Post Office staff stage Scottish strike

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-23840087" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Staff at Scotland's Crown post offices are taking strike action in a dispute over branch closures, job cuts and pay.

The move comes after more than 70 Crown sites - the larger branches usually found on high streets - closed their doors across the UK on Saturday.

Monday's walkout involved members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) in locations including Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dunfermline.

Members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will strike again on Tuesday.

The Post Office listed 25 Scottish branches which could be affected by the strike action.

The state-owned Post Office has been involved in a five-month dispute over plans to franchise or close more than 70 UK-wide Crown post offices.

They are the biggest branches in larger towns and cities, which make up 3% of the entire Post Office network and handle about a fifth of its customers.

Industrial action
The Crown post offices currently make a loss of £37m a year across the UK.

It is a separate company to the Royal Mail, which is due to be privatised before the end of the year.

The CWU said plans to franchise or close dozens of Crown offices would result in the loss of up to 1,500 jobs, and claimed staff were being forced to accept a three-year pay freeze.

Deputy general secretary Dave Ward said staff did not agree with the "slash-and-burn" approach and were prepared to take prolonged industrial action.

Kevin Gilliland, network and sales director at the Post Office, voiced disappointment at the strike.

"We must continue with our plans to turn around the Crown network to ensure we keep these branches on high streets and in city centres across the UK," he said.

"We remain open to discussions with the CWU on pay options which do not add to the current loss of public money."

[Red Robbo]

Look its "public money " that's being lost , this government is not going to allow that to continue, let's face its a fact of life we are going to lose jobs , the sooner we realise that the better, our members will continue to lose wages.
We should be negotiating better than average redundancy payments for our members instead of leading them up the garden path !

[Lincox]

Wrong Red Robbo.

It,s a public service which if necessary requires subsidising, just as the railways do. It is the lack of management ideas and the will of government to allow this business to thrive and become a suitable alternative to the major high street banks in providing financial services to the public. Cutting 1500 jobs and franchising crown post offices to the likes of the Co-op, will not stop those offices that are left in the public purse bleeding money if the will is not there to provide the services that are necessary to make them profitable.

[Shambles]

Wrong Red Robbo.

It,s a public service which if necessary requires subsidising, just as the railways do. It is the lack of management ideas and the will of government to allow this business to thrive and become a suitable alternative to the major high street banks in providing financial services to the public. Cutting 1500 jobs and franchising crown post offices to the likes of the Co-op, will not stop those offices that are left in the public purse bleeding money if the will is not there to provide the services that are necessary to make them profitable.

absobloodyrutely

[Chelseablue]

Def wrong robbo ,,,