Crown PO workers ask: ‘Where’s our Jubilee?’

Postal, Post Office (PO) May 18 2022

 

Inflation up to 11.1%, Post Office profits for 2020/21 at £35m, but pay freeze for Crown Post Office workers and their supply chain and admin colleagues forces them into strike action…

A fresh round of walkouts are due to hit Crown Post Offices and support services across the UK, as stubborn bosses continue to refuse them a pay rise despite reporting another year of financial success, CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey told CWU News this morning.

Speaking just after today’s announcement from the Office for National Statistics that UK Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation has hit 9 per cent, Andy said: “How on earth can the people running the Post Office justify no pay rise for our members when inflation is running so high. And remember, the 9 per cent is the CPI figure – the Retail Price Index (RPI) is now over 11 per cent.

“And today’s news from the ONS comes just a day after the Post Office themselves released their latest annual financial report for 2020/21, which showed a profit of 35 million – a profit created by the hard work and dedication of our members, who continued to serve the Great British public throughout the pandemic while bank branches closed and while Post Offices bosses stayed safely at home.”

CWU Post Office reps and branch secretaries met in Birmingham yesterday to discuss how to build on the success of the first national strike earlier this month and to plan the next round of action – which is set to be formally decided and announced soon – and the sheer determination and growing sense of anger at the Post Office’s attitude was apparent from all corners of the country.

“It was clear that our members working on Crown counters and in the Supply Chain and Admin functions are absolutely furious at the way they’ve been treated,” reflected Andy.

“At a time when the whole nation is preparing to show our respect to Her Majesty The Queen for her 70 years’ of service to the country – it was mentioned by people that the Post Office has served the UK for even longer and is just as widely respected and admired by the people.

“Unfortunately, the Crown Post Office network and of course Crown Post Office workers and their Supply Chain and Admin colleagues are being disrespected by senior Post Office management. So, while of course it’s great to celebrate our Queen’s Jubilee – our members are asking: ‘Where’s our Jubilee’?

“Our members loyally serve this nation too – our members deserve respect and our members deserve a fair pay rise for their efforts.”