Mean spirited

The decision by the Post Office to push ahead with the closure of its defined salary pension scheme from the end of March next year has been condemned as ‘unnecessary’ and ‘mean spirited’ by Unite.

The country’s biggest union warned that, as a result, its 732 managers would be taking further industrial action in protest within the next month, in conjunction with the Communication Workers Union (CWU).

Unite repeated its call today for junior business minister Margot James to investigate the Post Office, ultimately owned by the government, to see if the organisation had a coherent business strategy for the future.

‘Disappointed and angered’

Unite officer for the Post Office, Brian Scott, said: “We are disappointed and angered at today’s announcement that the Post Office management has requested the pension scheme’s trustees to close the scheme from the end of March 2017.

“This decision is unnecessary and mean spirited as the pension scheme is currently in surplus to the extent of more than ÂŁ143 million. We call on the Post Office to reverse its decision to close the pension scheme.

“This closure will affect Post Office employees and will take away their long term benefits upon which they have invested many years of service. They stand to lose thousands of pounds in retirement income.

“The government has a responsibility for this and needs to accept this responsibility as the shareholder.”

‘Sustainable future’

“Unite is calling on the government minister responsible for the Post Office, Margot James to launch an investigation to ensure that this much-cherished organisation has a sustainable future, when currently its prospects are bleak for both its customers and workforce.

“The dispute continues and today’s decision gives us no alternative other than to undertake further industrial action, which will take place within the next month.”

Unite’s Post Office managers took 24 hours strike action on 15 September in the escalating  dispute over pensions, job losses and the franchising of Crown post offices.

The same managers had voted by 64 per cent for strike action with 78 per cent supporting industrial action short of a strike.

There are 11,500 post offices across the UK.