proposals and we do have to make changes to save money." At present, postal workers aim to deliver letters and parcels to homes in towns and cities by 10am. Other changes being considered include evening deliveries and services for customers who want to collect their post themselves. Unions were warned in October that bosses were looking for up to 30,000 job cuts as part of the cost-cutting plans. The Communications Workers Union is already calling for strike action over a pay dispute. The ballot will be returned in March and strike action looks likely despite both sides being locked in ongoing talks with the conciliation service ACAS. 27th January 2002 |
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