Staff walk-outs will take place at Post Office branches across the nation today following the recent disputes over pay. Crown Post Office workers who are also members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) will be taking part in the strike, with more staff expected to follow on Monday. A total of 114 sites are expected to be affected by the strikes, and it could include your local Post Office. Here’s how to check.
Is my post office closed today?
The vast majority of the Post Office’s 11,500 branches are run by independent Postmasters, often as a counter in a convenience store or by one of its franchise partners, such as WHSmith.
While the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday has affected opening hours across the nation since Thursday, June 2, the CWU trade union has confirmed that strike action will only occur at the Post Office’s directly managed branches.
In a statement, the CWU confirmed that “every one of the UK’s 114 Crown Post Offices will close on Saturday, June 4”.
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A Post Office spokesperson revealed that “over two thirds” of these directly managed sites would normally only be open between 9am and 12.30pm on a Saturday.
They said: “We apologise to any customers who are inconvenienced by a closure.”
If you are unsure as to whether your local Post Office is open, you can check opening hours via the Post Office website here.
All you need to do is type in your postcode and the branch finder will locate your nearest site, and show the correct contact details for each site.
When will the strikes end?
Nationwide closures will see severe disruption to Post Office services over the weekend, but it’s not the end of the strike action.
According to the CWU, supply chain and admin colleagues will also hit the picket lines on Monday, June 6.
The union said: “The Supply Chain strike will mean that there will be no cash collections or deliveries to any of the country’s 11,500 sub-post offices.
“To the UK public, our message is that this action is 100 percent the fault of the Post Office leadership.”
While customers across the country will be affected by the planned strikes, the CWU is urging people to give their support during this “just struggle”.
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Why are staff going on strike?
Counter, supply chain and admin staff are walking out to acknowledge the ongoing pay row.
This is the second bout of nationwide strikes which have taken place this year, following the continual refusal of Post Office management to accept the CWU’s call for a fair pay deal.
CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey said: “Their latest offer is for a 2.5 per cent rise with effect from April 1st 2022, plus a £500 lump sum.
“So not only is this way, way below the April 2022 RPI inflation figure of 11.1 per cent, it also offers absolutely no back-pay for the whole 2021/22 period – for which the Post Office is imposing a pay freeze.”
The dispute follows the recent announcement which revealed that the Post Office earned £35 million in profits.
According to Mr Furey, a decent pay rise for CWU members would only cost about £5m, to settle the dispute.
He added: “This is an action that our members have been forced into by the sheer arrogance of senior Post Office management, who have betrayed hard-working employees and this great national institution and essential public service.
“To offer such a paltry pay increase for 2022, when inflation is at a 40-year high, is frankly an outrage.”
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