Whitstable shops to close in support of Post Office

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Shops in Whitstable will close at 2pm today (Thursday) in solidarity with Crown Post Office staff who are striking to save the service from closure and franchise. The strike is part of a nationwide dispute between the Communication Workers Union and the Post Office over plans to close or franchise 76 offices and cut up to 1,500 jobs.

In an unprecedented show of support, hundreds of customers and residents are expected to join staff on the picket line outside Gladstone Road Crown Post Office when they walk out at 2pm this afternoon. A petition-signing event last Saturday gathered more than 2,000 signatures in six hours against plans to close and franchise the office.

Mole Meade, CWU area rep, said: "This will be an amazing show of solidarity and support for both Whitstable Crown office staff and the service they provide. The community is sending the clearest possible message to Post Office management that they value this local service and do not want to see it closed and franchised off.

"Whitstable residents clearly value this service. If any retailer is blind enough to bid for this franchise they will face a serious boycott from local customers."

This is the sixth round of strike action that staff in Whitstable have taken. A seventh strike is set for Saturday 29 June. For more information visit the CWU website: http://www.cwu.org/pay-and-the-future-o ... ffice.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

For more information please contact: Mole Meade on 07711 420743 or mole_meade@yahoo.co.uk

Petition signing session gathers over 2,000 in one day



A petition signing session in Whitstable against the closure and franchise of the town's Crown post office turned into a signature-fest on Saturday 15 June.

"Every single person who visited the post office that morning signed the petition" said area rep Mole Meade, "but that was nothing in comparison to when we moved to the high street. We actually ran out of forms, even though we were using them on both sides, I couldn't believe it."

This takes the petition total in the town to over 4,000 names.

The overwhelming support of local residents and customers will be a great boost to the staff and campaigners who have been against the plans since they emerged back in February. The Post Office wants to close Whitstable's Crown office and franchise it to a retailer.

Protect Whitstable Post Office - activity this Saturday

Where and when:
10am - 12:30: outside Whitstable Crown Post Office, Gladstone Street
1 - 4pm: Whitstable High Street

On Saturday June 15 campaigners will be holding Q&A and petition-signing sessions outside Whitstable Post Office and in the town centre.

The Post Office on Gladstone Road is one of 76 Crown offices across the country facing closure and/or franchise. The Communication Workers Union opposes the plans to close and franchise Whitstable Post Office and staff have taken five rounds of strike action against the plans. Whitstable recently lost its local Royal Mail delivery office and there are concerns for local services.

Mole Mead, CWU area representative, said: "We'll be out on Saturday to speak to people in Whitstable about the problems we face with the threat to this Crown post office. This is an important local service which is clearly valued by the community.

"On Saturday we'll be gathering more signatures on the already long petition so if anyone hasn't signed it yet and wants to they should come down and say hello. We'll also be answering people's questions.

"We're concerned that if this local asset was to be closed and sold off then a big retail chain could move into the Gladstone Street site and seriously undermine local retailers.

"If a retailer comes forward to take on the Post Office franchise in Whitstable we would consider a boycott of that store. The services and expertise of the staff cannot be replaced by sticking some windows in the back of another shop."

Contact:

Mole Mead on 07711 420743

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But of course the Post Office listen to their customers

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