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| Post office workers set new strike dates | Post office workers set new strike dates |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Workers at hundreds of post offices are set to strike later this month in the latest round of industrial action over plans to franchise out 76 high street branches. | Workers at hundreds of post offices are set to strike later this month in the latest round of industrial action over plans to franchise out 76 high street branches. |
| The walkout by around 4,000 workers in 373 Crown post offices will be the sixth and seventh strikes since Easter, with staff unhappy at plans by management to franchise sites and cut up to 1,500 jobs. | |
| The Communications Workers' Union (CWU) said staff will walk out on 20 and 29 June because no progress has been made in discussions with the company over job security. | The Communications Workers' Union (CWU) said staff will walk out on 20 and 29 June because no progress has been made in discussions with the company over job security. |
| Union bosses have called on the Post Office's chief executive, Paula Vennells, to join the talks in the hope of a resolution. | Union bosses have called on the Post Office's chief executive, Paula Vennells, to join the talks in the hope of a resolution. |
| Dave Ward, the CWU deputy general secretary, said: "This dispute can't be resolved while the CEO Paula Vennells remains aloof and absent from talks. | |
| "We've had informal talks this week which allowed a good exchange of views and discussion on various options, but there's no change, no new offers and no movement from the Post Office. | "We've had informal talks this week which allowed a good exchange of views and discussion on various options, but there's no change, no new offers and no movement from the Post Office. |
| "It's time that Paula Vennells got her hands dirty and engaged with this dispute which affects the post office network's biggest branches. It's no good hiding in the shadows and hoping we'll go away." | "It's time that Paula Vennells got her hands dirty and engaged with this dispute which affects the post office network's biggest branches. It's no good hiding in the shadows and hoping we'll go away." |
| The union's members voted nine-to-one in favour of the strikes at the Crown sites, which make up just 3% of the Post Office's portfolio but process 20% of all transactions. | The union's members voted nine-to-one in favour of the strikes at the Crown sites, which make up just 3% of the Post Office's portfolio but process 20% of all transactions. |
| The Post Office, which is state-owned and receives £1.3bn of taxpayer subsidy, has said previously that franchising out branches to retailers was essential to securing the future of the service. | |
| Bosses said they had received 150 expressions of interest from retailers to run post office services in their stores. Subject to a public consultation the crown branches will be transferred to the winning retailers before April 2015. | Bosses said they had received 150 expressions of interest from retailers to run post office services in their stores. Subject to a public consultation the crown branches will be transferred to the winning retailers before April 2015. |