Royal Mail hit by strike

Hundreds of Royal Mail workers walked out yesterday in protest over threatened job losses.

The one-day strike was sparked by plans to sell off part of the business, which supplies 17,500 post offices with cash and stamps.

Around 200 staff at Canning Town depot in East London downed tools. Royal Mail plans to sell its Cash Handling & Distribution business to Securicor.

A spokesman said: “We’ve got to make savings where we can.” The Communications Workers Union said it is “blatant privatisation”.