UK London Post strike looms over allowances dispute

Leaders of postal workers in London have decided in principle to launch industrial action in a dispute over allowances, it was revealed.

The executive of the Communication Workers Union will hold further meetings before formally announcing the decision later this week.

Strikes would cripple mail deliveries in the capital and have a serious knock-on effect in other parts of the country.

The prospect of industrial action will dismay the Royal Mail, which last week welcomed a decision by CWU members across the UK not to stage a series of walkouts in a national row over pay.

CWU members voted by just 2,000 against industrial action, but there was strong support for strikes in a separate row in London.

The union is seeking an increase in the London Allowance to £4,000 a year from the current range of £1,500 to £2,700.

The CWU has around 30,000 postal members in London, including workers at Royal Mail and Parcelforce.

Agreement has still to be reached on the national pay dispute despite last week’s vote against industrial action.