Outcry at plans to hand Post Offices to WH Smith

PROTESTS will be held across the country today in support of Post Offices and against plans to franchise scores of branches to retailer WH Smith.

The Communication Workers Union is holding demonstrations at almost 50 locations, supported by politicians and campaigners.

The union is also gathering names for a petition it hopes will lead to the future of the Post Office being debated in Parliament.

The union says that when Crown offices close, many staff leave the service and jobs advertised by firms such as WH Smith offer lower wages.

Shameful

CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: “The day of action is an ambitious one.

“We are holding dozens of events from Truro to Aberdeen, in every region of the United Kingdom, to engage with members of the public about this latest shameful round of planned closures.

“People are sick and tired of the broken privatisation agenda that is behind this latest move. ”

Roger Gale, Post Office network and sales director, said: “The Post Office is committed to keeping its vital services on high streets and at the heart of communities.

“However, we are not immune to the challenges facing retailers in local high streets.

“We must adapt to changing customer needs by making our services more accessible.

“That is why we are proposing to franchise a further 74 directly managed branches to WH Smith.

“The plan enables us to maintain branches in town and city centres in a way that’s financially sustainable.”