Post fears rising as strikes spread

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The Communication Workers Union said up to 25,000 of its members in areas including the West Country, London, East Anglia, the Midlands and Scotland will take industrial action in the next few days.

The union will hold a national ballot of its 160,000 postal members in September which could lead to nationwide strikes in October.

Recent strikes have hit several areas of the country, notably London and parts of Scotland, in the dispute over pay, jobs and services.

The action is now spreading to other parts of the country and for the first time will involve drivers of Royal Mail's lorries.

Dave Ward, deputy general secretary 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 agreed in 2007 to work with the union on agreeing modernisation. Despite explicit commitments to negotiate they are reneging on that agreement and imposing panic-driven cuts to jobs and services. This is downsizing, not modernisation."

The Royal Mail condemned the strikes and clashed with the union over how many workers will take action, claiming it will only involve 12,000 employees.

Paul Tolhurst, Royal Mail's operations director, said: "The CWU is again saying one thing and doing another - publicly they say they want modernisation yet they write regularly to members saying union policy is to oppose change on the ground.

"They agreed with us only last week a timetable for further talks on change, yet they now announce a national strike ballot. Their behaviour beggars belief."