Royal Mail set to end Sunday collection (From Oxford Mail)

Royal Mail set to end Sunday collection

5:34pm Friday 7th September 2007 in News

Royal Mail could end Sunday collections from post boxes from next month.

The company said demand for collections on Sundays was "very low" while the handling costs were about four times higher than mail posted at other times of the week.

It is proposing that the last collections would take place on Sunday, October 21.

But it is one of several issues being discussed with the Communication Workers Union.

Brian Jeffries, area distribution officer for the Oxford branch of the CWU, said last night that, as far as the union was concerned, the end of Sunday collections was "not a done deal".

He said: "This is being discussed as part of the current national negotiations on pay and other issues.

"The business is saying Sunday collections are ending, but our position is that we need to discuss this and meet each other half way.

"It is our hope that in Oxford Sunday collections will be maintained, not only because of the effect it would have on earnings potential of workers, but also from the customer service point of view."

Royal Mail said no other aspects of its business would be affected and notices warning of the change would be placed on pillar boxes.

During consultation with post watchdogs Postcomm and Postwatch it said Sunday collections were not part of its "universal service obligation".