CWU vote in favour of strike

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

The Communication Workers’ Union has voted overwhelmingly in favour of national strikes this afternoon over pay and the management of Royal Mail.

Dave Ward, the General Secretary of the CWU, said:

“We regret very much that it’s come to this, but the choice our workers face is this: if we don’t take a stand now, you will see postal services in this country destroyed forever. The government now has responsibility to act and listen to postal workers. In respect of strike action, we know that’s a big responsbility and we are prepared to give the company a final opportunity to resolve this disupte once and for all. We want to see a modern and successful Royal Mail, but it must be done by agreement and with a proper plan in place. So we’ll be working hard to secure an agreement before a national stirke becomes a reailty.”

76% of CWU members voted in favour of strike action, with only 16% voting against.

No stirke dates have been announced yet – there is not likely to be any strike action for at least ten days, but the dispute may continue into the Christmas season.