CROWN Post Office workers, all over the country walked out at 12.30pm sharp yesterday, in an effort to persuade the government to halt plans to close five post offices and franchise out another 71.
They were also striking against loss of pay and pensions.
Staff at Crown Post Offices have not had a pay rise since April 2011.
At London’s Westminster Crown Offices, a large number of staff and CWU officers walked to Parliament Square.
Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) member Sue Thompson, said: ‘These closures are affecting every working class person in the country and if everyone came on board in strike action it would have a huge impact on the government.
‘I don’t think the TUC are coordinating all the strike action by various unions into one mass action.
‘The privatisation of Royal Mail will be another nail in the coffin of public services. Hopefully our people will get on board and be a bit more mouthy about a general strike all across the country.’
Hugh Davies, a CWU officer, said: ‘This fight is about pay rises, and against Crown Post Office closures and sackings.
‘We want a percentage increase on our basic pay, rather than lump sum payments. We are still owed our lump sum payment from last year.
‘The government is also planning to franchise out 70 High Street offices and close five offices which is a fifth of the network. It will mean a loss of 1,500 jobs.
‘Post Offices nationally are helpful to the local comunities, and should be a service, not run down in a fruitless exercise to bring it back to profitability by 2015.
‘In the last resort, defending the service means taking strike action across the country. Thousands of us have abided by the call for strike action.’
