Mr Railton told sub-postmasters that a "new deal" was needed
Up to 115 Post Office crown branches – those directly owned by the company – could close, putting hundreds of jobs at risk.
The Post Office is considering options for its wholly-owned branches, which currently employ around 1,000 staff and are making losses.
These could include alternative franchise arrangements where another operator like WHSmith or another third party could take on the branches.
According to the Communication Workers Union (CWU), for the company to propose such plans as the public inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal continues is “immoral” and “tone deaf”.
Led by the Post Office’s new chairman Nigel Railton, the strategic review is designed to change how the organisation operates.
It aims to put the Post Office on a firmer financial footing but it comes as it remains the subject of a long-running inquiry into the Horizon scandal.
The inquiry is in its final week of evidence, more than two and a half years since it started hearings in public.
Mr Railton told sub-postmasters that a “new deal” was needed to put them at the “heart of this business”.
The Post Office has 11,500 branches across the UK, most of which are franchises.
Of this number, 115 are Crown Post Offices, larger branches usually found on High Streets and staffed by Post Office employees.
The organisation faces various challenges, such as fewer people sending letters, the rise of online shopping, with revenues for its branches being hit as a result.
Today, nearly half of branches are not profitable or only make a small profit from the Post Office element of the business.
Mr Railton said that the plans set out would provide more than £250 million each year to postmasters by 2030.
However, he added this would be subject to government funding.
It also aims to improve branches’ banking offers for customers and will see a “lower-risk, better value” IT system introduced for sub-postmasters.
But Mr Ward, of the CWU, said it appeared the Post Office had “learned no lessons from its chaotic and uncoordinated mistakes from the past”.
He added: “CWU members are victims of the Horizon scandal – and for them to now fear for their jobs ahead of Christmas is yet another cruel attack.”
The Full List of Post Offices at Risk
- Bangor
- Belfast City
- Edinburgh City
- Glasgow
- Haddington
- Inverness
- Kirkwall
- Londonderry
- Newtownards
- Saltcoats
- Springburn Way
- Stornoway
- Wester Hailes
- Barnes Green
- Bransholme
- Bridlington
- Chester Le Street
- Crossgates
- Eccles
- Furness House
- Grimsby
- Hyde
- Kendal
- Manchester
- Morecambe
- Morley
- Poulton Le Fylde
- Prestwich
- Rotherham
- Salford City
- Sheffield City
- South Shields
- St Johns
- Sunderland City
- The Markets
- Birmingham
- Breck Road
- Caernarfon
- Didsbury Village
- Harlesden
- Kettering
- Kingsbury
- Leigh
- Leighton Buzzard
- Matlock
- Milton Keynes
- Northolt
- Old Swan
- Oswestry
- Oxford
- Redditch
- Southall
- St Peters Street
- Stamford
- Stockport
- Wealdstone
- Barnet
- Cambridge City
- Canning Town
- Cricklewood
- Dereham
- Golders Green
- Hampstead
- Harold Hill
- Kilburn
- Kingsland High Street
- Lower Edmonton
- Roman Road
- South Ockendon
- Stamford Hill
- Bideford
- Dunraven Place
- Gloucester
- Liskeard
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Mutley
- Nailsea
- Newquay
- Paignton
- Port Talbot
- Stroud
- Teignmouth
- Yate Sodbury
- Baker Street
- Bexhill On Sea
- Cosham
- Great Portland Street
- High Street (10)
- Kensington
- Knightsbridge
- Melville Road
- Paddington Quay
- Portsmouth
- Raynes Park
- Romsey
- Westbourne
- Windsor
- Worlds End
- Aldwych
- Brixton
- Broadway
- City of London
- East Dulwich
- Eccleston Street
- High Holborn
- Houndsditch
- Islington
- Kennington Park
- London Bridge
- Lupus Street
- Mount Pleasant
- Vauxhall Bridge Road
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds hinted that Post Office branches could step in to fill the gap left by High Street bank branch closures.
Separately, ministers have been exploring plans to hand ownership of the Post Office to sub-postmasters.
A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said:
“The government is in active discussion with Nigel Railton on his plans to put postmasters at the centre of the organisation and strengthen the post office network for its long-term future.”
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