25/07/2007

Postal strikes set to begin

Royal Mail staff are set to begin two weeks of staggered industrial action from 7pm on Wednesday evening in protest over pay and job losses.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said that each division within the firm had been given a different day to strike on in order to cause the maximum disruption to Royal Mail.

Staff at Post Offices and Royal Mail sorting offices will participate in the first 24-hour strike. The action comes after the CWU rejected a 2.5% pay offer. The union also fears that 40,000 jobs could be lost as a result of increased mechanisation, aimed at modernising the service.

Royal Mail has said that changes need to be made to the service in order for it to remain competitive.

The CWU has also claimed that there are plans to close the firm's final salary pension scheme to new staff from next year and has also claimed that there are plans to raise the age at which workers can retire on a full pension from 60 to 65 by 2010.

However, Royal Mail said that no decision had been made on pension provision yet.

Royal Mail staff staged two 24-hour walkouts last month, the first national industrial action held at the company for more than ten years.

Royal Mail said that it was "hugely disappointed" by the strike action. However, a spokesperson said: "Only part of Royal Mail's workforce will be taking action on any particular day and we will be working through the disruption to deliver letters to our customers as quickly as we can."

(KMcA/SP)

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