More than 100 Post Office branches and some 1,000 jobs are at risk under a sweeping overhaul.
The Post Office is looking to offload 115 directly-owned branches within its 11,500-strong network, which could see them transferred to retail partners or postmasters or even closed.
Besides the 1,000 workers employed across the branches, the Post Office also confirmed on Wednesday (November 13) that hundreds more roles are under threat at its HQ as it looks to streamline back office operations.
Post Office chairman Nigel Railton said the shake-up would offer a “new deal for postmasters” by increasing their share of revenue and giving them a greater say in the running of the business.
But it will come as a blow to subpostmasters as the company looks to move on from the Horizon IT scandal that saw hundreds wrongfully convicted.
The plans, which are subject to government funding, would see average branch pay doubled by 2030, with £120million in additional pay by the end of the first year.
The 115 figure is close to the number of branches where thousands of staff went on strike in July, 2022.
These included:
Antrim
Bangor
Belfast City
Edinburgh City
Glasgow
Haddington
Inverness
Kirkwall
Londonderry
Newtownards
Saltcoats
Springburn Way
Stornoway
Wester Hailes
Barnes Green
Bransholme
Bridlington
Chester Le Street
Crossgates
Eccles
Furness House
Grimsby
Hyde
Kendal
Manchester
Morecambe
Morley
Poulton Le Fylde
Prestwich
Rotherham
Salford City
Sheffield City
South Shields
St Johns
Sunderland City
The Markets
Birmingham
Breck Road
Caernarfon
Didsbury Village
Harlesden
Kettering
Kingsbury
Leigh
Leighton Buzzard
Matlock
Milton Keynes
Northolt
Old Swan
Oswestry
Oxford
Redditch
Southall
St Peters Street
Stamford
Stockport
Wealdstone
Barnet
Cambridge City
Canning Town
Cricklewood
Dereham
Golders Green
Hampstead
Harold Hill
Kilburn
Kingsland High Street
Lower Edmonton
Roman Road
South Ockendon
Stamford Hill
Bideford
Dunraven Place
Gloucester
Liskeard
Merthyr Tydfil
Mutley
Nailsea
Newquay
Paignton
Port Talbot
Stroud
Teignmouth
Yate Sodbury
Baker Street
Bexhill On Sea
Cosham
Great Portland Street
High Street (10)
Kensington
Knightsbridge
Melville Road
Paddington Quay
Portsmouth
Raynes Park
Romsey
Westbourne
Windsor
Worlds End
Aldwych
Brixton
Broadway
City of London
Clapham Common
East Dulwich
Eccleston Street
High Holborn
Houndsditch
Islington
Kennington Park
London Bridge
Lupus Street
Mount Pleasant
Vauxhall Bridge Road
Express.co.uk has asked the Post Office to confirm which branches are at risk of closure.
The 115 branches put at risk are Crown Post Offices located in city centres and staffed by Post Office employees.
They are the only remaining branches directly owned by the Post Office, down from close to 400 in 2010.
A spokesman for the Post Office said: “The plan intends to create a new operating model for the business that means ensuring the Post Office has the right organisational design.”
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) union called on the Post Office to halt the plans and for the Government to intervene.
CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: “For the company to announce the closure of hundreds of Post Offices hot on the heels of the Horizon scandal is as tone deaf as it is immoral.
“CWU members are victims of the Horizon scandal – and for them to now fear for their jobs ahead of Christmas is yet another cruel attack.”
