Post Office staff to strike wit Royal Mail on Monday

From: Sian Jones
Sent: 29 October 2013 13:58
Subject: Press release: Post Office staff to strike with Royal Mail on Monday

29^th October 2013

For immediate release
Post Office staff to strike with Royal Mail on Monday

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.

A full list of post offices involved in the dispute and those under threat of closure is available at: http://www.cwu.org/pay-and-the-future-of-the-crown-office.html

-ends-
For more information please contact:
Sian Jones, Press Officer, tel: 020 8971 7267, mobile: 0779 3314249, e-mail:sbjones@cwu.org
Kevin Slocombe, Head of Communications, mobile: 07714504413, e-mail:kslocombe@cwu.org
www.cwu.org www.cwutv.org Twitter: @CWUnews

 Notes to editors
CWU represents non-managerial staff working throughout the Post Office. CWU is the largest trade union in the communications sector with more than 200,000 members working in post, telecoms, mobile and financial services, working as delivery people, drivers, engineers, call centre staff, support services and other roles.

What is a Crown Post Office?
A Crown Post Office is one directly-owned and managed by Post Office Ltd. They are the larger branches, normally in town and city centres, with organised queuing systems and a full range of Post Office products and services.
·         There are 372 of these large offices
·         This is 3% of the post office network, but...
·         Crowns handle 20% of all Post Office customers (up to 4 million a week)
·         Crowns do 40% of all Post Office financial services sales
The original figures of 373 crown offices and 76 under threat has reduced to 372 and 75 because Broadgate, central London, has been closed.
Bonuses
·         Chief Executive Paul Vennells received a 37% increase in her reward package, taking home £697,000 in 2012/13 in comparison to £510,000 for 2011/12.
·         A Freedom of Information Request by the National Federation of Subpostmasters revealed post office managers shared a bonus pot of £15.4 million for 2012/13.
Ballot result
CWU members in Crown offices voted 88% in favour of strike action on a 75% turnout on 8^th March 2013.
CWU members in Crown offices voted 90% in favour of industrial action short of strike on a 58% turnout on 15^th August 2013.
CWU members in admin and supply chain voted 76% in favour of strike action on 24^th October 2013.
The pay dispute
CWU submitted a pay claim of 3.5% for 2012/13 and 3.25% for 2013/14. This is exactly the same increase that staff in other parts of the Post Office received.
From Sian Jones | Press Officer
E sbjones@cwu.org | T 020 8971 7267 | M 0779 3314249 | Twitter @CWUnews
Communication Workers Union  The communications union
Headquarters 150 The Broadway | Wimbledon | SW19 1RX

T 020 8971 7200 | F 020 8971 7300 | www.cwu.org | www.cwutv.org