Tag: Mail Services

Wildcat postal strikes in London could hardly have come at a worse time as far as the Royal Mail’s relationship with its biggest business customers is concerned.

While most companies put up with the second disruption in less than a month, British Gas took matters into its own hands by announcing a £10 discount for customers who chose to receive bills via e-mail.

As one of the largest mailers in the country, sending 80m letters a year, the power company’s decision threatens a vital revenue source for the cash-strapped Royal Mail. More importantly, it heralds a growing trend.

The prospect of a national postal strike grew as wildcat action spread across the south-east and Royal Mail remained locked in emergency talks with the Communication Workers’ Union.

The unofficial strike, which started in west London last week and soon spread to most areas of the capital, meant 17,000 out of London’s 28,000 postal workers stayed away from work, according to Royal Mail. They were joined by staff in Oxford, Maidstone, Chelmsford and Southend, and CWU members suggested walkouts were also brewing in Slough and Birmingham.