The Communication Workers Union (CWU) is fighting to save our nation’s cherished Post Office network.
This campaign has recently been launched by the CWU in response to the bombshell announcement that 74 Crown offices are to be franchised (privatised) to high-street retailer WH Smith – a move which will impact some 800 jobs and drastically cut services to communities.
The CWU is fighting back, with a range of high-profile local and national campaign activities being planned over the next few months – particularly in the run-up to Christmas.
CWU general secretary Dave Ward says: “At a time when the government is claiming to be on the side of workers, it is an outrage that it is allowing well rewarded jobs to go from a public service, handing them straight to a second-rate employer like WH Smith – recently rated as the worst retailer on the high street who will undoubtedly provide a significantly inferior service.”
And he’s asking all Trade Union members to visit the campaign site, write to their MP and watch out for upcoming Save Our Post Office activities in their local areas.
“Come and get involved in the big nationwide Campaign Day to Save Our Post Office,” is the message from CWU general secretary Dave Ward.
Saturday December 1st will see a protest in Bristol and also in other cities and towns in every region of the UK, as part of CWU’s defiant response to the Post Office bosses’ announcement of the ‘franchising’ of 74 Crown offices to retailer WH Smith, impacting on some 7-800 jobs – marking a change in their strategy from managed decline to terminal decline.
“And that’s what we’re facing unless we can force a change of direction,” says Dave Ward, who is also pushing forward the CWU’s vision for a positive future for our post office network – as the real hubs of our communities.
Andy Furey, CWU assistant secretary, in thanking CWU regions who have organised events added that, “when Labour comes to power, they will re-merge the Post Office and Royal Mail in public ownership – but we have to make sure that there is a Post Office and so this campaign has to succeed.
“Let’s be upbeat,” he urges, adding: “It’s a struggle and it’s tough, but this union’s never rolled over in the past and we ‘ain’t gonna roll over now.”
More information about the CWU’s campaign can be found here save Our Post Office
Bristol Trades Union Council 
Good stuff but doesn’t include the contribution or photo of the woman wheelchair user who spoke. She made various good points including the lack of space there would be at the back of a shop.
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Sorry, trying to take photographs and make notes at the same time. Doesn’t always work out.
The women in question is featured in this post Save Our Post Office – photos
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Here’s a report on Bristol’s Save Our Post Office Day of action –
On Saturday 1st December Bristol Communication Workers Union (CWU) members took part in the national day of action to save the Crown Post Office network.
This campaign recently launched by the CWU in response to the bombshell announcement that 74 Crown offices are to be franchised (privatised) to high-street retailer WH Smith – a move which will impact some 800 jobs and drastically cut services to communities.
In Bristol the protest outside the city’s only remaining Crown Post office was supported by the Bristol Mayor and Labour councillors. Bristol Trades Union Council had mobilised it’s affiliated unions with members of Unite, Unison, UCU, RMT and PCS helping CWU members to distribute leaflets about the closures and to collect signatures on a petition.
Rob Wotherspoon, Bristol CWU Secretary, spoke of the sham Post Office consultation which was only about accessibility to the new premises not about the principle of transfer.
The Communications Workers Union’s Executive Member Andy Hopping warned that what we were seeing was quality jobs being replaced by jobs in a precarious environment. He pointed out that we hear everyday that retail is struggling and as part of this process WH Smiths were closing town centre shops in favour of outlets at railway stations and airports. There was a real danger that we could loose town and city centre posts offices altogether.
Andy said that the Post Office plan was about reducing the quality of service, replacing skilled workers, reducing pension liabilities and paying workers less by moving jobs onto the minimum wage.
Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said that the Post Offices is a community space in our city and that it needs to be protected and he promised that he would work with the TUC and trade unions to protect the fabric of our cities preserving decent jobs with proper pensions.
There was a recorded message from Jeremy Corbyn who warned about the managed decline with 150 Crown Post Offices closed in the last few years. He promised that when the Labour Party wins the next General Election they will rescue Britain’s High Streets and end this programme of closures and bring Crown Post Offices and the Post Office back into public ownership.
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