Ipswich out today.

[POSTMAN]

Post workers to take strike action

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RESIDENTS in Suffolk will suffer a severe disruption in postal deliveries today as staff from mail centres in Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds down tools.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) says it has been forced to strike because cuts were being made to pay, jobs and services without agreement.

A similar strike was held by staff at Ipswich mail centre on July 21, which hugely affected mail deliveries in the region. The mail centre in Thetford is also expected to strike today.

The union has announced plans to ballot all its postal-worker members for a national strike in September, threatening the worst disruption to mail deliveries for two years.

Dave Ward, of the CWU, said: “Postal workers are sick and tired of an incompetent management running their business into the ground. Workers are busier than ever and being treated badly. The current round of cuts in jobs and services is unacceptable.”

Royal Mail accused the union of breaking the agreement that ended the 2007 strike and of refusing to co-operate with modernisation.

A spokesman said: “Royal Mail has a clear vision of creating a modernised and market-leading business in which we are investing around £2 billion.

“We again call on the CWU to help us secure a strong future for the business, its people and its customers rather than repeatedly acting to undermine it.”