Postal dispute goes to national ballot

The CWU communication workers’ union last month launched a national ballot of 121,000 postal workers in its dispute over job security and modernisation.

A national strike would worsen a mail backlog that is already greater than at the height of the 2007 dispute, following recent local action.

Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: “Modernisation is crucial to the future success of Royal Mail, but the implementation of change must be agreed and it must bring with it modern pay and conditions”.

Industrial relations had been soured by bullying and unagreed changes, the union said, which had made the Royal Mail “a dismal place to work”.