New postal strikes announced

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The Communication Workers Union unveiled a fresh programme of industrial action, which will start next Wednesday evening.

Different groups of workers will be called out on strike on different days with the aim of maximising disruption, said the union.

Postal workers will take only two days of action over the fortnight, but mail services will be continuously disrupted, the union warned.

There have been two nationwide walk-outs in recent weeks following talks which failed to break the deadlocked row.

The union has rejected a 2.5% pay offer and warned that the Royal Mail's modernisation plans will lead to the loss of 40,000 jobs.

The Royal Mail has warned that further strikes will damage the business as it deals with increased competition.

The Royal Mail said: "Royal Mail is hugely disappointed that the Communication Workers Union has called for more damaging strike action. Strike action does not change Royal Mail's absolute need to modernise, as all our major rivals have already done, if we are to be able to compete successfully in an increasingly challenging marketplace and continue to provide great customer service into the future."

The company said the action amounted to a 24-hour strike each week for two weeks from next Wednesday, hitting different centres at different times. Royal Mail said it had contingency plans in place to deal with the action, adding that it remained willing to meet the union to explain the "realities of the marketplace".

"Royal Mail is losing business because its costs, and therefore its prices, are too high and our business customers are choosing to go elsewhere," said the statement.