Union reps in Staffordshire could join forces in a campaign to save hundreds of Royal Mail jobs.

Royal Mail has announced it is considering shutting Crewe's sorting office, which employs 600 people.
The announcement comes on top of proposals to close Stoke's Leek Road sorting and delivery office, which were put forward in March.

Bosses have identified three options for the Crewe site after a review of the company's infrastructure in the North West.

They say changes are essential because the current network is not fit for purpose.

Two of the three potential options involve closing the Weston Road office.

The first option would see a new mail centre being built in Liverpool and concentrating the Liverpool and Crewe sites together.

The second option is to open a new centre in Liverpool and extend Crewe, and the third is to concentrate the Crewe and Liverpool sites in Warrington.

But union representatives say that if the Crewe office is to close, bosses should consider amalgamating it with the Stoke office to prevent the loss of hundreds of jobs in the area.

Steve Wright, Cheshire branch secretary of the Communication Workers' Union (CWU), said: "If the closure goes ahead both Crewe and Stoke would be without a mail centre.

"If we could join up the offices that would stop both of us being wiped out.

"Rather than move jobs from Stoke to Wolverhampton and jobs from Crewe 40 miles away, why not just move the 11 miles between the two?

"It would save a lot more jobs. It is too early to talk about industrial action but we won't give up the Crewe office without a fight."

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "Royal Mail will continue to talk to its people and the trade unions about the range of options and, once these discussions are complete, a preferred option will be announced."

Bosses announced plans to shut Stoke's Leek Road depot in March and move its delivery operation to a new base in the city.

The plans would also see the collections, sorting and distribution jobs at the office moved to other sites. These could be outside the city, but the company has promised there will be no compulsory redundancies.

But union leaders claim the move could leave up to 100 workers without a job. They believe sorting and distribution jobs will be moved to Royal Mail's Wolverhampton office.

Midlands CWU branch secretary Andy Plant said he has spoken to Steve Wright about the situation.

He said: "Their branch secretary has asked me what sort of campaign we are running here. We wish them well in any sort of campaign they put up."

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Source: This Is Staffordshire

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