LTB 370/19 – Romford Mail Centre – Property Update

No: 370/2019

14th June 2019

For the Immediate Attention of All:

Postal Branches

Divisional Representatives

Territorial Engineering Representatives

Fleet Representatives

Area Processing Representative – Romford MC

Area Distribution Representative – Romford MC

Area Delivery Representatives – Romford MC

CWU Members – Romford MC (via Website)

Dear Colleagues

Romford Mail Centre – Property Update

Royal Mail have informed the Union of significant developments in relation to negotiations on the extension of the lease arrangements for Romford Mail Centre indicating that they also intended to update employees at the site on the current situation this morning.

Royal Mail indicated that the Romford lease is due for renewal in March 2020 but that during contractual negotiations the landlord has indicated that they wish to develop the site for residential use. Given this, Royal Mail are reviewing options with their legal team and engaging in further discussions with the landlord on the business requirements for the site with the aim of achieving an extension to the lease.

Clearly this announcement will create a great deal of uncertainty for our members at the site and the Union have conveyed to Royal Mail our dismay that the company has allowed a situation to develop where contractual negotiations have taken place so close to the lease break, effectively creating a crisis situation should those negotiations fail to secure an extension to the current lease.

The CWU have also insisted that the business engage in immediate discussions with the Union to explore and develop a full range of options including any legal recourse to secure the integrity of the operation in the long term and most importantly to provide our members with clarity on the ongoing process at every stage and adhere to the robust commitments to job and standard of living security in line with our National agreements.

An initial meeting to discuss and agree next steps will take place on Monday, 17th June 2019 and further updates will be provided following that meeting.

The Union will ensure that our members at Romford are fully supported throughout this period of uncertainty and we will ensure that the full protections within our National agreements continue to apply in full.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to:

DGSP Department, email: hford@cwu.org quoting reference number: 10020.

Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 722.01.

Outdoor Department, email: outdoorsecretary@cwu.org quoting reference number: 230.03.

PTCS Department, email: khawkins@cwu.org quoting reference number 041.

Terry Pullinger Davie Robertson

Deputy General Secretary (Postal) Assistant Secretary

Mark Baulch Ray Ellis

Assistant Secretary Assistant Secretary

LTB 370-19 – Romford MC – Property Update