Post Office strikes to bring festive mail chaos as staff plan five-day walk-out
THOUSANDS of Post Office workers are threatening Christmas chaos with the prospect of a five-day strike over branch closures and job losses.
Shop counter staff are threatening to walk out on December 19, 20 and Christmas Eve, while cash handlers are preparing to strike on December 22 and 23.
The combined industrial action is being threatened by members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU).
Union bosses have warned the strike will disrupt deliveries in the run-up to Christmas.
However, they say the action is necessary to save people’s jobs as more than 6,000 Post Offices have closed since 2002.
If the action goes ahead it will involve 4,000 workers and 300 Post Offices will either shut up shop or operate with skeleton staff.
Hundreds more smaller branches, many of which will be in the countryside, will struggle as they won’t receive their usual cash delivery.
The workers are threatening to strike over job losses, branch closures, and the end of a final salary pension scheme.
Andrew Furey, assistant general secretary of the CWU, said: “It will be absolute chaos in the lead-up to Christmas because it’s prime time for deliveries.
“The main impact will be on parcels and packages.”
Mr Furey also warned the cash-handlers walkout will be equally devastating.
He continued: “People will be taking out money, and they will be paying for parcels and some of the post offices have got bureau de change.
“People will turn up at the branches and they will be closed because they have no cash.”
The walkouts will be the fourth since 85% of CWU members voted in favour of strike action in August.
Yesterday more than 3,000 Post Office workers went on strike.
The CWU expect their latest plans to be confirmed by its National Executive Committee on Tuesday.
MP Grant Shapps has slammed the plans as “crazy“, and said: “Given that this dispute is in part about post office closures, taking action which deliberately closes branches is a spectacular own goal at Christmas time, when people will be relying on the Post Office service.”
The Government has defended its decision to “restructure” the Post Office to try to halt huge losses which were running at £40m a year up to 2013.
Kevin Gilliand, Post Office network and sales director, insisted that even if the Christmas strike went ahead, most stores would stay open.
He said: “We have not received any formal notification of action from our unions and, should further action be taken, we can reassure out customers that at least 97 per cent of out network will be open for business as usual.
“We are disappointed the unions are trying to unsettle customers as they prepare for Christmas, rather than engaging with us in talks to find a constructive way forward which will enable the Post Office to thrive for the long term.
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