Staff at Barkingside and South Woodford post offices could walk out in an eighth strike this afternoon in an ongoing dispute over jobs, pay and franchise plans.
Industrial action began at Easter in opposition to close around 70 crown post offices, including Barkingside, and move them into shops as part of cost-cutting measures planned to stem £40million losses.
Barkingside Post Office, in High Street, and South Woodford Post Office, in George Lane, are both crown post offices, which are run directly by the company, rather than as a franchise within other businesses.
They plan to close tills at 12.30pm and may join colleagues from across the country at a demonstration in Westminster.
Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) deputy general secretary Dave Ward said the planned changes would “drastically affect the network and the services which communities rely on”.
But Post Office network and sales director Kevin Gilliland said franchised branches would offer access to the same range products and services.
He added: “The CWU is in denial of the need for us to modernise our crown network.”
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