Escalating post strike threatens disruption

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UP TO 30,000 postal workers across the UK could soon be taking strike action in a worsening row over jobs, pay and services, threatening huge disruption to deliveries, it was warned yesterday.

The Communication Workers Union said it will be holding industrial action ballots in hundreds of its branches after accusing Royal Mail of cutting pay and jobs without agreement.

Up to 12,000 workers went on strike on Friday in areas including London and parts of Scotland, and the action is now set to escalate.

Union members in London will take three days of action next Saturday, and on Monday, July 27 and Tuesday 28, which will disrupt mail services in the capital for days.

The fresh industrial action will hit eastern England, the south-west and more areas of Scotland, union sources said yesterday.

CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward said his union recognised the Royal Mail was facing huge problems, but complained it had a very different view of what modernisation was needed.

He accused Royal Mail of “endless cuts” to pay and jobs which he said was affecting services.

The company has condemned the union for striking over “much-needed” modernisation and change which it said had already been successfully implemented in offices around the UK.

The two sides have accused each other of breaking an agreement which ended the 2007 national post strike.