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11th August 2023
05:11pm BST
Eleven postmen have been suspended by Royal Mail after they were spotted drinking tea in the pub on their break.
The postal workers, based at the Prenton Delivery Office in the Wirral, were suspended after they were found to be taking their breaks at the Caernarvon Castle pub, the Manc reports.
But according to other visitors to the pub, the posties only ever drank tea and coffee in the establishment.
Pub regular Ian Harris told the Manc that the postmen were given pots of tea and coffee in the boozer and simply used the facilities to "freshen up."
The news of the employees' suspension sparked anger locally, including from politicians in the area.
The MP for Birkenhead, Mick Whitley, said the Communication Workers Union (CWU) had informed him three of the 11 workers had been reinstated to their roles.
The remaining eight are will attend hearings.
In a post on X, previously Twitter, the Labour MP hit out at the Royal Mail for their "bullyboy tactics."
Speaking about the suspensions, he said: "The union stressed they were open to discussions with management to resolve the disciplinary issues and I strongly urge the management to engage constructively with the CWU as the only way to restore normal service and improve industrial relations.
“However, I would urge the CWU to be vigilant as the management across Royal Mail have a very recent record of attacking the terms and conditions of its staff and provoking disputes.”
Local councillor Stuart Kelly said the suspensions had resulted in existing staff being "unable to cope with delivering the postal service" to the area.
He added that this meant locals had important letters, such as ones about hospital appointment, arriving later or not at all.
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We are sorry to residents who have experienced delays. Improving quality of service is our top priority and we are committed to restoring service levels to where our customers expect them to be.
“Efforts at the local delivery office are ongoing to improve this level of service. This includes additional recruitment and the addition of agency staff. Mail continues to be delivered, and anyone who has mail and does not receive it on the day they expect will always be prioritised the following day.
“Across our business we have plans in place to drive service levels. We hope and expect to see further progress in the coming months.”
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