Press release -
MAJORITY OF POST OFFICE BRANCHES UNAFFECTED BY UNION’S CALL FOR STRIKE ACTION ON 31st OCTOBER
- Business as usual for 50,000 people working in over 11,000 branches
- Post Office disappointed by strike action and committed to ongoing talks
- In September’s strike nearly 99% of the network open for customers
- Changes needed to safeguarded Post Office services for the future
- Contingency plans will minimise disruption of industrial action
The Post Office has said the vast majority of its network of 11,600 branches will be unaffected by the strike action called by its unions on 31st October.
Kevin Gilliland, Post Office’s Network and Sales Director, said: “We want to reassure customers that the vast majority of people working at Post Office branches will not be involved and that almost all of our network will be open for business and operating normally.
“It will be business as usual for the 50,000 people working in the over 11,000 branches run by independent businesses. In addition, our contingency plans will ensure many directly-managed branches remain open and that there is sufficient cash and stock for our whole network.
“The Post Office wants to reach a constructive way forward through talking with our unions. More than 99 per cent of people in the UK live within three miles of a Post Office branch, but we must make changes to safeguard that level of service for future generations.
“The Post Office is committed to keeping its branches at the heart of communities.But we must also respond to changing customer needs. Over the last four years, we have modernised over 6,500 branches, adding more than 200,000 extra opening hours each week, and becoming the largest UK retail network open on Sundays.”
About the Post Office
Post Office Limited has an unrivalled national network of over 11,600 branches across the UK, more than all the high street banks combined, and sits at the heart of many communities across the country.
It provides around 170 different services and products spanning financial services including savings, insurance, loans, mortgages and credit cards. Post Office also offers Government services, telephony, foreign currency, travel insurance and mail services.
99.7% of people live within three miles of their nearest Post Office outlet. For many rural communities the Post Office is the only retail outlet. Post Offices remain highly valued and trusted and are the focal point for many communities. For more information, visit www.postoffice.co.uk.
