UK postal workers\' set to strike

More than 12, 000 United Kingdom (UK) postal workers are to strike on Friday in a row over jobs, pay and services, according to a report on news.bbc.co.uk. The announcement was made by the Communication Workers Union.



The 24-hour strike will affect cities ranging from Edinburgh to Plymouth.



The union has accused Royal Mail of cutting the pay of employees and reducing services.



Royal Mail condemned the action, saying the union was resisting modernisation and said 90% of its staff would still be working on Friday.



Dave Ward, the union\'s deputy general secretary, said: \"There are serious and growing problems in the postal sector which urgently need resolving.



\"We have renewed our offer of a three-month no-strike deal to Royal Mail in return for meaningful talks over modernisation.



\"The current cuts, bullying managers and ever-increasing workloads on a shrinking workforce cannot continue.



\"Pressure and stress is at breaking point for postal workers.\"



Workers based in London, Edinburgh, Bristol, Darlington, Stoke-on-Trent, Plymouth, Norfolk and Essex will be taking part in the strike.



Protest letters will be delivered to the Royal Mail\'s chief executive, Adam Crosier, and Business Secretary Lord Mandelson.



The union said it was receiving an \"ever-growing\" number of requests for industrial action from postal workers across the country.



It said 400 requests for ballots on strike action have already been made and Mr. Ward warned that without progress the dispute would turn into a national strike.



Controversial plans to part-privatise Royal Mail we put on hold by the government in June.



The bill, opposed by many Labour MPs, was due to go before Parliament before the summer break, but Lord Mandelson said it would not happen until \"later\".