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CWU's Dave Joyce Responds To Press Mis-Representation Of Facts On Mail Deliveries Suspensions CWU National Health, Safety & Environment Officer Dave Joyce took part in a debate on Radio 4's current affairs programme "You and Yours" on Thursday (14 August) to respond to bias press reports appearing in the Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, Daily Express and local newspapers regarding the suspension of deliveries to the tiny village of Booze in North Yorkshire. In answer to Radio 4 presenter Liz Barclay's questions about suffering customers. CWU National Health, Safety & Environment Officer Dave Joyce stated that "there are a number of considerations that need to be considered - there's the 'universal service obligation ' to the customers in both rural communities and conurbations - and there's the safety, health and wellbeing of the 70,000 Royal Mail delivery staff out on the streets". He added "The commitment to the customers has always been second to none but in the past the welfare and safety of Postal workers has been a secondary consideration or given no consideration at all and that had to change because 5 years ago we ended up with 40,000 accidents a year, 8000 of them serious , 25,000 road accidents and 250,000 days lost annually because of accident related sick leave". "not surprisingly, said Dave that poor record drew the attention of the Health and Safety Executive who have been undertaking an annual programme of workplace inspections since then". To those pointing the finger at Postmen and Women at the Richmond Delivery Office for the interruption of services, Dave pointed out that "It was the Health and Safety Executive's Inspectors that served two statutory "Improvement Notices" on the management for Risk Assessment failures and it was management, facing possible prosecution if they didn't act, who took the decision to suspend deliveries". "Firm action has been a long time coming and we commend management's efforts at last to control the risks to our people. We don't want to see deliveries stopped to rural communities but Safety is paramount and if it brings about solutions as is going to be the case with the Highways Authority agreeing to improve the road, then everybody benefits, residents, Postal workers and other visitors to Booze". Radio 4's Liz Barclay said Delivery Suspensions had gone up from 22 in 2004 to 262 in 2007 which is a 1000% increase! Dave responded "When you consider that our members deliver to 27 Million addresses in the UK every day, six days a week, 52 weeks of the year, then 262 delivery suspensions is a fraction of 'nothing' and those suspensions are for a whole range of reasons including vicious assaults and dog attacks upon Postmen and Women as well as accessibility reasons and non safety reasons." Liz Barclay mentioned that a poor resident in Bridlington had to fit a hand rail to his slippery metal steps which seemed harsh but Dave retorted "We recently had a Postman slip and fall down a flight of metal steps injuring himself and another Postman slipped on a metal manhole cover and badly broke his leg" The Area Safety Rep Ian Stevenson explained "Booze is a small hamlet of approximately 6 holiday lets, 2 cottages and access to a farm. It's an exceptionally narrow ‘single-track’ road of approximately 2 miles long and it then climbs very steeply, estimated at 1-4 with a series of sharp blind bends and no vision due hedgerows and walls and there's no usable passing places for vehicles and if two vehicles meet, the vehicle driving up would have to reverse back down. When the Delivery Sector Manager undertook a visit and risk assessment, he was forced off the road by a 4 x 4 pulling a horse box. The DSM concluded that the access track wasn't safe in its present condition." ASR Ian, an experienced fell walker tried it on foot and added "I wouldn't attempt to drive it in my own car. It's ok if your driving a 4x4. The alternative is to access Booze on foot which is obviously impractical and an unacceptable 4 miles round trip, including a very steep hill, carrying a pouch of mail." After all the unnecessary media hype a meeting between Royal Mail managers, the local Authority, Booze residents and the Highway’s Authority produced an agreed package of solutions to enable a reinstatement of deliveries which is expected in early September. This includes the provision of three vehicle passing places and mirror systems on the bends plus installation of a delivery box on the farm gate which has an exceptionally bad access track which is completely unusable in bad weather. Ironically the Booze resident who went to the newspapers has thanked Royal Mail for the road improvements and resolving the matter and has offered to write to his MP William Hague commending and thanking Royal Mail. 11 access routes and delivery points served by Richmond Delivery Office were identified by Royal Mail as problematic but the property owners involved accepted the problems and solutions suggested by Royal Mail in 10 of the 11 cases. One problematic access route identified was the access road to Booze and one resident of Booze however, decided to go to the Newspapers instead of talking to Royal Mail and considering the problem. Dave concluded "Recently a Delivery Postman rescued a customer from a blazing house and another Delivery Postman on his round saved a man's life who had a heart attack. These things don't get reported at all but the press are only too quick to attack innocent Postal workers in stories like the ones about Booze and that's all they are - 'stories'. This is a typical example of “Gutter Press” reporting and the old adage – “Why Let The Truth Get In The Way Of A Good Story” Source: Dave Joyce
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