Number crunching
Mount Pleasant nursery opened in 1994 to great fanfare as the first dedicated crèche facility for Royal Mail staff across London. It is run by Kiddicare and employs xx staff. The qualified nursery staff have all worked at the centre for the 13 years it has been open and have built up a great relationship with the children and parents.
Parents pay £112 a week for full-time childcare. This is up to eight hours a day, on any shift time between 6am and 10pm. Part-time childcare costs £68 a week for up to four hours a day.
The average full-time postman or woman's wage starts at
£371 a week before tax in London, so
affordable childcare is a real issue for families.
Royal Mail claims the nursery costs them £160,000 a year, but CWU has not seen any justification for these figures. Worryingly, in 2010 Royal Mail refused the offer of a grant worth up to £150,000 from the local council to develop an outdoor play area at the nursery.
Mount Pleasant nursery can accommodate up to 30 children at any one time. At its peak, around 70 children were cared for each week allowing parents to work either full or part time. The nursery is open to any Royal Mail employees across London, whether operational or management grades.
Staff have reported that Royal Mail has blocked recent attempts by Kiddicare to advertise the nursery facilities and vacant places. A joint commitment to promote the nursery and fill places would bring in valuable funds towards running costs. Parents have also indicated that they may be able to increase contributions if it means keeping the facility open.
