BERR select committee report is bold but not bold enough says Unite
7th July 2009
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.”
ENDS
For more information contact Brian Scott on 07970 471910 or
Ashraf Choudhury in the Unite press office on 020 7420 8914 or
07980 224761.
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