Nightmare for Post Office users as staff strike

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/10707573._/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;?

POST Office customers faced nightmare waiting times as striking workers were replaced by inexperienced bosses from head office.

Staff from Post Offices in Basildon’s East Square and the Laindon Centre walked out of work today in a row over pay, pensions and possible sell-offs.

They are threatened with being franchised and sold off in a bid to save the Government cash.

Instead of branches closing for the day, managers from the Post Office headquarters in London’s Old Street were drafted in to try and deal with customers.

Some desks had to be closed as managers didn’t have the skills or experience to operate them while others didn’t have staff to man them.

It lead to hour-long queues and customers being turned away.

Garrie Bond, South Essex representative for the Communication Workers Union, said: “We didn’t mind the managers coming in because it showed what it would be like if it was sold off.

“If the Post Office is franchised and put in the back of a shop it will only have two or three counters.

“This strike is for the same reasons as our previous ones but it is the keep the pressure on the cause. Someone has to give sooner or later.

“The Post Offices being selected for closure have their leases coming to an end. If they do manage to get rid of these offices there are still going to be some in the network that are bigger loss makers, so what’s to stop this happening again in a few years? It is death by a thousand cuts.

“Over the years where they have closed Post Offices 10 per cent of the rest of the High Street has gone with it. If they don’t do all the services the public will have to go elsewhere to get them done and spend their money in those towns.”

[UnhappyGremlin]

Apparently, some counters were staffed with call centre employees, who were clueless.

Why not just hold realistic negotiations? Oh wait, this is RM.....