Five deliveries a week means 13 postmen to lose jobs

Friday 28th October 2011, 11:30AM BST.

These are anxious times for postmen like Grant Smith. The day after the States agree that Guernsey Post could cut deliveries to five days a week, chief executive Boley Smillie announced that 13 postmen would lose their jobs.(Picture by Adrian Miller, 1192655)
These are anxious times for postmen like Grant Smith. The day after the States agree that Guernsey Post could cut deliveries to five days a week, chief executive Boley Smillie announced that 13 postmen would lose their jobs.(Picture by Adrian Miller, 1192655)
These are anxious times for postmen like Grant Smith. The day after the States agree that Guernsey Post could cut deliveries to five days a week, chief executive Boley Smillie announced that 13 postmen would lose their jobs.(Picture by Adrian Miller, 1192655)

These are anxious times for postmen like Grant Smith. The day after the States agree that Guernsey Post could cut deliveries to five days a week, chief executive Boley Smillie announced that 13 postmen would lose their jobs.(Picture by Adrian Miller, 1192655)

THIRTEEN postmen are to lose their jobs at Guernsey Post.

It comes after the States decided to reduce deliveries from six to five days a week.

The move is aimed at saving £500,000 in the face of rising costs and increased competition.

Communication Workers Union branch secretary Colin Gontier said staff had known about the move for months, but it had yet to fully sink in.

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  1. 1
    Ray

    Another ‘tick’in the box for the O.U.R

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  2. 2
    Godfrey

    Good Afternoon,

    “Five deliveries a week means 13 postmen to lose jobs”

    Very sad to see 13 men and women lose such highly skilled jobs. I’m not sure how transferable a skill riding a, (shopper), bike is in the market place these days? There must be a demand for these types of people somewhere though. I’m just trying to vraic my brains to think of any other job that could be done so much less efficiently than by modern day transport like using vans / cars etc. No, nothing coming to me at the moment.

    Every cloud though, this might now even up the annual town inter-firms relay race. It would be great if good old Jim ‘the’ Le Cheminant could get that elite team of trojans back for next years event.

    Cheers

    Godfrey

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  3. 3
    soph

    If 13 lose their job, does that mean later delivery for Mon ~ Fri next year? Which in turn leads to presumably more overtime being paid to some.
    I thought the saving would be paying less for weekend work, overtime etc.
    The expected £500,000 saving needs a bit more explanation!

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  4. 4
    Roy gueano

    Thought 13 posties to get the sack would have been a better headline.

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  5. 5
    halfacup

    @ Godfery

    Bit of a nasty post!!??!!!

    You get your post at your door with less congestion on the roads due to the old Pushang.

    The bit that is nasty is the sarcasm based around transferable skill sets. My friend, it is almost Christmas and I’ll remind you that it is THEIR JOB, that pays THEIR mortgage, gives THEIR families money to pay the bills.

    I’m sure YOU won’t mind though when YOU are sitting at home receiving YOUR Christmas cards through YOUR front door (as you would expect)while the 13 contemplate finding a new job.

    Think before you joke/post!!!!!

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  6. 6
    major Godfrey

    Good Morning,

    @halfacup

    No offence meant Good Sir. Is your cup half full or empty? I would suggest it’s less than half full. Remember ignorance is a dish served, at best, luke warm with a glass of god-frey’s water my friend, (‘Peter Le Cheminant, verse 1-5 – taken from The Pleinmont Deerstalker’)

    Godfrey

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  7. 7
    rocquaine

    So since the OUR got the job of regulating the Post Office, prices have gone up, deliveries have gone down, and people are being made redundant.

    I think that if we should be getting rid of anyone it should be the OUR, and sooner rather than later!

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  8. 8
    Phil

    Rocquaine

    I am no fan of the OUR, but blaming them for the introduction of email is a bit harsh!!

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    • Neil

      Indeed. Nothing to feel smug about. The only surprise is why the GPL waited so long to reduce the service to 5 days. Maybe the previous boss, Gordon (whatisface, ex RM ‘consultant’) was too busy playing banker (800k wasted on that little venture wasn’t it?)

      I don’t envy Mr Smilie’s job at the moment; must be hard reducing services that ultimately affect real people.

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  9. 9
    Guern abroad

    Blame the OUR for opening up the market as that has impacted the post office and the sevices they can offer as we are now seeing. The post office is a core need on an Island. The OUR looks to me like it keeps trying to push a UK model onto Guernsey and forgets that when you are an Island some services have to stay within central control and monopoly otherwise you may loose them if you privatise all or components of them as you cut the available revenue and in the end actually make the general population worse off, as we see here.

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  10. 10
    jack

    whilst we are it – Barking Bob Chilcott says the OUR is responsible for water charges going up too, bloney disgrace – if BBC says its true it must be mustnt it?
    I blame the regulator for our waste problem too, come on sort it out

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  11. 11
    pbfalla

    Welcome to the real world

    The gravy train is coming to a end PEEPS

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  12. 12
    sarnia expat

    I don’t post anything these days if I can help it. Too expensive! That’s why God invented email. Shame that people are losing jobs, but it is happening all over and people need to learn new skills – this goes across the board from Director level down. The only difference is that years of experience means that the Director will get a good compensation payout, whereas the postie won’t get anything!

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  13. 13
    I .Le Page

    Its allowing other carriers to take the profitable services thats caused the problem,some companies I used to deal with now send via these carriers and things take a lot longer to get here than when the Post Office dealt with it.

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  14. 14
    jack

    i Le Page
    Absolute poppycock!
    Have you reread your posting and spotted the logical flaw?
    You are kind of also ignoring the trend in developed economies for not only total declining mail volumes in these markets but the rate at which volumes are falling?
    A question – when was the last time any of us sent a letter to family / friend? (other than birthday card etc)
    This is the 21st Century.

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