Attacks continue on Crown Post Offices despite coronavirus
Postal, Post Office (PO) April 21 2020Post Office bosses stand accused this morning of being “irrationally stubborn” and of a “dogmatic denial of reality” for refusing to reverse plans to hive off seven vitally important Crown Post Offices.
Crown Post Offices are proving to society how fundamentally important they are, with the significant increase in mails traffic and volumes during this Covid-19 crisis, and the people running the company must “totally rethink their strategy of managed decline,” argues CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey.
“The axe is set to fall on another seven of our Crown offices –New Malden and Dorking (both in Surrey), Diss (Norfolk), Haverhill (Suffolk), Abergavenny (Monmouthshire), Keynsham (Somerset), and the Fredrick Street Crown Office in central Edinburgh – causing nearly 50 job losses and cutbacks in high quality and professional services to the community,” Andy explained.
Three Crowns which have been under threat – in central London (Great Portland Street), Greater Manchester (Stockport) and Norfolk (North Walsham) – have had their franchise plans put on hold for three months. However, the union is calling upon the Post Office to shelve those plans altogether.
Although the news for these three Crowns has been welcomed by Andy as “relatively good news in the short term,” it does not go “anywhere near far enough” in terms of what is needed for the British public.
“The people running the Post Office must have a fundamental rethink of their whole strategy of recent years – this crisis has proved what we in the CWU, politicians from all parties, our local communities and local small businesses have been saying for so long.
“Our Crown Post Offices are vital community hubs and they must be defended, kept in business, and provided with the opportunities to thrive once again.
“Once our nation emerges from this terrible time, the Crown Post Office network will be an essential part of the infrastructure we need to rebuild and move forward.
“And if the Post Office Board cannot, or will not recognise this new reality, whether out of dogmatic stubbornness or simply irrationality, then they must step aside and allow new leadership.”
· For further details, please see LTB 179/20