Hundreds of Post Office workers have gone on strike today in response to "a collapse in their living standards".

It means branches across the country are closed whilst workers protest a pay freeze.

A total of 10 main Post Offices across Scotland, including in Saltcoats, will be shut until tomorrow – with 114 branches set to close across the UK as a whole.

The industrial action is being brought by members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), who say the 24-hour walk-out is their last resort.

There is anger from CWU members over a pay freeze in 2021 and a two per cent pay increase offfered this year, as well as a £250 one-off lump sum, which they have branded a "real-terms pay cut" and a "slap in the face".

CWU assistant secretary, Andy Furey, said: “Post Office management are insisting they are simply following government policy on public sector pay policy.

“But they have repeatedly contradicted themselves, and have also said that it’s their decision to impose a pay freeze.

“We know Post Office has turned over huge profits in these past few years – management can afford to provide our members with a reasonable pay increase if they wanted.

“This is not an issue of affordability. This is about power play from a management that is needlessly antagonising its key worker employees. The attitude of Post Office needs to be viewed in the context of inflation rising by at least nine per cent already this year.

“Our members don’t appreciate being taken for fools, which is why they have voted in massive numbers for strike action.

“Post Office can’t put their heads in the sand. This dispute won’t go away, and our members are united – they won’t accept a collapse in their living standards.

“To avoid more disruption to services this year, the CWU urges Post Office to get round the bargaining table and thrash out a settlement with us that treats our key worker heroes with the respect they deserve.”

A Post Office spokesperson said: “We want to assure our customers that the vast majority of our 11,500 branches are unaffected by the CWU’s decision to instruct their members to take strike action on Tuesday, May 3 and will remain open throughout the day.

“We’re sorry that customers of Saltcoats Post Office have been impacted.

“The nearest alternative branches are Ardrossan, open between 9am and 5pm and Stevenston, open between 8.30am and 5.30pm.”