Postal workers vote in favour of strike action

Postal workers have voted in favour of a one-day strike over issues linked to the controversial privatisation of Royal Mail.

The Communication Workers Union today announced the walkout will take place on November 4 - seven weeks before Christmas, hitting the start of the busy festive season - the busiest time of year for the postal company.

Consumer Editor Chris Choi reports:

The union has accused the Government of "deliberately creating a scramble" for shares, leading to many private investors cashing in while workers' jobs and conditions appear precarious.

The CWU says members voted 4 to 1 in favour of the strike action but almost 40 percent of the 115,000 postal workers did not vote in the strike ballot.

Read: Postal workers draw battle lines with strike action

In response to a vote for strike action, the Royal Mail said any action, or threat of action, is damaging to the business.

The Direct Marketing Association, which represents the advertising mail industry, accounting for £1 billion of Royal Mail's turnover, said the strike will have a "severe" financial impact on tens of thousands of companies, charities and others.

Commenting on the ballot, CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward said postal workers have spoken very clearly that they care about their jobs, terms and conditions far more than they care about shares.

He added: "The stakes have become much higher for postal workers since privatisation, making this ballot more important than ever. Postal workers will not be the people who pay for the profits of private operators and faceless shareholders."