Postal workers threaten more crippling strikes

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Millions of homes and businesses were left without mail yesterday after pickets were mounted outside sorting offices and mail centres.

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A picket by postal workers in Coventry. More strikes could follow, the union has warned

The 24-hour stoppage, which affected deliveries and collections, began at 3am, with post office counter staff joining in between 6am and noon.

The strike, involving 130,000 members of the Communication Workers Union, follows the breakdown of last-ditch talks with Royal Mail's management. The dispute is over pay, job cuts and modernisation.

Last night the CWU accused Royal Mail bosses of 'arrogance' in refusing to negotiate and said further strikes lasting two days were "a certainty" unless talks resumed.

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The official picket comes after weeks of negotiations between the postal workers union and Royal Mail

General secretary Billy Hayes said: "Royal Mail's attitude is dismissive of the workforce and they are in denial about the support for the strike and the total rejection of their plans.

We have not named any new strikes for seven days and we want Royal Mail to use that window of opportunity for fresh and meaningful talks."

But Royal Mail played down the strike, claiming 60 per cent of its staff had turned up for work and all but 26 post offices remained open.

Chief executive Adam Crozier said: "Royal Mail will do all it can to mitigate the impact of strike action but we are very disappointed for our customers at the disruption they are now facing."

Royal Mail says it has already lost 40 per cent of its bulk mail business to rival postal operators and needs to invest £1.2billion in the business.

But the CWU is demanding that postal workers' pay should increase by 27 per cent and claims modernisation would cost more than 40,000 jobs.

Federation of Small Businesses spokesman Matthew Knowles said: "The livelihoods and jobs of many people in small businesses will be put at risk if this dispute continues for much longer."