At a request from your Union, following many letters sent to business with no response, Royal Mail’s management, Mark Rush and Pamela Stevenson finally met with Union reps on Tuesday 27th November to answer questions regarding Tesco’s interest in purchasing Southend’s Mail Centre and the potential knock on affect to our workers.
Evidently, Royal Mail are clearly interested in selling the building, but at what cost to existing staff? or profit to the business?
The meeting did not reveal much new information. Either Royal Mail are at early stages in their negotiation process or are restricted by business confidentially in revealing all details regarding their discussions with Tesco.
Further questions from CWU reps did allow for clarification of some existing rumours.
- It was stated that Tesco have expressed an interest in purchasing some or all of the premises, but according to Royal Mail, currently no deal exists.
- Royal Mail has only met with Tesco once to discuss the possible purchase, with a further meeting scheduled for February.
- No negotiation has taken place with any other party regarding moving the Mail Centre to another location.
- Tesco will soon begin boring into the ground of the premises to check for CO2 emissions and possible contamination (apparently it wasn’t Tesco performing tests earlier this year).
- It was discussed that a sub committee of Royal Mail management and CWU reps could be created at the earliest opportunity at the start of any negotiation in relation to the possible purchase of a new location or re-sitting on our current location and the future of the Southend Mail Centre workload.
In response to a letter sent to Tesco they have also given us more information regarding their plans for acquiring the Southend Mail Centre site.
Tesco Corporate Affairs Manager, Michael Kissman writes:
‘As you have read in the local press we are preparing plans for a new mixed-use development on the site of the former B&Q store on Short Street, which would include a new Tesco store and housing.
We expect the project to create about approximately 500 jobs for local people.
we are currently at an early stage in our plans and are in discussions with Royal Mail with regard to potentially include parts of the Royal Mail site in our scheme. At this early stage, without a deal in place, we don’t have a scheme to comment further on.
Tesco is committed to consulting with key stakeholders on our plans and will be holding a public exhibition in the new yearso that local people can let us know what they think of the proposals.
You and your members will, of course, be most welcome to attend the exhibition. However we would also be more than happy to meet you seperately as soon as we have more information to share.
‘Branch Secretary, John Hunt said: “Whilst Tesco’s have jubilantly announced that their plans in acquiring Southend’s Royal Mail premises comes on the back of new luxury flats, an improved Youth Centre and affordable housing, it is clear that our members are caught up in what appears to be an ongoing battle with supermarkets in our town, and whilst this initiative may well create jobs, it could be at the expense of Royal Mail workers”.
“Tesco’s pursuit of profit gives scant regard to the public service which our Mail Centre provides 7 days a week”.
Our Union will not sit back and be caught up in this spat amongst supermarkets; we will do everything in our power to prevent any closure and the likely worsening of a very important public service this town has enjoyed for years.
