Post Office facing further Christmas strike action
A group of Post Office staff plan a series of strikes over Christmas in a dispute over pay and jobs.
The workers - who deliver and collect cash from post office branches - will walk out on 23 December, Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and 2 January, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) said.
The action follows a one-day stoppage last week.
The Post Office said that all branches will remain open despite the strikes.
The CWU warned it also planned to ballot staff working in Crown Post Offices for industrial action next month.
The dispute centres on the 1,500 employees working in the Post Office's admin and supply chain, who the CWU says have been threatened with 28% job losses.
"We will continue with our plans for further industrial action until the Post Office removes the very real threat of compulsory redundancies from negotiations.
"There are no circumstances under which we would accept compulsory redundancies of workers in the Admin and Supply Chain," said CWU Deputy General Secretary Dave Ward.
In response, Keith Rann, the Post Office's head of supply chain, said the plan for further strike action was "irresponsible and misguided".
"We must make changes to reduce our reliance on public money and sustain our business, and we cannot meet their unrealistic demands for the taxpayer to pay for the continuous employment of people who we cannot find a role for within our business," he added.
The Post Office said it is offering the supply team and the administration team a "fair and affordable pay offer" of a 6% increase over three years.