Save Our Post Office campaign is launched
Friday 23rd October 2009, 2:30PM BST.
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to save Guernsey Post.
A group that had 64 members on the social networking site Facebook this morning aims to stop what it sees as unnecessary interference by the Office of Utility of Regulation.
This follows a draft report by the OUR that recommends Guernsey Post make moves to be more efficient and that the postal market be opened up to competition.
Yesterday, both Commerce and Employment and OUR director general John Curran defended the report’s findings.
By contrast, former postman Steve Carter was less than impressed with the report and said so on the group’s wall.
‘They do a fantastic service for the islands and they need all the support they can get. OUR keep your hands off,’ he said.
The report includes a proposal to reduce the mail over which Guernsey Post has a monopoly, from everything costing up to £1.35 to send to everything costing up to just 65p.
Guernsey Post chief executive Gordon Steele claimed opening up the market would threaten its universal six-day service and on Wednesday local postal workers said strike action was a possibility.
The ‘Save Our Post Office’ group takes issue with the report and pleads with users to join, saying that Guernsey Post had met all the objectives laid down by the OUR.
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Bring in the competition, the price for sending items to the UK is disgusting, about time I say, better prices for all.
While we are at it, when i sell a second hand mobile that I have owned for two years online on ebay, why do i have to pay VAT when I have used all the ‘VAT’ while I have owned it.
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Yeah Rich, bring in some competition, then some fat cat buisness man who doesnt live in Guernsey can come in and take off all the profit making buisness from the post office, and the company who have been running at no cost to the tax payer, in fact they have been putting money into the states coffers for years, can keep all loss making stuff as no-one else will want that part of the buisness, then the goverment can bail them out at the end of the year. Now where does the government get the money from ? I know, the tax payer. ME.
I also agree, the cost of sending items to the UK is far too high, I think I will take all my Christmas cards across to England myself, Now just how much will that cost Hmmmmm?
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I’ve been looking at the Facebook network site and what a surprise because it’s full of Posties who clearly don’t want their overtime gravy-train threatened (I heard how much the average postie is earning on Gary Burgess’s interview with the boss of Post Office)and then the boss’s girlfriend (so no surprise that she supports him) and then the Personnel director, Steve Raine – of course he wants to save the Post Office with all its inefficiencies. See how much the directors get paid (today’s GP avergae £115,000), it would be like expecting turkey’s to vote for Christmas. Get efficient and then there’s no threat.
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Yawn. Another article by Facebook. It maybe modern but it’s hardly representative and yet it’s good enough for the front page.
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‘Save our Post Office’?
More like Save our Overtime!!!!
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The postmen do work hard and for the most part, provide a good service to islanders. The one’s that earn “good money” are putting in a lot of extra hours. However the problem is that MOST of them are putting in a lot of extra hours because, understandably, they want to maximise their earnings. The problem is that the wage bill and other expenses are so high at the post office now that they have to pass this onto islanders by way of charging them too much for the services they provide. We are definately in the situation now where islanders are subsidising the salaries of postmen and thier directors and this is not right.
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i have to say that in my dealings with the post office management I have found them to be very laid back. i’ve also found very little commercial awareness and attitudes to manning levels and costs in general are not what you would expect from any business.
just telling it as i see it folks!
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i just think it’s a shame that you can’t see how lucky you are to have such a good service, one of the few in europe that isn’t on its knees. If you want to see what these changes will do just keep on looking at the mainland and see how it crucifies small towns that will no longer have their current level of service. Oh and because it is a requirement to deliver to all, this will be done by a hugely expensive government department that provides no profit whatsoever back into the system. But the bulk mailers will be happy and that is what counts after all!! Surely there is a better solution.
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Dear Editor, I am today submitting a link to the Social Networking Web site Face Book in reply from 1100 plus Islanders to the Solicited response sought by the OUR in relation to Guernsey Post Ltd. This is being sent to Mr Curran Director General of the Office of Utility Regulation. Considereing previous responses amounted to 17 it is my hope that My Curran will not as previously sugested, dismiss the strength of feeling expressed through this response.
The vast majority of people do not want further interference in Guernsey Post Ltd especially in that includes the Reserved area and agree with me that there should be a meeting of minds whereby a common ground could be sought and thereby a way forward forged between all parties concerned. Mr. Steele of Guernsey Post offers an open forum to meet with all parties.
Yours sincerely Aindre Reece-Sheerin
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=181505642237&ref=ss
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Why are the Post Office so worried, if they are running such a lean, modern system with absolutly no fat, what business could come in and, starting from scratch, hope to beat them on price or service?
Why are we all supposed to be thankful that they do not cost the taxpayer and submit a very small return to the States. As with all Companies they should be returning much better profits to their shareholders.
Of course, the management is laid back, lovely premises, tiny island logistics, No competition, sounds a great place to be.
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I think the answer Paul is – any new business which didn’t have to fulfill the loss making elements of the post office’s “Universal Service Obligation”. I don’t know enough about the facts to say whether the rules on compitition should be relaxed as the OUR suggest. I suspect its a tension between the benefits to Guernsey of a decent general postal service against keeping the increasingly important fulfillment industry happy. However there is no doubt that opening up the postal market will lead to blanant “cherry picking” by private companies which the post office will not be allowed to indulge in. “Private Post Limited” will not be delivering any chistmas cards to Mrs Le Page in Torteval
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Hi Paul, That is the point – any new business would not have to ‘start from scratch’ it could cherry pick the most profitable bits and leave the rest as the Service Obigation. On profits, you might wish to consult with Guernsey Post Ltd to get it’s view on how much profit it can make and how that same profit is being reinvested in the Island and or returned to you a Tax Payer instead of having to subsidise it. If you would like to see what others have posted on the Campaign please consider going to http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6764065735&ref=mf&v=wall#/group.php?gid=181505642237&ref=ts. With best regards – Aindre
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