Jobs to go as five more Yorkshire Post Offices put on hit list

The announcement, coupled with the loss of 127 financial specialist roles, came just weeks after the closure of a consultation on the future of the postal service.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said on top of the 62 branches announced for closure and franchise in 2016, the job cuts brings more “misery” to Post Office workers and customers.

Post Offices in Yorkshire, including at Huddersfield, Ossett in Wakefield, Pontefract, Pudsey in Leeds and Rotherham, will be among those to seek “franchise partners”.

General secretary Dave Ward said: “The latest round of closures is further evidence that the Post Office is in crisis and that the board of the company, backed by the Government, is simply pursuing a strategy of slash and burn.

“75,000 postcards were returned to the Government signed by members of the public calling for an end to the closure and franchise programme - the Post Office and the Government have completely ignored their views.

“The CWU will not accept this and we will be stepping up our political and industrial campaign to fight for the future of the Post Office.”

Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, which under the plans would lose the town’s Crown Post Office on Bridgegate, said: “The Crown Post Office in Rotherham provides vital services like passport renewal and driving licence verification, which will be difficult for to people to access elsewhere. Rotherham deserves better.”

CWU deputy general secretary Terry Pullinger said: “The arrogance of the Post Office and Government is stunning. The Post Office network has beenreduced by more than 50 per cent over the past 30 years and continues to be run down.

The Post Office said it will be seeking “partners” for 37 of its directly managed branches, in addition to 93 previously announced in the last calendar year, nearly half of which have now relocated into retail stores.

Roger Gale, sales and trade marketing director, said: “We’re committed to maintaining the Post Office’s special place on the high street and the changes we are making underpin our continued commitment to give communities in every part of the country access to essential services.

“The Post Office’s network of more than 11,600 branches is easily the largest in the UK, with 17 million customer visits a week. The vast majority of these branches are run with partners, and in the locations announced today we believe this will also be a more sustainable approach for the long term.

“With consumer habits changing, and the high cost of maintaining premises in prime high street locations, franchising helps us to keep services where our customers want and need them.

“We will take time to identify the right partners over the coming months and all proposals will be subject to local consultation.”

Unite officer Brian Scott said it was “salami slicing of a much respected and valued national institution in pursuit of profit”, adding: “The public will suffer as services are continually and systematically eroded.

“Customers who want to take up the services that the Post Office is offering will have to do it online or on the phone.”

The union has staged strikes in protest at the closure of Crown Post Offices - the larger branches usually sited on high streets.