Andrew Dismore

Andrew Dismore, Labour London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden on Thursday visited Hendon Royal Mail sorting office to thank the posties for the hard work they are putting in to deliver the Christmas post.

Mr Dismore said:

“I believe it is really important for us all to recognise the major contributions of our postal workers to making everyone’s Christmas a happy and enjoyable one.

I was therefore very concerned to hear that Barnet Council apparently has a different view, as the posties are victimised by the parking tickets they receive. They have no choice, but to use their cars to take the sacks of mail to their rounds, to deliver them. They have to park in controlled areas to deliver the mail, as that’s where their rounds are!  Whilst they do so, they are at the mercy of the council’s draconian parking controls. One of the posties  at the sorting office, who only started at Hendon a few months ago, told me he had already accumulated 7 tickets, which they have to pay out of their wages, which are not over generous in the first place. Another said that when in his postal worker’s uniform, he saw the parking warden, they gave each other a cheery wave, so the warden knew he was delivering the post, but when he came back he had been ticketed!

It is vital work that our postmen and women do, and I think it should not be beyond the wit of even Barnet Council to devise some sort of concessionary arrangement or amnesty for key workers such as them, and I am  raising this with the Council accordingly.”