Staff in the country's network of 372 Crown post offices will take a thirteenth round of strike action on Monday 4 November. Staff working in admin and supply chain functions (such as Post Office cash vans) will also take a first day of strike action in a dispute over pay. The action is being coordinated with strike action by Royal Mail and Parcelforce staff. The long-running Crown office dispute affects up to 4,000 staff and is over a pay freeze, plans to close and/or franchise 75 offices and cut up to 1,500 jobs. The admin and supply chain dispute involves up to 1,500 people and is in reaction to a pay freeze.
Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: "We are coordinating strike action across postal companies for Monday 4 November to increase the impact of the action and try and focus the minds of company negotiators. Post Office management is out of touch with its staff and customers over plans to close Crown offices and cut staff. The company is unfairly imposing pay freezes on both Crown staff and now admin and supply chain workers while senior managers have enjoyed significant bonus payments. These double-standards cannot continue and we hope to make progress in talks this week."
Talks are scheduled for Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 October to discuss the future of the Crown office network. The Post Office wants to close and/or franchise 75 Crown offices, 20% of the network, and cut up to 1,500 jobs. These main offices make up 3% of total post office network but handle 20% of all customers and 40% of all financial services sales making them the powerhouse of the network. Staff at Crown Post Offices have not had a pay rise since April 2011 while all other staff represented by CWU in the Post Office have had two pay rises totalling 6.75% in this period. Last year head office managers shared a bonus pot of £15.4 million and Chief Executive Paul Vennells received £697,000 - an increase of 37% on the previous year.
Strike action will affect up to 4,000 staff working in 372 Crown (main) post offices. Post Office staff voted by nine to one (88%) in favour of strike action and have already taken strike action on twelve previous occasions: Easter Saturday, 19 and 29 April, 7 and 28 May, 20 June and 29 June, 17 and 29 July, 24 and 26/7 August and 30 September or 1 October. The closure and franchising plans are meeting stiff opposition across the country with tens of thousands signing petitions, and public meetings unanimously rejecting the plans.
