BERR Select Committee Report is Bold but Not Bold Enough Says Unite

LONDON - Unite, the UK’s largest union, today (Tuesday) welcomes the BERR Select Committee report entitled ‘Post offices- securing their future’, but expresses disappointment that the committee has not been bold enough in recognising that a bank based at the Post Office would only deliver a number of the points that the committee acknowledges in its report.

Paul Reuter, Unite National Officer responsible for the Post Office, said: “This is a good report which acknowledges that there should be no more branch closures. Indeed it also recognises the need for new branches being established where the facilities will be valuable to the community.”

Unite also welcomes also the call for a government-wide leader to coordinate and implement as soon as possible a programme of expanded government services in post offices and urges government to implement this as a priority.

However, the union is disappointed that the committee report does not really address the issue of improving the range of financial services available, whilst calling for them to be increased. Brian Scott, Unite Assistant National Secretary responsible for Post Office, said: “The committee has fudged the solution on how to provide these new services by simply calling for more of the same. This will lead to half of the profit achieved going outside of the Post Office. This profit should be used to invest in the Post Office network and to secure this vital service to communities.”

Source: Unite the Union

For more information contact Brian Scott on +44(0)7970-471910 or Ashraf Choudhury in the Unite press office on +44(0)20-7420-8914 or +44(0)7980-224761.