Union highlights 'growing trend' of post office closures

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.24dash.com/news/communities/ ... e-closures" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Around 150 post offices have closed this year as part of a "growing trend" of branches being shut, the postal workers union claimed today.

The Communication Workers Union said many of the 150 sub post offices will stay closed indefinitely and many that do reopen will offer a diminished service such as an outreach van on set days.

The union revealed the figures ahead of a meeting with MPs to warn that the Postal Service Bill going through Parliament will further endanger the post office network and lead to more closures.

Many subpostmasters are retiring or leaving the business because of the low levels of revenue generated in their branches, said the union.

CWU general secretary Billy Hayes said: "We're seriously concerned that despite popular speeches by Business Secretary 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."

Andy Burrows of Consumer Focus said: "Since the last programme of post office closures finished, we have continued to see a dwindling in the overall number of branches, which is worrying for consumers.

"A small number of temporary closures are inevitable but, in some cases, consumers tell us that Post Office Limited is dragging its heels in getting services back up and running.

"Post offices provide vital services and are often the hub of the community they serve. When a post office closes, it needs to be reopened as quickly as possible.

"Post Office Limited should give local people regular updates on its progress towards getting the branch open again and provide better information so consumers know where to go in the meantime."

Minister for Postal Affairs Edward Davey said: "These figures are rather misleading and don't properly take account of branches that reopen.

"Under this Government the Post Office is not for sale and there will be no programme of closures.

"The 7,000 branches that shut under the previous Government are still felt keenly across the country. We're determined to break that cycle of decline and protect this tremendous national asset.

"Our £1.34 billion funding package will ensure that we continue to have a network of at least 11,500 branches. It will keep open thousands of unprofitable branches - often in rural areas - so that they can continue to provide the essential services that people rely on.

"There will also be investment in the network to improve customer services, for example by extending opening hours and reducing queues. And new Government and financial services will keep customers coming through the door."

A Post Office spokesman said: "The latest reported figures on the size of the post office branch network show 11,872 branches in operation at the end of June 2010 - a reduction of 33 from the beginning of the financial year three months earlier.

"And in every case, we are actively trying to recruit a new subpostmaster to re-open these branches and continue running them.

"The Post Office is doing all it can to sustain and keep open the network at its current size and there is no closure programme."

Officials said they were doing all they can to maintain the size of the branch network, adding that recent funding and policy announcements from the Government were designed to sustain the network, while ministers had made it clear there will be no closure programmes.