99% of Post Office branches open despite strike action

• More than 11,500 Post Offices open for business as usual today – less than 50 closed
• Last postal dates will not be affected by action

The Post Office is reassuring customers that nearly all Post Office branches are open today, despite strike action by the Communication Workers Union.

Strike action was called at around 300 branches, but around 250 of these are open. Of around 1200 people scheduled to work at these branches today, well over half are maintaining services for customers.

The rest of the Post Office’s network of 11,600 branches are not involved in the dispute and unaffected.

Kevin Gilliland, Post Office, Group Network and Sales Director, said:

“We want to reassure customers that nearly all of our network is unaffected by the strike action.

“It is business as usual, with more than 50,000 Post Office people on hand on hand to support customers as they make their preparations for Christmas.”

He continued:

“The Post Office plays a vital role in communities all over the UK and the changes we are making support our commitment to keeping these services widely available into the future.

“Our progress is clear - over the last four years, we’ve dramatically reduced our losses and need for government subsidy, at the same time as modernising nearly 7000 post offices, adding more than 200,000 extra opening hours each week, and becoming the largest UK retailer open on a Sunday.”

Advice to customers

Strike action has been called in Post Office branches for today, 19th December, Tuesday 20th December and Saturday 24 December.

20th December is the latest recommended date for people sending cards and packages by Royal Mail 2nd Class Mail.

21^st December is the latest recommended date for people sending cards and packages by Royal Mail 1^st Class Mail.

Customers can visit www.postoffice.co.uk to find out if their usual branch may be affected by action, and for more information on nearest alternative nearby branches and their opening hours.

Directly managed branches are based in towns and city centres and typically have several other branches nearby.

N.B. The strike action called by CWU does not involve Royal Mail employees. Royal Mail has informed Post Office that it has robust contingency plans in place and expects that there will be little effect on the services it provides.

Post Office Press Office

1^st Floor, Finsbury Dials

20 Finsbury Street

LONDON

EC2Y 9AQ

Tel: 020 7012 3456 (24 hours),

Email: pressoffice@postoffice.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter @postofficenews

Notes to editors

With over 11,600 branches, the Post Office network is the biggest retail network in the UK, with more branches than all the banks and building societies combined.

97% of Post Office branches are run with retail partners on an agency or franchise basis.

The Post Office provides services central to peoples’ everyday lives; 99.7% of the population lives within 3 miles of a Post Office.

We offer the UK’s largest fee free cash withdrawal network through our 11,500 branches and an additional 2,500 cash machines and 99 per cent of UK bank customers can access their accounts at the Post Office.

We sell 170 different products and services spanning financial services including savings, insurance, loans, mortgages and credit cards; Government services; telephony; foreign currency; travel insurance and mail services.