Post Office staff will take part in a five day strike in the week leading up to Christmas the Communication Workers Union, the trade union supporting Post Office workers, has announced.

The strike, commencing next Monday 19 December and including Christmas Eve, is the largest plan of industrial action staged by the Post Office this year, following a handful of 24-hour strikes held earlier this month and in September and October.

As a result of the Post Office’s refusal to enter into negotiations with the Union and staff to resolve the continued dispute over the closure of its pension scheme, job cuts and the privatisation of Crown Offices, thousands of workers are now set to strike across the country during the company’s busiest period.

CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey said: “All of the blame for this unfortunate turn of events is 100 per cent down to the intransigence of the company, who have launched an unprecedented attack on the jobs, job security, and pensions of thousands of hard-working and loyal Post Office workers.

“Our members want the Post Office management to pause its closure and privatisation programme, hold off on its planned pensions changes, and commit to sitting down with us and with the other key stakeholders of this Great British institution and, together, construct a lasting vision.”

CWU general secretary Dave Ward added: “Our members are being forced into fighting to save their jobs and this great institution from terminal decline. We didn’t want to be in this position, but unless we stand up now, the Post Office as we know it will cease to exist.

“We want a Post Office that works for everyone, for communities, for small and medium-sized businesses, and for the people who serve them – our hard working members, but the people running the Post Office have no serious plan other than further closures and managed decline and we won’t accept that.”

“We will be making a firm proposal for meaningful talks to establish a vision for the future and, if the company respond to that positively then this dispute can be avoided."

The Post Office is yet to respond to PensionsAge’s request for comment.

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