Festive pay gloom for Royal Mail temps

Angry temporary workers at a Royal Mail depot in Wolverhampton today told how they would have been better off on the dole rather than accepting a Christmas job after bosses failed to pay them.

Dozens of staff at the North West Midlands Mail Centre in Sun Street, which handled an all-time record number of parcels recently, say they have not been paid since they started on November 29.

They are meant to get their wages weekly and some are now running up debts from bank overdrafts.

Six staff walked out today threatening to quit altogether if the problem is not resolved.

Mark Wallington, aged 50, started the mail sorting job after being made redundant from his role as an air traffic controller three months ago.

He said: "This problem has been happening all over the country. Casual workers are not being paid. It's atrocious."

A young woman, who did not want to be named, said: "I would have been better off staying on jobseeker's allowance.

"One of my colleagues has gone overdrawn because he hasn't been paid. He's getting charged £15 a day so when he does get paid it's all going to go."

Another worker said: "I've worked 34 hours and not been paid. I'm supposed to get £6.08 an hour. We had a meeting today but we're not happy about this. We need these jobs and we need to be paid."

The problem appears to be happening all over the country, with scores of angry casual staff taking to royalmailchat.co.uk to express their anger over recruitment issues.

According to the web forum two people allegedly got £40 for two weeks' work.

One casual worker, who called himself Prophet on the website, said: "I now work Monday to Sunday 10pm to 6am, so effectively 56 hours a week, and have received no pay as of yet.

"The words disappointment and anger just don't cut it." Another worker, who contacted the Express & Star and asked not to be identified, said: "If things don't improve, a large number more will leave, with a total walkout by casual worker rumoured in protest of the mess they are left with."

Royal Mail spokesman Heulyn Gwyn Davies said: "We are aware of some seasonal workers who have unfortunately not been paid when they should have been.

"We are urgently resolving this with our external supplier (an outside company responsible for hiring temporary staff) and are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused to any temporary worker.

"We do understand how important it is that they receive their correct pay on time.

"Most temporary staff have been paid on time and correctly."