Progress made on Postmaster’s pay

Postmasters will receive an increase in pay for handling banking transactions, following a campaign from Motherwell and Wishaw MP Marion Fellows.
Motherwell and Wishaw MP Marion Fellows met with local sub-Postmasters to discuss remunerationMotherwell and Wishaw MP Marion Fellows met with local sub-Postmasters to discuss remuneration
Motherwell and Wishaw MP Marion Fellows met with local sub-Postmasters to discuss remuneration

Main branches will now receive £1 per £1000 banked (up from 37p), and local branches will receive 87p per £1000 (up from 24p).

Mrs Fellows opposed the privatisation of larger, publicly-owned Crown branches such as the former Motherwell town centre branch.

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It was revealed last month that Scotland is being hit hardest by the Postmaster crisis as more and more sub-Postmasters hand in their keys.

Of the 1016 temporarily closed branches, 134 are in Scotland representing 13 per cent of all temporarily closed branches with Scotland only having eight per cent of the population.

Likewise, 52 of the 315 branches run by a temporary operator are in Scotland.

Mrs Fellows called for more to be done.

She said: “The latest deal to Postmasters is welcome and hard won, but Postmasters still need better remuneration and the network needs investment to ensure Post Offices can continue serving communities.

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“The Tories are being driven by a policy of non-intervention. But as the special shareholder, the UK government has to take further action to prevent the managed decline of yet another valued public asset.

“As well as re-establishing Crown branches, the services offered by the Post Office need to be maintained and expanded upon to get more people through the door and review remuneration rates.

“Communities and many vulnerable people rely on the Post Office and they bring people to our town centres. The network has to be protected.”