Post Office shenanigans: seventh strike since Easter

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Post Office shenanigans: seventh strike since Easter

http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/1 ... ke-easter/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

By Michael Northcott Friday, 28 June 2013

Thousands of workers from across the Post Office network will go on strike for the seventh time since Easter over branch closures.

Physical letters have been largely replaced by emails, meaning the cost of running a network for parcels and magazines has gone up - but nonetheless, members of the Communications Workers Union (CWU) plan to abandon the organisation’s 371 offices around the UK for 24 hours to make a point about branch closures.

The union’s deputy secretary general, Dave Ward, said: ‘With the news that Post Office bosses shared £15.4 million in bonuses, their plans to close offices, cut jobs and refuse to agree a pay rise for Crown office staff is unbelievable. They're lavishing bonuses at the top while slashing jobs, services and pay for frontline staff. It's blatant fat-cat behaviour from management out of touch with their workforce.’ He certainly sounds like he means business.

The UK postal industry is on the verge of change whether the CWU calls strikes or not. Clamour is growing for Royal Mail to be privatised, after it emerged last year that the Royal Mail had group operating profits of £144m in the six months to the September, compared with just £12m in the same period the previous year. The uplift came from 13% rise in parcel deliveries – they account for almost half of total group revenue.

Ultimately the problem is the money. If it is no longer sustainable to keep Post Office branches open, then the money will soon dry up and they will have to close anyway…

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I am embarrassed to have had to post such a poorly researched article - I have however posted a rebuttal on their site:

This is a badly researched article. Its the Crown Post Offices that are going on strike - Letters and parcels are only part of the service they provide. Also they are now a separate company to Royal Mail Letters who do the deliveries.

Its Royal Mail that's going to be privatised the Post Office will remain in public hands but they are looking at mutualisation.