Dates for postal strike to be set

Leaders of 120,000 postal workers are today expected to set dates for nationwide strikes in a bitter row over jobs, pay and services which will cripple mail deliveries across the country.

The postal executive of the Communication Workers Union will meet to discuss when to call out their members following a huge vote in favour of industrial action.

The union will have to give seven days' notice of a strike, so the first walk-out could be on October 19.

Options before the leadership include calling all 120,000 Royal Mail workers out on strike or deciding on a rolling programme of action involving different groups of workers, such as delivery and sorting office staff taking action on different days.

This tactic would maximise disruption to post deliveries while minimising the effect on the pay of workers involved in strikes.

The union is also expected to call for mediation to try to resolve the long-running row following months of talks which have failed to break the deadlock.