Tweet of the Day – 29 April 2013

From BBC Propaganda, in the wake of this evening's Dispatches TV programme...

"Royal Mail employees fired for theft:

• 2007  364
• 2008  401
• 2009  345
• 2010  340
• 2011  309 "

I present this information just as it comes, as it is difficult to draw any concrete conclusions from so few statistical datum points. For example, does it mean that there is now a downward trend, perhaps from the change of national government sending a message that Royal Mail is no longer a safe haven for theiving employees? I think that's a tough one to justify, especially without the 2012 figure.

However it does show that it is an endemic problem within the Royal Mail, and has been for at least half a decade, probably a lot longer. As with so much in the public sector (though by no means all), it is at least perceived to be a 'soft touch' for the more dubious types, or they are more easily tempted, or there are inadequate safeguards. It is probably a combination of all of those things, and perhaps more besides.

I am personally aware of other issues that come more under fraud than direct theft, though with similar results, such as the Post Office counter (in a shop) that was paid to run two counters but almost never had more than one open and was pocketing the second salary. It was run by an obvious Labour supporter who had claimed to me that he 'always voted Conservative'. I was never fooled, not for an instant...

They eventually lost the facility and it passed to another shop in the same short road, where it has run successfully ever since.