GSP 01-18 Parcels & Packets – An Post
30/January/2018
Description
I wish to update you regarding the Parcels and Packets business of An Post and impending changes in the coming months.
DMC – Dublin Parcels Hub
A new sorting facility has been secured by the Company at Oak Road which is adjacent to the Dublin Mail Centre and was used for the Parcels and Packets pressure period in advance of Christmas. As part of the Company’s business reorganisation, the intention is to centralise all Mails Operations in Dublin which will operate under a single Management structure at the DMC/Dublin Parcels Hub.
As a first step the company will consolidate the disbursed sortation arrangements which currently exist at Merrywell, Holly Road and the DMC. The Union has previously identified to An Post that the facilities at Holly Road and Merrywell were not fit for purpose and by securing the new premises and operating at a single site there will be considerable savings achieved. The Holly Road operation will cease, and the work transferred to the new site no later than the 28th February 2018. Services for Chinese registered, Asian packets, Amazon and the Owner Drivers Operation will also relocate to Oak Road in that period. The next step will be to finalise plans to integrate parcels and packets into the Dublin Mail Centre/Dublin Parcels Hub which will see the Merrywell operation relocate to Oak Road.
Parcel and Packet Growth
The Company has confirmed that it has experienced its most successful period ever in parcels having a 27% increase in volume totalling 1.74 million parcels. Existing and new customers have expressed that they are very satisfied with An Post’s quality of service which has registered a 90% next day delivery. There is no doubt that the market is growing and that it is a very competitive business. However, it is also certain that the changes introduced in respect of evening, Saturday deliveries and later times of postings at the Mail Processing Centres has contributed greatly to the additional business.
From the Union’s prospective the next step is to conduct a review of these changes to ensure that all the operational requirements and staff impact issues have been dealt with. Equally we must ensure the company provides staff with the most up to date technology and resources so that further success can be achieved. Over the coming months the Union/Company Joint Working Group will review all aspects of the operation and in this regard, Branches are invited to submit their views and any suggestions they may have in respect of the following headings:
- Saturday Delivery
- Evening Delivery
- 1 am despatch
- Processing Arrangements
- MDN
- Consolidation of delivery work
- Scanning/Track and Trace
- Health and Safety
- Any other issue
It would be appreciated that Branches would advance their views to Union Headquarters by Monday 12th February 2018.