North coast post office operators left counting the cost as Royal Mail moves to close sorting offices
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Royal Mail has dealt a severe blow to operators of rural post offices along Sutherland’s north coast, it has emerged.
Sub-postmasters have been left reeling after learning the postal service intends to close sorting offices at Bettyhill, Melvich and Skerray sub-post offices, as well as at Halkirk.
The move means post office operators will lose a significant chunk of their income, threatening the viability of their businesses.
It is claimed it will also lead to posties having to sort mail and scan parcels outdoors.
Pete Malone, who runs Bettyhill Post Office and General Stores has contacted Sutherland MP Jamie Stone, who on Wednesday raised the issue during a debate at Westminster Hall on the sustainability of rural services.
Mr Malone said: “These proposed changes threaten not just the continued viability of the rural Post Office network but also represent significant danger to posties who are being asked to undertake work in conditions which are completely unsuitable to the protection of themselves and the mail they are responsible for.”
Under the current system, mail is fed out from the area's main sorting office at Thurso to the satellite stations - known as Scale Payment Delivery Offices (SPDOs), which are not owned by Royal Mail. The mail is further sorted at SPDOs into individual addresses and collated for posties to deliver.
But post office operators have been told: “The current mail operation activity and use of facilities at the Melvich, Bettyhill, Skerray and Halkirk locations will cease on or before January 21, 2024."
Mr Malone said that under the new system mail would be sent out from Thurso ‘walk ready’ - in the order the postman was expected to deliver them.
But he pointed out that posties would have to transfer mail outdoors. Tracked parcels would also have to be scanned outdoors prior to being taken out on delivery.
“My view is that it breaches Royal Mail’s duty of care in terms of processing mail during its transport,” said Mr Malone. “SPDOs also provide welfare facilities for posties where they can have a meal or comfort break."
Mr Malone added that customers would be inconvenienced in that any parcels unable to be delivered due to householders being out, would be taken back to Thurso rather than the local delivery offices.
But perhaps the biggest impact the changes will have is the loss of income to the post office operators themselves – Royal Mail has offered some compensation for the loss of the sorting offices.
“The mail work payment amounts to about 40 per cent of a postmaster’s monthly salary, particularly for small, rural post offices,” said Mr Malone.
“Our post office is open 25 hours a week. If you take the mail work element away from the postmaster’s salary, and then work out an hourly rate, it comes to £7.50 an hour. That is significantly below the minimum wage.”
MP Jamie Stone said: "It is of course for Royal Mail and the Post Office to work together on, but it is crucial that the Government pays attention to this situation and intervenes before the consequences manifest themselves.
"Shopkeepers, posties, and consumers will all suffer as a result of these contracts being terminated. This is why I felt the urgency to lead a debate on the sustainability of rural postal services and why I welcomed an audience with the Government this week."
A spokesperson for Royal Mail said: "The offices at Bettyhill and Melvich are quite small and the facilities not as good as they could be for our employees.
"For a better working environment and to make our service more effective, we are moving the service to Thurso delivery office where we have made a significant investment."
"There are and never have been any plans for postmen and women to be sorting mail in any car park or public space."
