Tesco eyes supply of Crown Put up Workplace branches

Tesco has expressed curiosity in buying greater than 100 Crown Put up Places of work whose future has been positioned beneath overview because the state-owned firm explores shifting them to a franchise mannequin.

Sky Information has learnt that Nigel Railton, the Put up Workplace chairman, advised a bunch of MPs this week that Britain’s largest retailer had knowledgeable it of a possible curiosity in taking on the websites.

One MP who attended the talks on the way forward for the instantly managed branches stated that Mr Railton had given the impression in his remarks that Tesco was amongst a small variety of suitors which may take over all the 108-strong community.

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Collectively, the branches make use of near 1000 individuals, with lots of these jobs prone to be safeguarded within the occasion of an acquisition of the entire community by a single retailer.

The assembly between Mr Railton and greater than 20 MPs was organised to debate the way forward for the instantly managed branches, which kind a really small a part of the broader Put up Workplace community.

Commerce union officers have expressed concern concerning the firm’s plans.

Following a number of enquiries, Tesco finally responded by saying it might not remark.

A Put up Workplace spokesperson stated: “We’re totally dedicated to participating brazenly and transparently with MPs relating to any potential plans associated to our Immediately Managed Department (DMB) community.

“Since inviting expressions of curiosity for 108 Put up Places of work that we presently function, we have now acquired curiosity from retail companions and impartial postmasters within the tons of.

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“We stay dedicated to participating with our commerce unions over the potential future possession of our Immediately Managed Branches, that are loss-making for us, into March earlier than updating our colleagues who work in these branches on any potential subsequent steps.”

The strategic overview outlined in November is designed to bolster sub-postmasters’ pay considerably in the course of the coming years.

The loss-making Put up Workplace requires an annual subsidy from the Treasury, with its future known as into query because the Horizon IT scandal continues to sow controversy.

Sky Information revealed final yr that the Division for Enterprise and Commerce had drafted in consultants from BCG to discover choices for turning the Put up Workplace right into a mutual.