The Submit Administrative center has mentioned it’ll offload a closing 108 branches it straight owns and can transfer to a completely franchised community.
About 1,000 group of workers operating in those branches might be presented a call to transport to paintings for any new proprietor or take voluntary redundancy.
It’s understood the Submit Administrative center has gained pastime from possible retail companions together with Tesco and Ryman, in addition to sub-postmasters, to take at the loss-making branches.
The Verbal exchange Employees Union (CWU) known as for the federal government to intrude in an instant and read about selection choices.
CWU normal secretary Dave Ward mentioned: “The Submit Administrative center’s declare that those group services and products might be maintained via their failed franchising fashion is laughable to any individual who has noticed their native Submit Administrative center services and products lowered to the again of a store.
“The sell-off of WH Smith final week displays simply how fragile and ill-thought out this fashion is. That is the whole privatisation of the Submit Administrative center by way of the again door.”
The Submit Administrative center showed final November that the way forward for the those websites could be below evaluation as a part of a five-year plan to overtake the trade.
A choice on who will take them over might be made within the coming weeks. The Submit Administrative center will prevent working them via the fall, topic to govt investment.
Submit Administrative center chairman Nigel Railton mentioned the 108 branches will both keep in the similar location or be relocated within reach so shoppers proceed to have get right of entry to to the services and products.
He mentioned transferring to a completely franchised community was once one a part of enabling the Submit Administrative center to ship a brand new deal for postmasters.
“Through franchising those branches, we’re protective get right of entry to to our services and products for communities proper throughout the United Kingdom and realising £40m price of financial savings that can allow us to uplift postmasters’ remuneration via as much as 10%,” he mentioned.
He mentioned over the approaching months the Submit Administrative center would proceed to paintings with unions to seek advice from group of workers within the 108 branches and make stronger them in the course of the transition.
The Submit Administrative center mentioned it might paintings with franchise companions with a transparent monitor report of effectively working Submit Administrative center services and products or identical customer-focused retail to verify shoppers proceed to obtain a prime stage of provider as soon as the branches are franchised.
The corporate mentioned it remained dedicated to assembly the present requirement to have at least 11,500 branches throughout the United Kingdom and to fulfill the six get right of entry to standards set via govt.
Additional main points on proposals might be shared with native communities and stakeholders for particular person branches within the coming weeks.
