Community rallies to protect East Finchley Po as staff strik

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Community rallies to protect East Finchley Post Office as staff go on strike


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Post Office users have been sharing their angst over the possible closure of their East Finchley branch as staff strike in a dispute over jobs, shops closures and pay.

In unison with thousands of staff at Crown offices across the UK, staff at the High Road branch walked out at 2.30pm demonstrating their opposition to the Post Office’s plans to franchise 70 branches.

The national postal chain wants to relocate the high street offices into local retailers as it attempts to stem £40million annual losses.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) led today's strike action, with Gary Watt representing the union at the East Finchley branch.

He said: “We’re doing this because it’s important to protect people’s jobs as well as services provided to the public. If the East Finchley Post Office is franchised then you’ll lose the dedicated staff who have worked here for many years and they’ll be replaced by people with much less experience.

“Often franchised offices don’t offer a full range of services and they don’t give a guarantee of always retaining the Post Office.


“Shopkeepers who benefit from custom from those popping to the Post Office will also suffer – this really does affect everyone.”

Within just two hours approximately 100 people had signed the CWU’s petition against the plans.

One of those putting pen to paper was Debbie Smith, 45, who has lived in East Finchley for 15 years.

She said: “To close it down and move it somewhere else would be ridiculous especially for the elderly people who rely on it. Many of them don’t have the internet to use services online, and you see a lot of them coming in and having a chat to one another.


“I use it regularly – posting letters, paying money in, paying bills and rent or buying stamps and cards, traveller’s cheques– where else are we going to go for all that?

“And then there’s the job losses – it’s already so difficult for people to get jobs it's wrong to be making more people jobless. I really hope they don’t close our Post Office.”

Seven counter staff and one general manager work at the East Finchley branch which is also used by residents in neighbouring Haringey.

Janet Shapiro, 73, a member of the Hornsey Pensioners Action Group, said: “I live in Haringey but this Post Office is so handy I often use it, as well as other members of the group. To close this branch will also put pressure on others including Muswell Hill which is very much under pressure already.”

Mr Watt told the Times Series the CWU is planning further strike action, although a date has not been confirmed.

He said: “If the Post Office said to us there would be a three year pay freeze but a guarantee for the Crown office network for three years we’d consider that – but they’re saying it’s a three or four year pay freeze with 20 per cent of job losses and that’s something we just cannot possibly sign onto.

“We do regret making the public suffer by going on strike – we do it reluctantly – but we hope they understand we’re doing it to protect their services and their community.

“Strikes are a means to an end – the plan is to get a negotiation settlement with the Post Office and we’re ready to meet with them at any time if it will be a genuine engagement.”

But the Post Office said it is “disappointed” with the CWU’s decision to strike.

Kevin Gilliland, network and sales director, said: “The CWU is failing to accept the need to address the current loss of £40 million a year of public money across our Crown network.

“Through our critical modernisation plans we intend to turn this part of our business around and keep Post Office branches on high streets across the UK.

“Any move to a retailer’s premises would offer access to the same range of Post Office products and high levels of customer service in a new modern branch.

“Our pay offer of three cash payments is extremely fair. The CWU’s unrealistic demands and threats of further strike action are delaying our people from receiving the first payment of £1,400, which is ready to be paid into their pay packets.”

[Lincox]

The infamous lump sum bribe again

[UnhappyGremlin]

Lump sum payments are worthless, short term gain, long term pain. It's not even a pay freeze as stated above, but a real terms pay cut, which the lump sums will only offset in the years they are paid. They think people are stupid.