Post Office axing hundreds of jobs as branches downgraded, says union

The Post Office is cutting more than 400 jobs as it closes and franchises Crown offices and cuts financial specialist roles, a union has said.

It adds to 2,000 job losses across the whole business in 2016, according to the Communication Workers' Union (CWU).

The CWU said the Post Office was to downgrade 37 of its flagship Crown offices by closing and franchising them to private operators.

It also claimed the business was cutting 127 financial specialist roles.

The Post Office was expected to issue a statement on the plans later today.

The union said the cuts came on top of 62 branches announced for closure and franchise in 2016.

It said announcements made over the last year already meant job losses in Crown offices, plus supply chain and admin roles.

CWU 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."

He said the decision "sticks two fingers up" at everyone who took part in a recent consultation on the future of the Post Office.

Mr Ward said 75,000 postcards had been returned to the Government signed by members of the public calling for an end to the closure and franchise programme - and that their views had been completely ignored.

The Crown Post Offices at the centre of the programme are those larger branches usually situated on high streets.

Thousands of workers at Crown offices took part in industrial action recently in the run-up to Christmas.