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Cloud of
secrecy envelopes Post Office takeover firm
Our investigation tracks Shieldex
to a residential address in east London
A PRIVATE company which has been controversially awarded
the contract to run the Kentish Town Post Office was founded
just two years ago and is apparently run from one of the director’s
home, a New Journal investigation can reveal.
Post Office chiefs have been desperate to wrap Shieldex in secrecy
– refusing to give address or telephone details to New
Journal reporters, and insisting that all enquiries are fielded
through the Post Office.
A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We are not in the business
of passing in the numbers. We can pass on your queries and give
you comments on their behalf.”
Shieldex Limited was founded just over two years ago. It currently
has only two directors on its board, Hamroonbiby Mohammed and
Siraj Deane. A web of paperwork reveals the company’s headquarters
are listed in Katherine Road in Upton Park, east London –
Mr Mohammed’s home address. The little-known company had
previously been based in Redbridge, Essex. Neither director,
who have no appointments with any other company, was available
for comment on their plans for the Kentish Town post office,
in Kentish Town Road. Shieldex’s operation officially began
on Monday.
The company has also taken control of sub-offices in Barking
and Edgware.
While larger Crown Post Offices across the country are still
staffed by Post Office Limited, a publicly owned company, control
of smaller sub-post offices has been franchised to private firms.
Workers at five offices across Camden went on strike in protest
at the privatisation of the service on Monday. Despite picket
lines at Swiss Cottage and Kilburn branches, however, services
stayed up and running as the strike action proved patchy.
Unions claim that nearly 20 jobs have been lost at the Kentish
Town branch during the takeover.
Neil Walsh, from the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU),
said he was disappointed that some workers had ignored Monday’s
strike and had “crept in like thieves in the night”.
He added: “Sub-post offices are not providing the service
they should be – no country can operate without a postal
service. They’re driving the system into the ground –
profit is everything and service comes a poor second.”
Mr Walsh said that 19 jobs had been lost in Kentish Town. New
starters could receive lower pay than workers in Crown Offices,
he added.
A spokesman for the Post Office Limited said that a contingency
plan to keep branches open during Monday’s protest was
not put into action, adding: “So many staff reported for
work we did not need a large number of managers to cover.” |
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