PO workers step up strike action

Oldham Post Office workers will stage a 48-hour strike over the August bank holiday in an escalating row over pay, jobs and closures.

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) will stage the national walk-out on Saturday and Tuesday, taking to 11 the number of days lost during the five-month dispute.

CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward said: “Enough is enough. It’s time to resolve this.”

This latest strike action comes after staff voted by nine to one (88 per cent) in favour of the stoppages at Crown Post Offices.

The long-running row centres on the Post Office’s plan to franchise or close 75 Crown sites, the larger branches usually found on high streets, and cut up to 1,500 jobs.