 Customers have six weeks to comment on the plans |
Plans for newsagent WH Smith to run Swansea's main branch post office from its city centre store will affect 30 staff, a union has warned. The high street retailer is set to enter an agreement that would see the Kingsway branch office moved.
The Post Office said the plan was good news for customers, while a watchdog said more details were needed.
The Commercial Workers Union said staff would have to take voluntary redundancy or transfer to another branch.
The Post Office said under the proposal WH Smith would take over the running of the main branch from its store in the Quadrant shopping centre - 280 yards away from the existing Kingsway site.
Programme director Byron Roberts said: "This partnership between two trusted organisations is good news for customers and will enable us to both safeguard and enhance their post office services in the future.
"WH Smith's huge retail experience and knowledge will ensure that Post Office customers continue to receive a high standard of service."
 |  Post Office Ltd has relentlessly pursued a campaign of closing down crown post offices and allowing franchises to take over, offering a vastly inferior service |
It said all the services currently offered at its Kingsway office, such as personal banking, passport checking, car tax renewal and foreign currency exchange, would be available at WH Smith.
The Post Office stressed there would be no compulsory redundancies.
WH Smith said it was "very excited about the opportunity the trial presented" and that it was "committed to making the partnership a success."
But union officials said 30 Post Office staff at the Kingsway branch would either have to take voluntary redundancy or transfer to another branch.
The union has campaigned against post office branches being run by franchisees.
CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey said: "Post Office Ltd has relentlessly pursued a campaign of closing down crown post offices and allowing franchises to take over, offering a vastly inferior service."
Postal service watchdog Postwatch Wales said it recognised the need for change and welcomed the service staying in the city.
But chairman Eifion Pritchard said: "Post Office Ltd should provide customers with further details of the change, how many counter positions will there be, opening hours and so on".
Customers have been given six weeks to make their views known during a consultation period.
The running of the branch office at Llanelli is also set to be transferred to a private company, but it will remain at its current John Street location.
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