Post Office staff may join Royal Mail colleagues in going on strike over pay dispute 

Post Office workers could join Royal Mail staff in walking out on strike after a union chief said his members were ‘willing to take further action’ amid an ongoing pay dispute.

Andy Furey assistant secretary of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents around 3,500 Post Office workers, said the government-run organisation was not giving ‘due regard’ to its staff.

He told the Commons business committee that workers had rejected an offer of a 5 per cent pay rise and that two ballots for strike action had received yes votes of ‘over 90 per cent’. Action short of strikes was already under way and could escalate into a full walkout. ‘We’re… willing to take further action,’ he said.

Mr Furey said he had written to Post Office boss Nick Read last week to seek a meeting to resolve the issue but he had so far ‘refused to engage in negotiations directly’.

‘We’ve offered to call off the action should that meeting get off the ground,’ Mr Furey said, but added that action short of strikes was already underway and could escalate into a full walkout.

‘We’re trying to find a way through this but our members are determined to find a resolution.’

Strike action by Post Office workers threatens to engulf Britain’s post system in further crisis amid severe disruption at the privately-run Royal Mail caused by staff walkouts.

Andy Furey assistant secretary of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents around 3,500 Post Office workers, said the government-run organisation was not giving ‘due regard’ to its staff