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From: Elliot Jacobs <
Sent: Fri 08/12/2023 9:16:52 AM (UTC)
To: Calum Greenhow
<saft
Subject: Re: Hard to Place
Calum
I am in receipt of your email.
I will ensure you receive a response swiftly , but as these matters are Board activity and the relationship with
NFSP does not reside with me I feel it would be wrong for me to reply directly in this regard to you.
I am also conscious not to create any conflicts for you (as a related party in the HtP matter) nor overstep my
authority to comment for the company directly in this matter.
Elliot
From: Calum Greenhow <f
Sent: 07 December 2023 1;
To: Elliot Jacobs
Subject: Hard to
Elliot/Saf,
Jam approaching you both at this juncture in relation to the recent decision by the Board on Hard to Place. The
reason I do so now is so as not to prejudice any decision you made last Tuesday nor to influence you in any way
so that at that time you were able to exercise independent judgement, which is your requirement under the
Companies Act.
I would however, suggest that the decision of the Board could have encouraged the General Executive to go
further for this group.
These colleagues, prior to December 2015, have in good faith made a decision under Network Transformation
(NT) to leave the network. Many are beyond state retirement age and also have underlying health issues that
mean they should no longer be working. In good faith, they accepted the agreement from PO at the time, without
the ability to individually agree or negotiate the terms PO put forward.
When NT came to a close in 2018, PO made the decision to withdraw the Field Change Advisors and have now
accepted that they “took their foot off the gas” in terms of having boots on the ground trying to bring NT a
close. To expect 5 years of inactivity to be crammed into 3 months, and therefore PO have fulfilled their
obligation, we do not believe will be of comfort to these colleagues.
PO received £640m in 2014 from Government to bring to a close NT, as per Jo Swinson’s statement to
Parliament. PO have failed to achieve this. However, through no fault of their own and via circumstances beyond
their control, these colleagues are now facing the potential loss of £37,000 on average if PO are allowed to
impose the cut from 26 months to 12 months. We have tried through FOI’s to find out where that £640m has
gone but have been blocked at all points by PO.
As a public body, PO have a greater duty to act in good faith and not use its dominant position to impose
agreements that are detrimental to individuals such as Postmasters. They have a duty to reasonably negotiate any
change of terms, which in the view of these colleagues is not the case.
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The NFSP has engaged with these colleagues throughout and we are looking for a little time to speak with these
colleagues and also bring the amendments of this group to PO to consider.
Via the CIJ, HIJ and now the Inquiry, the full actions of PO in their dealings with Postmasters has been exposed.
PO of today have to change their approach and can no longer have any resemblance to an organisation that in the
past acted irrationally, arbitrarily and capriciously towards Postmasters. It is on this basis, that I approach the
two you to ensure that fair negotiations take place between PO and the NFSP on behalf of these colleagues who
have waited so long to exit the network with their investment intact.
Yours,
Calum.
Calum Greenhow
Chief Executive Officer
The National Federation of SubPostmasters
Evelyn House, 22 Windlesham Gardens
Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex BN43 5AZ
W: www.nfsp.org.uk
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