Protest highlights post office threat

Campaigners fighting to protect the future of Shropshire's post offices held a demonstration in Wellington to raise awareness of a bill which they claim could kill off the service.

Members of the Communication Workers' Union, including its general secretary Billy Hayes, were joined by shadow post offices minister MP Nia Griffith, at the Market Street post office yesterday, handing out leaflets to members of the public.

If the controversial bill is passed next month, the Royal Mail would end its relationship with the Post Office, meaning the mail delivery service could use supermarkets or shops instead of post offices as outlets, which they rely on for more than a third of its income.

All shares in Royal Mail would be sold off to the private sector with the Post Office remaining in public hands.

"We are letting the area know that post offices are at risk," said Mr Hayes.

"There has been a lot of support from the public, people who work in the post offices and the people who use them and support them.

"This is part and parcel of keeping the Post Office public and getting Labour re-elected both locally and nationally."

The union claims the Post Office is dependent on Royal Mail's business for its survival.

More than 150 post offices were closed in 2010 and more than 900 are currently up for sale across the country.

Ms Griffith said: "The Royal Mail have to use the Post Offices network as the place you take parcels and letters to be registered.

"The main worry is the Royal Mail could look at using a few main post offices, they wouldn't need the full network, and that would take a lot of business away from local post offices, like in Wellington.

"This Government has not taken forward Labour's plans for a Post Office bank and they have not had any more Government business, in fact the Post Office is actually losing the benefit cheques contract.

"All of these are significant losses and if they lost the Royal Mail contract as well it's going to be extremely difficult for the smaller branches to stay open."