The closure of Royal Mail's Chelmsford distribution centre is to go ahead.

Last-ditch attempts to stop the closure of the Essex Distribution Centre in New Dukes Way have failed.

And it has been announced that 79 jobs will now go although there will be no compulsory redundancies.

The closure announced last year was put on hold to give alternative union proposals a chance to work.

But, says Royal Mail, "unfortunately the savings promised by the union were not deliverable and the closure has now been confirmed."

However, a representative of the Communication Workers Union said an agreement had been brokered in December that he said would deliver a reduction in costs in excess of £600,000.

John Hunt, branch secretary of the Essex amalgamated branch said the announcement of the closure early next year would be greeted by "anger, shock and great uncertainty,"

And he said a meeting would be held with the committee and members to decide the best course of action.

A spokesman for Royal Mail said: "We were willing to suspend closure of our centre in Chelmsford to allow time for the union to work with us to deliver the savings urgently required.

"Unfortunately these have not materialised and we now have to get on with the closure to support our nationwide, three-year renewal programme ro return Royal Mail to profitability and secure its future."

The major sorting office at Boreham for the East Anglia region is unaffected

Published Thursday, February 6, 2003

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