Walk-out by postal staff hits Midlands

Postal strikes were under way in the Midlands today as the threat of national action looms ever closer. It is in response to changes to working pratice.

Walkouts were staged in Coventry and North Staffordshire.

The 24-hour walkout started at 6am today with HGV drivers in Birmingham striking from 4am tomorrow.

Lee Barron, Midlands regional secretary for the Communication Workers Union (CWU), said: "This all relates to managerial changes. The jobs our members are performing have been changed – things like attendance patterns and working days – without consultation."

Across the country, around 25,000 workers are striking today and tomorrow, which is expected to cause huge backlogs.

Ballots on a national strike close on October 8 and could see 130,000 workers walk out nationwide.

Talks took place between Royal Mail management and the CWU at a national level last week and negotiations are continuing this week.

Royal Mail has attacked the CWU's strike ballot, which it says is "totally unjustified" and damaging to customers. Royal Mail claim the strike in Birmingham will not affect the delivery or collection of mail.