POSTAL workers will protest against the closure of the Civic Square post office at 9.30 on Monday morning (October 31).

The post office is scheduled to shut its doors in November following unsuccessful lease negotiations.

Communication Workers Union Central branch secretary Shane Murphy said plans to permanently shut the local Civic Square Post Office will be a huge blow to local residents and businesses and that postal workers are calling on the federal government to step in.

“Having access to a local post office is more important than ever. To shut down Civic Square, leaving the local community high and dry is disgraceful,” Mr Murphy said.

“Australia Post has refused to commit to re-opening the outlet in another location, instead deciding to shut up shop permanently at the expense of the local community. “

Mr Murphy said the decision to shut the local Australia Post outlet was made without any consultation with the community or the workers employed at the location.

“Australia Post being permitted to permanently rob the local community of its vital retail postal services, based purely on a failure to secure a new lease arrangement, would set a dangerous precedent for the ongoing security of all community post offices across the country,” he said.

“Postal workers and their communities had to fight tooth and nail recently to stop Australia Post reducing the frequency of their mail delivery services. We won that battle, but now we’re having to fight for our local post office as well. It’s time the federal government stepped in and guaranteed local residents and businesses won’t have their essential local services ripped away.”