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Crown Post Office staff go on 24-hour strike | |
(about 7 hours later) | |
Thousands of staff at Crown Post Offices have gone on a fresh strike in a dispute over jobs, pensions and branch closures. | |
Members of the Communication Workers Union and Unite began their 24-hour walkout at 3am. | |
The second strike in two months affects Crown Post Offices, which are the larger branches usually located in high streets. | |
Post Office bosses said most of its network of branches would not close. | |
The unions said a 24-hour strike strike in September was strongly supported. | The unions said a 24-hour strike strike in September was strongly supported. |
Along with this latest walk-out, members are also holding a rally at Post Office Headquarters in Central London during the day. | |
The Post Office said 118 of the 305 Crown Post Offices were closed, but 99% of the 11,600 Post Offices remained open. | The Post Office said 118 of the 305 Crown Post Offices were closed, but 99% of the 11,600 Post Offices remained open. |
Crown Post Office, administration and supply chain workers are involved in the dispute about the closure of the final salary pension scheme, job losses and the franchising of Crown Post Offices. | Crown Post Office, administration and supply chain workers are involved in the dispute about the closure of the final salary pension scheme, job losses and the franchising of Crown Post Offices. |
'Crisis point' | 'Crisis point' |
Communication Workers Union general secretary Dave Ward said: "The stakes have never been higher for the future of the Post Office, its workers and the communities they serve. | Communication Workers Union general secretary Dave Ward said: "The stakes have never been higher for the future of the Post Office, its workers and the communities they serve. |
"The Post Office is at crisis point and the management and government need to listen to the workforce. | "The Post Office is at crisis point and the management and government need to listen to the workforce. |
"Staff and the public are seeing little more than a glorified closure programme from the Post Office and it cannot survive by simply cutting costs. | "Staff and the public are seeing little more than a glorified closure programme from the Post Office and it cannot survive by simply cutting costs. |
"We are calling for the government, as the owner of the Post Office, to step in, halt the cuts and work with us to develop a proper strategy that will secure the future of the service." | "We are calling for the government, as the owner of the Post Office, to step in, halt the cuts and work with us to develop a proper strategy that will secure the future of the service." |
The Post Office says moving post office services into retail outlets means longer opening hours. | The Post Office says moving post office services into retail outlets means longer opening hours. |