Royal Mail managers to ballot on strikes

Thousands of Royal Mail managers are to be balloted for strikes in a row over job cuts in the first move of its kind since 1979, the year of the Winter of Discontent, it was announced today.

Unite said 8,500 managers based in head offices at the Royal Mail, Parcelforce and the Post Office will vote on whether to launch a campaign of industrial action.

The union said the ballot was being held in protest at plans to cut 1,500 managers' jobs at the postal group.

Paul Reuter, national officer for Unite, said: "Managers are so concerned about their futures, that for the first time in over 30 years they will vote on industrial action. Unite will not allow managers to be forced out because of the poor decisions made at the very top of Royal Mail Group.

"If Royal Mail are allowed to push ahead with forced redundancies it will keep coming back for more, so Unite intends to stop Royal Mail in its tracks.

"There have already been 5,000 job cuts over the last five years without any compulsory redundancies. Such a drastic step is not necessary now and Unite will oppose it."

Brian Scott, Unite's assistant national secretary, added: "We have met with Royal Mail and Post Office Limited on a number of occasions in an effort to address the issues that they are facing but we refuse to accept that compulsory redundancies are necessary."

The ballot will start at the beginning of November.