NINE Post Office branches and dozen of jobs are at risk in Scotland amid a sweeping overhaul as the group looks to boost postmaster pay by £250 million over five years.
The Post Office revealed it is looking to offload 115 directly-owned branches across the UK within its 11,500 network, which could see them transferred to retail partners or postmasters, or potentially closed.
Post Office chairman Nigel Railton said the shake-up will also offer a “new deal for postmasters” by increasing their share of revenue and giving them a greater say in the running of the business as it looks to move on from the Horizon IT scandal that saw hundreds of subpostmasters wrongfully convicted.
Among the list of 115, nine branches in Scotland are at risk of closing. These include:
- Edinburgh City
- Glasgow
- Haddington
- Inverness
- Kirkwall
- Saltcoats
- Springburn Way
- Stornoway
- Wester Hailes
Railton made the announcement at the company’s headquarters in London on Wednesday in a speech to postmasters across the country, as well as retail partners and Post Office staff.
He said: “The Post Office has a 360-year history of public service and today we want to secure that service for the future by learning from past mistakes and moving forward for the benefit of all postmasters.
“We can, and will, restore pride in working for a business with a legacy of service, rather than one of scandal.”
He added the overhaul also “begins a new phase of partnership during which we will strengthen the postmaster voice in the day-to-day running and operations of the business, so they are represented from the frontline to the boardroom”.
