Thousands of postal workers staging walkout

Thousands of Post Office workers are to walk off the job today in a dispute over jobs, pensions and branch closures.

Members of the Communication Workers Union and Unite are to go on strike for the second time in two months, warning that spending cuts are putting the future of the Post Office in jeopardy.

"The stakes have never been higher for the future of the Post Office, its workers and the communities they serve," CWU general secretary Dave Ward said.

"The Post Office is at crisis point and the management and Government need to listen to the workforce.

"Staff and the public are seeing little more than a glorified closure programme from the Post Office and it cannot survive by simply cutting costs.

"We are calling for the Government, as the owner of the Post Office, to step in, halt the cuts and work with us to develop a proper strategy that will secure the future of the service," he added.

The unions are angry over the closure of the final salary pension scheme, job losses and the franchising of Crown Post Offices, the larger branches usually sited in high streets.

The dispute affects thousands of staff working in Crown offices, administration and supply chain roles across the UK.

The Post Office claims, however, that most of its network of thousands of branches will not be affected by today's industrial action.

The walkout comes after a strike in September, which the unions said had widespread support.

Further strikes in the build-up to Christmas have not been ruled out.