Five post offices in Yorkshire set to close

The Communication Workers Union has announced that the Post Office will close and franchise 37 of its flagship Crown office branches, resulting in the loss of 300 jobs and 127 financial specialist roles.

Just before the Christmas period, the union held five days of strikes in protest at the closure of Crown Post Offices, which are the larger branches located on High Streets.

Dave Ward, seneral Secretary of the CWU, has stated that these closures provide “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.”

Among the branches set to close are five post offices located across Yorkshire.

The offices affected in the region:

• New Street (Huddersfield)
• Rotherham
• Pudsey
• Pontefract
• Ossett

Terry Pullinger, CWU deputy general secretary postal, added: “The arrogance of the Post Office and Government is stunning, the Post Office network has been reduced by more than 50% over the past 30 years and continues to be run down.

“It requires a proper business plan for growth and investment which is being ignored. Its IT platform is being held together with sticky tape and it continues to outsource and close its outlets, yet they dress it up as a success and honour its directors.

“A con is a con regardless of how it’s dressed up and the British public and our members are being conned on a grand scale into believing that a Post Office without modern new products and services, and the right investment can survive.”

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