A SCOTTISH MP has called on the UK Government to urgently review pay levels for Post Office workers and set out measures to protect branches from closure.
Marion Fellows, the SNP’s small business spokesperson, has warned that businesses and local communities are becoming increasingly reliant on Post Offices, with 15 branches of Santander Bank set to close and more than 230 other bank branches being shut or earmarked for closure since 2013.
A number of sub-postmasters in her Motherwell and Wishaw constituency turned down the chance to reopen one of the area’s Post Office branches, she said, because of concerns over pay and contracts.
Post Office profits rose to £35 million in 2017/18, while 11,500 of its workers faced a combined pay cut of £17m.
Citizens Advice revealed that more than two million small businesses – 62% of the UK total – use Post Offices at least once a month. Its research also showed that most people (49%) found Post Office branches more important than a bank branch (31%), library (29%), or a pub (25%).
Fellows has called on Postal Affairs Minister Kelly Tolhurst to set out what assessments the UK Government has carried out on pay levels and remuneration packages for Post Office workers and the franchising of Post Office branches to WH Smith. She said: “Post Office branches are the backbone of local communities and ... as the special shareholder, it is the UK Government’s duty to meet its responsibilities to the Post Office, sub-postmasters and the public.
“It is not feasible to allow such valued community assets to decline so that profits can increase on the backs of workers.”
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