Post Office strike and Westminster rally

From a CWU press release:

Staff in the country's network of 372 Crown post offices will take an eighth round of strike action tomorrow (Wednesday 17 July) in the dispute over closures, jobs, and pay.

Staff will close tills at 12:30pm and many will assemble to march to Portcullis House for an event highlighting the threat to Crown post offices to politicians.

March: 1pm, gather on green outside Broadway Crown Office, London SW1 (Broadway tube station, opposite New Scotland Yard). Walk to Portcullis House, Westminster.
Event: 2 - 3:30pm, Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House, Westminster. Speakers include (others TBC): Alan Johnson, MP, former Home Secretary and previous CWU General Secretary; Ian Murray, MP, Shadow Minister (BIS); Billy Hayes, CWU General Secretary; Dave Ward, CWU Deputy General Secretary (Postal); Katy Clark MP

The Post Office wants to close and/or franchise 75 Crown offices, 20% of the network, and cut up to 1,500 jobs.

These main offices comprise 3% of total post offices but handle 20% of all customers and 40% of all financial services sales making them the powerhouse of the network.

Staff at Crown post offices have not had a pay rise since April 2011 while all other staff represented by CWU in the Post Office have had two pay rises totalling 6.75% in this period; while head office managers shared a bonus pot of £15.4 million.

Strike action will take place from 12:30 on Wednesday 17 July. It will affect up to 4,000 staff working in 372 Crown (main) post offices.

A full list of post offices involved in the dispute and those under threat of closure is available at: http://www.cwu.org/pay-and-the-future-of-the-crown-office.html

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The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

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