THOUSANDS of workers in the country's biggest post offices will stage a fresh strike today in a long-running row over branch closures, jobs and pay.
Members of the Communication Workers Union at the Crown offices will launch their fifth day of industrial action after the failure of talks last week to try to resolve the dispute.
The union is opposed to plans to close or franchise 76 Crown offices, the larger branches usually based in high streets, saying 800 jobs will be affected.
The two sides are also in dispute over pay.
Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: "There is massive public opposition to the closure and franchise plans and Post Office management has had to admit its figures on our pay claim were wrong. It cannot continue to plough blindly ahead with deeply unpopular and unnecessary plans.
"We are really pleased we managed to secure £100 for each of our members at last week's meeting, but the big issues of pay, closures, franchising and jobs remain unresolved. We have been given little choice than to press ahead with a further full day of strike action.
"We still believe a common way forward can be found, but it needs Post Office management to focus on a joint resolution, rather than sticking blindly to their flawed plans and throwing money at sending managers out to cover strike days."
Pickets will be mounted outside Crown offices, with up to 4000 union members involved in the action.
Kevin Gilliland, network and sales director at the Post Office, said: "We are disappointed at the CWU's call for further strike action while talks are still ongoing.
"Every hour of strike action is causing disruption for our customers and costing our people money."
The Post Office said Crown offices would lose around £37 million in the past year, adding it was committed to continuing with its plans to "modernise and turn around" its loss-making network of 370 Crown branches.
The plans include franchising 70 branches and closing some others.
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