Post offices continue to close, warns CWU

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Ahead of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Post Offices meeting today (Wednesday), CWU reveals that 150 post offices have been closed already this year as part of a growing trend of closures. With the Postal Services Bill set to further endanger the post office network, CWU warns that the proposed legislation will force many more closures.

According to research carried out by CWU, over 150 sub-post offices have been listed as "long-term temporary closures" this year alone. Many are likely to stay closed indefinitely and those that do reopen will often do so with a diminished service, such as an outreach van on set days.

Many subpostmasters are retiring or leaving the business because of the low levels of revenue generated in sub-offices. In many cases the Post Office struggles to find alternative premises or service providers.

Billy Hayes, CWU general secretary, said: "We're seriously concerned that despite popular speeches by Vince Cable giving promises that no post offices will close, this government is failing to protect the post office network. Post offices are closing at an alarming rate but don't register until it's too late because they are misleadingly classed as temporary closures.

"Post offices rely on work generated by mails business and most would be unsustainable if this was removed. Many of the proposals in the Postal Services Bill, including privatisation of Royal Mail and splitting the postal group apart, seriously threaten mails business arrangements for the Post Office. This needs to be changed before the committee stage of the Bill comes to an end."