Postal workers are to stage a one-day strike after voting 4-1 in favour of walkouts over issues linked to the controversial privatisation of Royal Mail. An ITV News poll showed that the British public are split over the strike.
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.
Executive director Chris Combemale said: "The UK economy is only just emerging from recession and we cannot afford any further impediment to its recovery.
"The build-up to Christmas is a critical period that typically accounts for a significant proportion of businesses' annual revenues and charities' donations.
"People who rely on Royal Mail to deliver billions of pounds of goods ordered online would have their festive season disrupted, and loss of trade would lead to job cuts in many companies across the economy.
"Commercial users account for the biggest percentage of Royal Mail's turnover. Any disruption to service would quickly lead businesses to take their custom elsewhere, which is an outcome that would not benefit the postal workers that CWU represents."
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 have voted overwhelmingly for strike action next month, with tough talk of 'industrial warfare.'