Name and address withheld.
I AM a delivery officer (management title) for Jersey Post. Or, as I and most people prefer to call it, a good old-fashioned postman. I’m an ordinary working man, paying my full taxes, social security, as do thousands of other people.

For the past 12 months or so staff have been constantly bombarded by Jersey Post directors about the recession, drop in mail volume levels, reduced income, possible competition, and how we all have to ‘tighten our belts’, have pay freezes – understandable and acceptable in the present economic climate – and now redundancies both voluntary and compulsory will happen. However, they stop at director level.

At present Jersey Post are struggling to provide an Island-wide delivery service, postmen are working double shifts and working excessive overtime – I’m sure some people have noticed their mail being delivered in the afternoons – all due to Jersey Post ‘letting go’ many long-serving members of staff and now leaving themselves with staff shortages, which is severely affecting the quality of service to the public which they rightly deserve, and which I and my colleagues pride ourselves on giving.

The following is what has angered the workforce of Jersey Post, due to lack of transparency and being told we all had to tighten the purse strings. Instead of leading by example, our directors have done the opposite and gone against their own advice to us. Bearing in mind that Jersey Post globally is a very small company, the following makes interesting reading.

Jersey Post accounts for directors Salaries 2009: managing director, £133,000 plus £46,000 bonus equals £179,000 (2008, £153,000); finance director, 128,000 plus £34,000 bonus equals £162,000 (2008, £154,000); HR director £123,000 plus £42,000 bonus equals £165,000 (2008, £140,000). Total salaries for three members of staff, £506,000.

Our directors cannot grasp why the morale among the remaining staff at Jersey Post has hit an all time low, with threatened pay freezes and redundancies while they enjoy the luxury of high salaries, bonuses and job security.

I have worked at Jersey Post for over 20 years. I once loved my job, meeting the public – delivering to the same parish for over ten years – and seeing children born, growing up, their parents in some cases becoming friends. Even most of the dogs were friendly!

I once was a loyal and proud employee, working six days a week delivering in all weathers, providing a good and friendly service. Some people may call it old-fashioned.

Sadly, due to directors’ business decisions at Jersey Post, lack of transparency, excessive salaries and bonuses, it made me finally realise that I am just an employee reference number, who will soon be made redundant.