The Post Office is considering axing around two-thirds of jobs at the postal company in a blow to Britons, according to reports.
Earlier this year, a review into cutting costs was launched by interim chairman Nigel Raiton with job cuts being considered.
The Telegraph reports that the company is “under discussions” with the Government over the results of the review.
Details of whether roles will be cut are set to be shared with staff and sub-postmasters in the near future.
Rumours of cuts to the workforce have resulted in anxiety over the fate of thousands of Post Offices across the country.
It should be noted that any reduction in staffing will not impact sub-postmasters who operate the majority of the postal retail firm’s 11,500 sites.
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Job cuts at the Post Office could impact peoples’ access to cash
POST OFFICE
Despite this, job cuts increase the odds the UK’s waning Crown Post Office branch network could be slashed as these are staffed and hired directly by the company.
One of the proposals involves staff numbers being cut from around 3,100 to around 1,000.
This is part of efforts to slash more than £200 million in costs with money saved going towards postmasters’ pay.
It is understood that 117 Crown branches were operational in the country as of March 2023.
At the time of the review’s announcement, the company claimed it was looking for “views of the serving postmasters and other stakeholders with an interest in the Post Office’s role in communities across the country”.
A Post Office spokesman told GB News: “Our interim chair commissioned an independent review that’s looking at the sustainability of our branches and how we can best serve communities into the future.
“He has been clear from the outset that remediation for postmasters affected by the IT scandal and providing postmasters with a higher revenue share are his priorities.
“A range of recommendations are currently under discussion with the Government, and we are engaging with bodies representing Postmasters as these discussions continue.”
The Post Office is “under discussions” with the Government
PA
Speculation over job cuts comes ahead of Post Office chief executive Nick Read being questioned over the Horizon scandal.
During the inquiry into the wrongful prosecution of 900 sub-postmasters, it was heard that Read was “obsessed with his pay”
The chief executive reportedly asked for pay rises despite hundreds of workers being wrongfully penalised after Fujitsu software inaccurately recorded shortfalls in their accounts.
