COMMUNICATION WORKERS UNION CONDEMNS FURTHER DESTRUCTION OF THE CROWN OFFICE NETWORK AND THE LOSS OF APPROXIMATELY 700 QUALITY JOBS

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The CWU strongly condemns the plan to ‘franchise’ 74 Crown Post Offices affecting some 700 jobs.

Reacting to this morning’s bombshell announcement by Post Office bosses, the union’s National Officer Andy Furey pointed out that this “equates to almost one-third of the whole network.”

Franchising is “privatisation by the back door,” he pointed out. “This union has always staunchly opposed franchising and it’s no surprise that there has been no negotiation, or even any formal engagement with the union over this matter at all.

“This is going to leave the remaining Crown offices extremely vulnerable and this union will mount the most vigorous industrial and political campaign against this catastrophic action.”

“At a time when the government claims to be on the side of workers it is an outrage that it lets well rewarded jobs go from a public service and hands them straight to a second rate employer like WHSmith who will not only seek to downgrade the terms and conditions of our members but also the service they provide.”

“This is a massive slap in the face for our members who will be devastated especially as they have worked so hard and sacrificed so much to return the Crown Network to profitability.”