Planned Post Office closures and job threats prompt third wa

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Post Office staff are on strike today in a dispute over office closures, franchising, jobs and pay.

The Communication and Workers Union (CWU) said that plans to close or franchise 76 Crown offices, which accounts for 20 per cent of the network, would hit more than 800 jobs. Strike action has also been prompted by management refusal to agree to a consolidated pay rise for staff.

The union said a pay rise was due in April 2012 for Crown Post Office staff but it was not paid. Other staff – in areas such as supply chain and administration - have received pay rises of 3.5 per cent and 3.25 per cent for the same period (2012-13 and 2013-14) without strings attached, the union said. Postmasters have also received a pay agreement totalling £11 million for one year, but counter staff were not included in any increases.

In an internal communication to staff, Post Office managers said that the CWU pay claim would cost the company £12 million. But the CWU said calls for 3.5 per cent and 3.25 per cent would cost just over £5m.

The union said that the employer is trying to meet government targets by drastic cost-cutting and that management had refused to negotiate “despite their financial arguments being proved wrong”.

Andy Furey, CWU national official, said: "The Post Office has admitted that it's got its sums wrong on the cost of our pay claim. They embellished the figure by over £6 million - effectively doubling the cost of what we've asked. Despite admitting this they still stubbornly refuse to negotiate.

"The Post Office's mistakes in relation to our pay claim calls into question the accuracy of other Post Office numbers - including the alleged size of the losses in the Crown network. This part of the network handles 20 per cent of all Post Office business and delivers 40 per cent of financial services sales, despite making up only 3 per cent of the whole network. It really is the driver and heart of the network which is why we are so concerned about the closure and franchise plans.”

However, a Post Office spokeswomen said: “The Crown Branch network is losing £40 million every year. We needed to transform the business and can not add any further losses to the bottom line [in terms of additional pay increases]. We have offered employees a cash payment of £1,400 each for the 2012/13 financial year with a £1,000 payment each year for the next two years. This offer is on the table.”

The walkout will affect up to 4,000 employees working in 373 Crown Post Offices across the UK and is the third round of industrial action in this dispute.

The Communication and Workers Union said that plans to close or franchise 76 Crown offices, which accounts for 20 per cent of the network, would affect more than 800 jobs.

Post Office staff voted by nine to one (88 per cent) in favour of strike action and have already taken strike action on Easter Saturday and April 19