POST OFFICE: CROWN OFFICE NETWORK – FRANCHISING PLANS

POST OFFICE: CROWN OFFICE NETWORK – FRANCHISING PLANS
The Post Office has today announced its plans for a further franchising programme, which follows quickly on from the last round of franchises under the Crown Transformation Programme. This development will obviously be devastating news for our members. The details are as follows:
 Up to 100 Crown Offices are vulnerable to closure or franchising via 2 tranches as follows:
 Tranche 1
 39 Crown Offices to be franchised (list below)
3 actual closures – Antrim, Shaftesbury Square in Belfast and Barry in South Wales (these closures are on top of Earls Court and Western Road Brighton due to close shortly).

Impacting on up to 400 jobs.

 
Aberystwyth
Halifax
Paisley
Antrim
Harborne
Penzance
Banbury
Harlow
Peterborough City
Barry
Harpenden
Pinner
Beckenham
Hartlepool
Shaftesbury Square
Beeston
Headingley
Sheerness
Bognor Regis
Honiton
St Andrews Cross
Bromsgrove
Kilmarnock
St Austell
Bury St Edmunds
Lancaster
St Johns Wood
Cirencester Town
Lewes
Sudbury
Crouch End
Longton
Sydenham
Denbigh
Lower Edmonton
Wakefield
Durham
Maidenhead
Walworth Road
Felixstowe
Muswell Hill
Waterlooville
 
Tranche 2
 A further 40-50 Crowns to be franchised “in future tranches over the next two years unless significant opportunities can be found to make them profitable”. (Quote from Post Office slide presentation to the Union).

 Likely to impact on another 500-600 members’ jobs.

The Post Office’s plans, which amount to blatant privatisation, could see the Crown Network reduced by very nearly 100 Crowns and 1000 members. Effectively, this attack on jobs impacts on a third of the current workforce and Crown Network and would leave us with only c.220 Crowns in the future.
Whilst the Crown Transformation Programme will, by the end of this financial year, have delivered the Crown Network to a run-rate of break-even (a target set by the Government) the Post Office has now decided it wants to achieve a position whereby the network will make £10m by the end of 2017/18. It is our hard-working loyal members who will be paying the price for this decision with the potential loss of their jobs as a consequence of the attack on the Crown Office Network.
 Membership Communication
A membership communication is planned for later this week. We will also be communicating to our Crown members via Facebook, email and text message today and over the coming days as the situation develops.
 The People’s Post Campaign
 In consultation with the General Secretary and Deputy General Secretary (P) we have made the decision to make our campaign on the Crown Office Network integral to the People’s Post initiative. We will therefore be campaigning politically, both locally and nationally in defence of the Crown Network under the overarching banner of the People’s Post. Branches will be advised of any further developments in regard to the details of this activity at the earliest opportunity.
 Next Steps
The Postal Executive is receiving documentation today and we are meeting with our Territorial / Area Representatives later this week to consult with them regarding our next steps.
Further developments will be reported.
 
If you have any questions in relation to this LTB, please contact Lea Sheridan – lsheridan@cwu.org.
Yours sincerely
 
Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 030/16 Post Office: Crown Office Network – Franchising Plans