23 June 2003

Portadown Parcelforce depot secured

The Royal Mail has announced it is set to retain its Parcelforce depot in Portadown.

The company announced the depot was to be retained despite last year's proposals to drastically cut to its Parcelforce Worldwide business in Northern Ireland.

Welcoming the news, Upper Bann MP, David Trimble said he was “delighted” that talks with the Royal Mail Group and CWU representatives over the past 15 months had been a success.

He added: “I welcome the news that Royal Mail has decided to reverse its original plan to close the Portadown depot, thereby securing jobs and economic prosperity in the area.

“Negotiations have been ongoing as regards proposals to restructure Parcelforce outlets and some changes have been inevitable. However, we were confident that employee concerns should and could be addressed through a process of conciliation.

“There is a sense of relief that the long and arduous period of uncertainty with regard to the depot’s future has now ended.”

Under its former name, Consignia, the group announced last March that it was planning to close its Portadown depot.

The cuts were part of a restructuring campaign by the firm which would see the loss of 15,000 jobs nationally.

(MB)