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The Communications Workers Union have announced it will ballot members in Royal Mail concerning a nation-wide strike if current talks with Royal Mail concerning protections for workers in a planned privatisation do not progress rapidly. The union currently expects paper ballots to go out to its 125,000 Royal Mail members on September 20.

The ballot announcement comes after months of discussions and negotiations with the Government and with Royal Mail concerning the future of Britain's postal service. The Government and management have plowed forward with plans for a privatisation by year's end. The union is seeking protection for affected workers as well as a pay agreement above inflation which is protected regardless of a possible change of ownership.



CWU have staged an anti-privatisation campaign for months and are now seeking protections for their members in the event the sale goes through. CWU Deputy General Secretary for Postal Dave Ward said in a CWU Release, "We are looking to reach a groundbreaking agreement on terms and conditions that sets unprecedented legally binding protection for workers in the event of a sale, and regardless of who owns the company. Postal workers know franchising, break up and sale of mail centres, distribution hubs and Parcelforce, along with the introduction of a new workforce on lower terms and conditions, are real threats in a race to the bottom with mail competitors for any new company."