UK postal strike ballot looms

ROYAL MAIL could face a strike ballot in the middle of the general election campaign as pay talks with the Communication Workers Union remain unresolved.

The two sides have two days to reach an agreement before the CWU calls a meeting of its postal executive on Monday to consider “all available options”.

The potential clash between the two sides comes after nearly two years of relative industrial peace.

The last dispute over pay led to a long and acrimonious public war of words between Allan Leighton, Royal Mail chairman, and the union, which resulted in the union narrowly losing a national strike ballot.

A strike ballot would be embarrassing for Labour during the general election campaign and any action would badly damage Royal Mail’s service standards just as it is beginning to reach some of the targets demanded by its licence conditions.