Communication Workers Union threatens ballot for Post Office strike action

A row over pay and cost cutting could lead to the first national postal strike for more than a decade, according to newspaper reports.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU)  has threatened to ballot for industrial action after Royal Mail offered a pay freeze for this year, with small lump-sum payments for some workers.

The company is also planning £350m in cost cuts, which will include reducing by half the number of collections from post boxes, with weekend working and night shifts at many mail centres being stopped, reports The Times. http://www.cwu.org.uk/default.asp

The CWU represents about 150,000 Royal Mail workers.

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A statement on the union’s website said: “A letter has been sent to all CWU members updating them on the latest serious situation on pay. The current position is that Royal Mail has offered nothing on basic consolidated pay for the 2007 pay review.  

“Negotiations are continuing over the next two days, but a refusal by Royal Mail to change their current approach to pay will mean the union preparing for an industrial action ballot.”