PO closures will disproportionately affect Londoners

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Post Office closures will 'disproportionately affect Londoners'

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Fresh concerns have been raised about controversial plans to close or franchise 76 Crown post offices, with politicians warning the move would have a disproportionate impact in London.

The London Assembly called for a social and economic assessment of the proposed closures, focusing on the impact on customers.

Labour member Murad Qureshi said: "Post offices provide essential services to the public that are not available anywhere else. Post office staff are highly-skilled and offer specialist services to the financial services industry, which is vital to London's economy.

"The closure of post offices in London will be bad for customers, bad for businesses and bad for staff.

"This could well lead to a serious deterioration of service, as has happened with the privatised utilities. This is a misguided cost-cutting exercise which will disproportionately affect Londoners."

Billy Hayes, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), said: "The Post Office's plans to close and franchise 17 Crown offices across London would have a detrimental impact on the capital's many high streets.

"Communities are clearly opposed to the plans, with thousands having signed petitions against the franchising and closure plans."

CWU members have staged a series of strikes against the proposals for Crown offices - the larger branches usually based in high streets.

The Post Office said the Crown network was losing millions of pounds, so action had to be taken to retain services.

[RedBagMan]

Aaaahh bless ... they can't cope with 2mm of snow either ... never mind you've still got £15bn worth of Crossrail ...

Makes a bloody change from 99.99% of every other decision in this glorious land of ours that disproportionately impacts on the rest of the bloody country ...