Post Office strike closes hundreds of offices

From a CWU press release:

Crown post offices across the country closed this afternoon as staff walked out on strike at 2pm in the sixth round of strikes in an ongoing dispute over closures, jobs and pay.

Offices closed across the country and many more had mass walkouts while managers were brought in to keep some services running.

In Whitstable local shops closed at 2pm in support of the striking post office staff with a large crowd joining them on their picket line.

This is the sixth round of strike action taken by Communication Workers Union members. A seventh full day of strike action is set for Saturday 29 June.

Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: “The support for this strike just grows and grows. More offices were closed today than on previous strike days and the public have been amazing in their support of Crown post office staff.

“The Post Office cannot ignore this level of opposition. Their plans to close and franchise 76 offices are becoming less popular by the day with tens of thousands of signatures on petitions opposing it.

“The signatures are from customers who really value the Post Office – the company should be embracing them, not ignoring them.

“We remain determined to secure a fair pay rise for Crown Post Office staff who have been singled out and left without a rise since 2011.

“We want to protect jobs and services and we’re calling again on the Post Office to sit down with us and resolve this dispute.”