BHM – Matthew
This Black History Month, we have been celebrating our amazing black colleagues by bringing you stories from across the business.
All the colleague profiles we have published on myroyalmail.com have also appeared on our dedicated Black History Month homepage.
Today, we hear from postman Mathew Dzvairo, from Jubilee Mail Centre.
‘I joined Royal Mail in 2002, starting my journey at Guildford Delivery Office. I worked on the dock and later moved indoors to sort parcels and manual letters. When the office closed in 2004, I moved to the late shift at Jubilee Mail Centre, where I worked on the inward dock, hand stamp and metre areas until 2008 when I moved to the night shift.
‘In 2010, I moved back to the late shift and since then, I’ve been Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)-trained and have worked on the stackers sorting machine, culler facer canceller and the flats sorting machine.
‘In 2017, a vacancy arose at Travelex – one of our top 10 financial customers. Five of us applied and were interviewed and I came out tops. I believe my diligence and efficiency have helped convince Travelex to keep having faith and trust in Royal Mail.
‘My advice to anyone first starting in the business is get to know your work, try to enjoy every moment of your time and don’t despair if things don’t go to plan. Love humanity and love one another.
‘Unfortunately, in 2017, I was diagnosed with Lymphoma cancer, which kept me out of work for nine months, undergoing treatment. At first, I couldn’t believe it. I was filled with anxiety and confusion, but the words of encouragement and support I received from my family and my manager, Mohammad Nouman, gave me hope and the belief that it wasn’t the end of the world.
‘My family reminded me that I’m here for a purpose and nothing is eternal in this world, not our problems, nor even our happiness.
‘Since coming back to work, I’ve been feeling healthier and stronger than ever. Due to the pandemic, the volume of work at Travelex has dwindled significantly, and I’m now back at JMC working on the packet sorting conveyor (PSC) where I’m dubbed “Rescue Man,” because I can do anything required of me with a wide smile on my face!’
Matthew’s line manager, Mohammad Nouman, said: ‘Mathew has survived some pretty tough times. Since his return to work, Matthew has been able to perform his duties with all the same commitment and dedication as he had before. He has been an inspiration for the whole team.’
Supporting our BAME colleagues
Making our business a place where black, Asian and minority ethnic colleagues can achieve their potential remains a priority.
Career progression is a key focus as we work towards improving the representation of colleagues from BAME backgrounds across all levels of the business. We need to build greater awareness that the network exists and is there to support our people and shine a light on all the positive things we are doing across the business.
If you are thinking about holding a BAME cultural event in your unit, and need some help, please reach out to the BAME steering group, or volunteer to help out with their activities. You can contact the group by emailing bame@royalmail.com.
