Postal workers in the United Kingdom today embarked on plans for an all-out strike amid a clash with Consignia, which operates Royal Mail, over sick pay and other issues, according to published reports.
National leaders of the Communication Workers Union, who met yesterday and again today, are expected to push ahead with a ballot for a nationwide strike. Royal Mail is attempting to drop a pledge of no compulsory redundancies, where one worker does more than one job, and to end sick pay for employees during their first two years at work.
It would be the first official national postal strike in five years.
A spokeswoman for Consignia said the pressures of impending competition forced it to end the commitment to no compulsory redundancies and that sick pay was costing 130 million pounds a year.
