Businesses' dismay at national post strike vote

Business groups have reacted with dismay to a vote by postal workers in favour of further industrial action.

Yesterday, the Communication Workers' Union (CWU) announced that 76% of its 121,000 Royal Mail worker members had voted in favour of a national strike.

The union said that the result was a "huge vote of no-confidence" in Royal Mail management, which it accuses of running down the business in the name of modernisation.

However, Royal Mail issued a statement in which it described the CWU action as "unjustified", adding that the union was attempting to "undermine" modernisation, and that it had "already agreed all the changes Royal Mail is making".

The British Chambers of Commerce said that the CWU vote risked causing "irrevocable damage" to Royal Mail.

"This strike announcement defies logic at a time when businesses and Government are working hard to move the UK economy back to growth," said director of policy Dr Adam Marshall.

"At a time when businesses are taking drastic measures to keep as many people in employment as possible, the CWU's call for strike action in the run-up to the busy Christmas period is akin to a death-wish."

John Cridland, deputy director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, described the vote as a "disappointing outcome".

"After a very tough year, serious disruption to the postal service would present a real threat to those firms pinning their hopes on a pre-Christmas sales bounce. We need common sense to prevail and lasting damage to be avoided."

Dates are yet to be announced for national strikes. Calling on the Government to resolve Royal Mail's "crippling" pension deficit, CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward said: "There's still an opportunity to reach an agreement before any national strike action takes place."