Post Office has failed

Seconding a motion on the crisis in the Post Office, Unite EC member and delegate Ivan Monckton said that Unite was proud that, its post office managers had taken industrial action on pensions, job losses and the franchising of Crown post offices.

“The pension issue needs to be seen against the backdrop of continuing redundancies and the latest franchising of 20 Crown post offices which are a result of the failure of top management to have a viable and sustainable business plan to secure services for the public and jobs for the workforce in the future,” he said.

Monckton expressed concern over the government’s support for closing the pension scheme, while refusing to provide the necessary funding for the Post Office to go forward.

“Ultimately, the British public will suffer as they see the services offered by a much-loved institution being eroded by neglect from the top.

“Unite had asked for a government investigation into the Post Office – but this was rejected by junior business minister Margot James,” reported Monckton.

“It was made clear that the government’s priority is the sub-office network at the expense of the 300-strong Crown office network which has been the backbone of the Post Office for decades.

“The decision to close the pension scheme is happening at a time when the scheme continues to be in surplus to the tune of between £100m to £130m.”

He added that Unite members were angry that the Post Office was letting them down through a lack of a clear-cut strategy for the business and its’ failure to balance the books.

He urged the conference to “support a vibrant, public post office,” as closures affected the most vulnerable in society. The motion was carried.