Workers at almost 300 major post offices are set to strike after their employers extended traditional Christmas Eve opening hours, although the Post Office says its service will be little affected.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) balloted for strike action after the state-owned Post Office said it would keep branches open until 4:00 p.m. despite traditionally letting its workers finish at 12.30 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
The action could affect 294 of the Post Office's 560 directly-managed branches -- most of them high street offices -- but the Post Office said on Friday managers would fill in after any walk-out at 12.30 pm. The massive network of independent sub-post offices will remain unaffected, it said.
In total the strike would only affect up to 2 percent of the country's 15,300 post offices.
"In most cases it will just be a diminished service, in terms of less staff," a Post Office spokesman said.
"There might well be one or two offices that are shut completely, it really depends," he said, adding that very few offices had a totally-unionised staff.
CWU officer Andy Furey said management's decision to extend opening hours was mean and overdemanding after a busy run-up to Christmas.
Workers "deserve the time off to be with their loved ones and families," he told the BBC.
But the Post Office said it was particularly important to stay open longer this year because nearly two million customers receiving pensions and benefits would have to wait until next Wednesday if they did not collect on Friday.
The Post Office spokesman, who said the two sides had been locked in talks for several months, said the Post Office had to become more competitive.
"These are changing times. We have competitors out there who are open until 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. and we need to match that. Don't forget the staff are paid, in many cases, until 5.30 or 6:00 p.m.," he said.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) balloted for strike action after the state-owned Post Office said it would keep branches open until 4:00 p.m. despite traditionally letting its workers finish at 12.30 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
The action could affect 294 of the Post Office's 560 directly-managed branches -- most of them high street offices -- but the Post Office said on Friday managers would fill in after any walk-out at 12.30 pm. The massive network of independent sub-post offices will remain unaffected, it said.
In total the strike would only affect up to 2 percent of the country's 15,300 post offices.
"In most cases it will just be a diminished service, in terms of less staff," a Post Office spokesman said.
"There might well be one or two offices that are shut completely, it really depends," he said, adding that very few offices had a totally-unionised staff.
CWU officer Andy Furey said management's decision to extend opening hours was mean and overdemanding after a busy run-up to Christmas.
Workers "deserve the time off to be with their loved ones and families," he told the BBC.
But the Post Office said it was particularly important to stay open longer this year because nearly two million customers receiving pensions and benefits would have to wait until next Wednesday if they did not collect on Friday.
The Post Office spokesman, who said the two sides had been locked in talks for several months, said the Post Office had to become more competitive.
"These are changing times. We have competitors out there who are open until 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. and we need to match that. Don't forget the staff are paid, in many cases, until 5.30 or 6:00 p.m.," he said.
