The Communication Workers Union (CWU) yesterday announced a week of action against the closure of Post Offices.
The week of campaigning by the ‘Future for our Post Office’ coalition of organisations – including the National Pensioners Convention, charities Age Concern and RNIB and the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters – has been organised during the ‘consultation period’ over the future of the Post Office Network, beginning on Monday 19th February.
CWU General Secretary Billy Hayes told News Line: ‘The aim of the week is to highlight the huge negative impact closures of Post Offices across the country will have on the public in both rural and urban areas.’
A campaign statement says: ‘We are committed to securing the future of a sustainable Post Office network with a full range of services, including an enhanced Post Office Card account and other national and local government products and services, allowing vulnerable groups to continue to access vital services in their communities.
‘We will press the government to deliver on its recognition of the social and economic importance of Post Offices in both urban and rural areas and represent the voices of those who work in and those who use the post office network.’
Next Tuesday, the National Pensioners Convention will be handing in its submission to the Department of Trade and Industry at 12.30pm, before a mass rally at Central Hall, Westminster, at 1pm, followed by a lobby of Parliament at 3pm.
Next Wednesday, campaigners will demonstrate outside the Crown Post Office on Great Portland Street, central London, between 12 and 2pm.
There will be a lobby of the Scottish Parliament between 12-2pm, before a rally at 2pm.
The TGWU Retired Members Association in Scotland is throwing its weight behind the campaign and will be joining Wednesday’s Hollyrood lobby and rally.
On Thursday, demonstrations will be held outside Worcester and Cirencester Crown Post Offices between 12-2pm, and on Friday demonstrations will be held outside Harrow Crown Post Office, north-west London, between 12-2pm, and outside Newmarket Crown Post office in Cambridgeshire.
There are two additional demonstrations planned in Ilford, Essex and at No 1 The Broadway, Victoria.
South-East London CWU member, Billy Colvill, told News Line: ‘These actions should be supported and I’m sure they will be. But it’s not going to change the government’s mind.
‘As postmen, we are facing the same kind of break-up at Royal Mail, and the union has to face the reality that this government is hell-bent on breaking these networks up and handing them over to private companies.
‘What we need is a strike of the whole public sector, from post offices to hospitals and libraries.
‘All these services are vital, we can’t do without them.
‘But to defend them the big unions need to get together and call a general strike to bring this government down.
‘If there are any more sackings or closures in the post office, they should be met with all-out strike action by the CWU.’