Thousands of staff plan to walk out of some of the UK's biggest post offices later in a dispute over shop closures, jobs and pay.
To stem £40m a year losses across about 370 "crown" offices, the Post Office plans to move 70 from high streets into local retailers. About six will close.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) says hundreds of jobs will be affected.
The Post Office said it had to address losses. Some 97% of the network would operate as normal, it added.
Crown offices are branches directly managed by the company - as opposed to locally-run by sub-post offices - mainly based in high streets.
The CWU said the offices handled about a fifth of Post Office business and 40% of financial services sales.
"Start Quote
End Quote Billy Hayes CWUThese are services and, as taxpayers, we value them and want our taxes to bring us services we value - it's not a simple profit and loss calculation"
Members of the CWU will walk out for half a day from lunchtime with pickets mounted outside offices.
It follows a day of industrial action on 30 March.
The union said it expected Friday's action to close offices or lead to drastically-reduced services and opening times.
CWU general secretary Billy Hayes said the plans amounted to "a Post Office closure programme in a desperate attempt to slash costs to meet government funding cuts by 2015".
He said the Post Office could "talk about transformation and sustainability all it likes".
"But the reality is that these are euphemisms for closing offices, drastically altering the make-up of the Post Office network and handing the running of services over to corporations which are built around other income streams and could walk away from Post Office services."
He added: "These are services and, as taxpayers, we value them and want our taxes to bring us services we value.
"It's not a simple profit and loss calculation."
The union has also warned that the Post Office's plans would affect already struggling town centres.
'Not closing'Kevin Gilliland, network and sales director at the Post Office, said it regretted "any inconvenience that may be caused by any strike action".
"Start Quote
End Quote Kevin Gilliland Post OfficeThe CWU's unrealistic demands are delaying our people from receiving the first payment of £1,400, which is ready to be paid into their pay packets"
"Through our critical modernisation plans we intend to turn this part of our business around and keep Post Office branches on high streets across the UK.
"We will invest £70 million in 300 Crown branches and are proposing to partner 70 branches with suitable retailers."
He stressed those 70 branches "are not closing".
"Any move to a retailer's premises would offer access to the same range of Post Office products and high levels of customer service in a new modern branch."
The CWU claims staff have not had a pay rise for two years and is calling for a rise in consolidated pay.
But the Post Office said a pay offer of three cash payments was "extremely fair".
"The CWU's unrealistic demands are delaying our people from receiving the first payment of £1,400, which is ready to be paid into their pay packets," Mr Gilliland said.
BBC industry correspondent John Moylan said the dispute looked set to escalate.
The union has told the BBC the frequency and duration of industrial action would increase unless the Post Office engaged in negotiations.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Post Office staff set to strike
Dengan url
http://sarapanoatmeal.blogspot.com/2013/04/post-office-staff-set-to-strike.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Post Office staff set to strike
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Post Office staff set to strike
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar