London postal strikes loom over job cuts
Services could also be affected outside London because of the knock-on effect. Union bosses have not yet announced strike dates, to allow further talks with Royal Mail.
The Communication Workers Union said its members backed industrial action by 9-1. The union is in dispute with the Royal Mail over jobs and conditions, claiming that services are being hit by “arbitrary” cuts.
CWU spokesman Martin Walsh said: “We’re fighting against unacceptable attacks on jobs and services in Royal Mail at a time when the company is performing well. Strike action is a last resort for our members, who can ill afford to lose wages.?
Parcel2Go.com bosses report that demand for their services has soared ever since the October 2007 postal strike, when orders rose by 115 per cent virtually overnight. New customers turned to Parcel2Go.com because they were worried that Royal Mail strikes would delay parcel deliveries.
Business development director, Richard Adams-Mercer, said: ?During previous strikes by Royal Mail workers we experienced huge increases in our online courier business.
?As the largest online parcel delivery service in the UK, we have demonstrated that we are a proven alternative to Royal Mail for parcel deliveries.
?Our aim is to give customers choice, reliability and flexibility for their parcel deliveries. Our partners include top express carriers like DHL, FedEx, City Link and UPS, so clearly we have the infrastructure in place to cope with the spikes in demand caused by the strike action of postal workers.
He added: ?We offer the convenience of parcel collections from both business and residential addresses and many new customers have already discovered the benefits of this.?
Last month Royal Mail announced a record operating profit of ?312 million. Royal Mail?s national workforce has fallen from nearly 230,000 to 176,000 since 2002.
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