Staff at Cirencester Post Office will not stay in jobs after services move to WH Smith : Min wage for new staff

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STAFF at Cirencester’s current Post Office branch will be looking for new jobs after the Royal Mail services move to WH Smith – with none of the workers due to follow.

The Post Office in town, situated by Coffee#1, will be moving its branch to WH Smith in Castle Street on June 8.

While customers will benefit from the longer opening hours at the new branch operated by WH Smith, none of the seven Post Office staff – three full-time and four part-time – will be staying in their jobs.


When approached by a Standard reporter, Post Office workers said they had been advised not to speak to the press about why they were leaving.

But a spokeswoman for Post Office Ltd insisted that staff had been given options, including the choice to move to WH Smith.

“When branches are franchised, current staff have the option of moving to the new operator in line with TUPE legislation,” she said.

“We discuss options and preferences on an individual level with staff – if they do not wish to move their employment we consider other options, such as redeployment or voluntary settlements.”

WH Smith in Cirencester is currently accepting applications for counter clerks with the pay advertised as £6.95 to £7.50 per hour, with 35-hour weeks for full-time workers and 18-hour weeks for part-timers.

The new branch will have four serving positions and two self-service kiosks, with opening hours from 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 2pm on Sundays.

Roger Gale, Post Office’s sales and trade marketing director, said the change would help to ensure the branch is commercially viable and protect Post Office services.

“Our customers’ needs continue to change and we are responding to that, taking the right action to sustain our services for years to come," he said.

“We are committed to remaining on high streets and at the heart of communities and we are making changes right across our network to enable us to do so.”

Cirencester town councillor Tatyan Cheung said he was not against the move but hoped that there would be a dedicated area for the Post Office counters, to prevent overcrowding.

Cllr Nigel Robbins said that the longer opening hours mean that residents would get an enhanced service, but added: “I still think it is regrettable that the Post Office have decided that the cost of running a Post Office is too much.

“I think landlords in town have something to answer for, for not recognising that we are still in a recession.

“It is a very good position that Post Office, it’s a nice quiet avenue. I’ve got mixed feelings about it.”

A public consultation over the proposed move was launched in January.

In an online poll by the Standard at that time, 61 per cent of voters said they would not be happy if Cirencester Post Office was moved into WH Smith, with 39 per cent saying they were content with the move.

[GT750rider]

Counter on the first floor, as in WH Smith Cheltenham ? Handy for the elderly, and mothers with prams / pushchairs .....

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Experienced Post Office workers 'left with little choice' but to leave jobs after services move to WHSmith

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EXPERIENCED Post Office workers are 'left with little choice' but to leave their jobs after Royal Mail services move to WHSmith, a representative of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) said.

Cirencester Post Office currently have six members of staff, three of who live in Cirencester, and two of who are from towns in and around the Cotswolds.

One other staff member left after the announcement of the Post Office's move.

Sue Trehearne, sector representative at CWU, said it was a sad time for Cirencester as all of the Post Office staff will not be staying in their jobs this summer.

The CWU representative who had been supporting the workers through their consultation stage, said that the town will be losing the experienced workers because of the potential for the terms of employment and pay to be downgraded under WHSmith.

After the announcement that the Post Office would move to the store, staff were given the choice of a transfer under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations - shortened to TUPE.

This means that employees can transfer their current pay and conditions (except pension conditions) to the new job at WHSmith, but the store could still review these conditions at any time.

She said that nine times out of 10, staff choose to reject the transfer in return for a monetary settlement, because of the uncertainty surrounding a transfer.

She said: "Staff reject TUPE because there’s no real longevity to it. Their pay and conditions can be up for review and it's that doubt that colleagues are uncomfortable with.

"The terms of employment under WHSmith are not as attractive as Post Office Ltd. There is no incentive for people to go to WHSmith. They prefer to take the money.

"The Cirencester staff have done an excellent job over the years, they’ve provided good service to the community.

"It's not great for Cirencester because they will not have the same level of support and service.

"This is a cost-cutting exercise to get Crown stocks off the books. They are saying: 'Let's stick it at the back of sweetie shops. Let's not worry about the level of service the public gets.'"

Staff also have an option to move to other Crown offices for similar pay and conditions, but this will mean having to commute longer distances due to other Crown offices being franchised off.

Ms Trehearne explained: "If colleagues can move to another Crown office, they would, but they can't. So they're left with little choice but to take the package."

WH Smith in Cirencester is currently accepting applications for counter clerks with the pay advertised as £6.95 to £7.50 per hour (minimum wage). Full-time workers will work 35-hour weeks.

Meanwhile, typical Post Office counter clerk roles are paid from a starting wage of £8.92 an hour, with similar hours for full-time workers.

A spokesperson for Post Office Ltd commented: “We are making vital changes to ensure that Post Offices are sustainable for years to come and services are safeguarded. We are doing so with the utmost care for our staff.

"We understand that changes can be difficult for people and discuss options with them individually, as circumstances vary.

“Staff can transfer their employment in line with TUPE legislation but if they do not wish to do so we look at other options which may include redeployment or voluntary settlements.

“We have a strong track record in treating people fairly and avoiding compulsory redundancies.”