Royal Mail workers in Leamington vote for strike action

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POSTAL workers in Leamington have voted in favour of industrial action, union leaders have announced.

A national dispute at Royal Mail has led to thousands of workers across the country opting for strike action – which is due to start in London this evening.

Workers at the Leamington office were balloted last week after the dispute spilled over into Coventry and Warwickshire.

Members voted in favour of taking action against Royal Mail – who have been accused of cutting jobs and services while failing to modernise the postal service.

The Communication Workers Union will be continuing talks across Coventry and Warwickshire during the next couple of weeks.

Coventry-based union leader Mick Kavanagh said: “We have now got the results of our Leamington ballot and we will be in consultation with our members to discuss further action.

"This is part of an ongoing issue up and down the country.

“There is a real opportunity for Royal Mail to pull back from this. We are doing everything we can nationally to resolve the situation.

“The government also have a say in this matter and they should put pressure on Royal Mail to get back into negotiations with us.

"They have walked away from the agreement made two years ago in the pay and modernisation agreement of 2007.

“They think they can introduce changes without any negotiations with workers. Royal Mail sees the recession as an opportunity to cut jobs and services. It is not the union who are burying their heads in the sand.

“The way they are treating workers is appalling. They have imposed pay freezes on the workforce, while at the same time awarding bonuses to management. This is not acceptable.”

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “Customers will not understand how the union can claim to support modernisation but then announce strike action to halt existing efforts to modernise Royal Mail in London.”