Royal Mail strike: 'Chaos on the cards' as ballot for strike action announced

Trade union Unite will be ballotting 2,400 managers for strike action and industrial action short of a strike between June 6 and June 29 over plans to remove 542 frontline delivery managers alongside a redeployment programme to bring in “worsening” terms and conditions.

The union said the Royal Mail had already cut 450 jobs.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our members are the backbone of the Royal Mail, holding the service together while the shareholders seize the profits.

“Royal Mail is awash with cash. There is no need whatsoever for these cuts, or this ill-thought out redeployment programme.

“Unite will oppose these plans every step of the way. Our Royal Mail members are guaranteed Unite’s 100 per cent support in any industrial action they take to get the company off this ruinous path.”

Unite claims that the job cuts are driven by shareholder greed, despite the service returning a record £416 million in profits only months ago – up by 20.9 per cent.

The union also fears that the business is threatening the universal service obligation whereby it must deliver to every household in the UK six days per week.