Lordship Lane Post Office closure threat/strike action

[Twirly]

Was anyone else aware that the main Post Office on Lordship Lane was closed today due to a strike? I have heard that it is under threat of closure ? does anyone know if that is true? And if so, is there a petition anywhere I can sign against it?s closure? (If that is a fallacy, does anyone know why they are on strike?)

What should have been a quick, half hour trip to post some packages just turned into a two hour round trip to the one down near the Plough. It took so long as they only had one counter open, and were obviously dealing with the overflow ? the queue was huge. What a waste of an afternoon.

I am surprised if they are going to close the Lordship Lane branch, as it seems to be busy every time I go in there (at various times of day, and days of the week) and always have to queue. I don?t relish the thought of having to divert to one of the other less conveniently placed ones, particularly if they can?t provide the same level of service. What will it become? Yet another caf??

Edited to change title.

[stacey-lyn]

Threat of closure? Since when? Only found out about the strike when I arrived there this afternoon with my letters & parcels and read the sign on the firmly shut doors :( Hopped it to the Village where it was nice & quiet :)

[lane lover]

There was another strike a few weeks ago as well - so not a one-off.

I believe its in response to this: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2275423/Post-Office-shut-branches-losing-40m-year.html

[the-e-dealer]

Its been slated for closure for a long time.

[keane]

That's crazy - it's a really busy post office serving the community.

[tiddles]

and the only one that does passports and tax discs.

[the-e-dealer]

Unfortunately they lose money.

[UncleBen]

We should all support the local main PO workers in their strike action to save their jobs not only as a matter of course, but because we all benefit from this PO. Strike action and loss of pay is always a last resort. Don't moan about the inconvenience because if it is closed down people will lose their jobs and we'll be inconvenienced for good.

[the-e-dealer]

UB He Talk Sense!

[Twirly]

So how do we support them?

[UncleBen]

Speak to them next time you're in their, tell them you understand their actions, give your verbal support, and maybe email the PO bosses giving your views. The PO staff maybe able to provide more info.

[stacey-lyn]

keane Wrote:

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> That's crazy - it's a really busy post office

> serving the community.

Ditto. It provides essential services. Whenever I've complained about the staff shortages and lines spilling out onto the pavement, the overstretched staff including the branch manager have said "Complain. We need more staff." And what about people without the ability to reach the nearest post offices? According to their spiel, their "priority is to maintain Post Office services to the local community." Bollocks.

[KalamityKel]

http://www.cwu.org/crown-offices-under-threat.html

[buddug]

What, I wonder, do our exalted councillors and MP have to say on this matter, or are they keeping quiet in the hope it'll be turned into a Waitrose...

[Freddy1929]

buddug Wrote:

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> What, I wonder, do our exalted councillors and MP

> have to say on this matter, or are they keeping

> quiet in the hope it'll be turned into a

> Waitrose...

Could our Local Councillors be keeping quiet as they are in a coalition with the Tory's who are hell bent on selling off the Post Office and the Royal Mail services to the highest bidder?

[mynamehere]

LORDSHIP LANE POST OFFICE REPLACEMENT

I am cutting and pasting this from James Barber's blog. Absolutely no comment at all from me as I have no idea at all what the facts are of this issue.

The Post Office has 373 Crown Post Office branches. It?s decided to transfer 70 to retail partners.

One of the 70 is our one on Lordship Lane.

They have stressed to me that this is not about closing our post office on Lordship Lane but rather replacing it. But obviously this will cause great concern and will require a 6 week public consultation.

My experience of such Post Office replacements has been very positive but that is no guarantee it will work well on Lordship Lane.

A Post Office spokesperson stated ?We are confident that our plans will mean that customers continue to benefit from a Post Office in their locality delivering service of the highest quality. Partnering with a complementary, respected retailer will also provide for long term viability and sustainability of the branches in question.?

What do you think to this change?

[James Barber]

Some months ago i was asked about a rumour post office staff were telling some customers about their 'crown post office" closing. A resident told me via a PM and it only took a few weeks to ascertain that.

I blogged about this in late March - http://jamesbarber.mycouncillor.org.uk/2013/03/28/lordship-lane-post-office-replacement/

Yes the post office will close IF a new franchise post office can be created on Lordship Lane.

We've been promised in writing that the replacement will offer exactly the same services.

The rationale.

Currently for every ?1 of comission and revenue towards their operating costs they spend ?1.48. Clearly this isn't sustainable.

My personal experiences are such francises can work well. Until last autumn my day job was near borough tube. The crown post office was closed and the replacement franchise I found gave me a better more personal service.

Timescales.

The want to find a business partner and have a franchise in place by Spring 2015.

[seemster]

What about the staff, James? When / if the new franchise opens do they TUPE over the crown post office staff? Were you served by the same people in the Borough branch after the switch?

[ianr]

> The rationale. Currently for every ?1 of comission and revenue towards their operating costs they spend ?1.48. Clearly this isn't sustainable.

> My personal experiences are such francises can work well. Until last autumn my day job was near borough tube. The crown

> post office was closed and the replacement franchise I found gave me a better more personal service.

And is it profitable? What is it about the economics that make a franchise viable when Post Office Counters seem only to be able to run it at a loss?

[the-e-dealer]

You can probably TRY and get TUPE. But you will probably queue for ages only to find you are in the wrong queue with the wrong form!

[lane lover]

ianr Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> > The rationale. Currently for every ?1 of

> comission and revenue towards their operating

> costs they spend ?1.48. Clearly this isn't

> sustainable.

>

> > My personal experiences are such francises can

> work well. Until last autumn my day job was near

> borough tube. The crown

> > post office was closed and the replacement

> franchise I found gave me a better more personal

> service.

>

> And is it profitable? What is it about the

> economics that make a franchise viable when Post

> Office Counters seem only to be able to run it at

> a loss?

Its clearly not profitable as costs are greater than revenues.

The private sector has demonstrated many times that an unprofitable service can be made profitable with productivity improvements. The public sector for a very long period of time has not been motivated to improve efficiency, and we all know where that has left many services today. Why indeed is the public sector still losing jobs while the private sector is increasing?

I expect that any franchise owner of such service would be clearly more motivated to make money - and the main way to make money is through improving the efficiency of service to customers.

If what James says is true, I am looking forward to a better service at a new Post Office. I am sick of queueing and wasting valuable time in ED - one of the worst post offices I have experienced!

[ianr]

>>And is it profitable?

>Its clearly not profitable as costs are greater than revenues.

My question was about the franchise.

[Callie]

anyone know if they are open today?

[Louisa]

To lose a major post office and a big part in many people's lives at the heart of our community would be awful. This cannot be allowed to happen. It would leave a huge hole in our bustling high street.

Louisa.

[bornagain]

What Louisa said.