More than 100 Post Office branches risk closure, set to affect around 1,000 jobs.
The Post Office is looking to cut 115 directly owned branches within its 11,500-strong network, as it looks to boost postmaster pay by 2030.
This plan, announced last Wednesday, is part of the Post Office’s move to a fully franchised network, closing the directly-managed branches which are loss-making.
Out of the 115 branches at risk, 32 are in London.
Post Office Chairman Nigel Railton said that “by increasing their share of revenue and giving them a greater say in the running of the business” this change will “strengthen the postmaster voice in the day-to-day running and operations of the business.”
These actions stem from the Post Office’s response to the Horizon IT scandal that saw hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongfully convicted of stealing due to the company’s defective accounting system.
Railton said that the overhaul aims to “restore pride in working for a business with a legacy of service, rather than one of scandal.”
The Post Office also confirmed that hundreds of further roles at its headquarters are under threat as it looks to streamline back-office operations.
The Communication Workers Union called on the Post Office to halt the plans and for the Government to intervene.
Communication Workers Union General Secretary Dave Ward stressed how this decision and timeliness are bringing fear to their members and victims of the Horizon scandal, defining it as “tone deaf as it is immoral”.
The topic was a focus of discussion in the debate in the House of Lords.
In her speech, Labour Co-op MP for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, Florence Eshalomi, described the Post Offices at risk as “the cornerstone for many of our residents”.
Following footage of Eshalomi’s speech, residents like Nikki Helder have taken to X to express their discontent on these plans: “Losing the Stockwell post office was awful but to lose Clapham as well is terrible.”
A public inquiry remains ongoing into the Horizon IT scandal.
As part of these efforts, in the recent budget release, Chancellor Rachel Reeves declared that £1.8billion will be given to those needing compensation for the scandal.