Gone postal

IT'S OFFICIAL ! The posties have gone postal - or their union has, at least.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has confirmed today that a 24-hour nationwide strike will go ahead from 4am on Thursday.

But their decision to take industrial action is a baffling one to me and holds little support from the public or politicians of all colours.

Even among the Royal Mail workers, the strike holds little sway.

The vote may have been carried by a clear margin of three to one but that was only among those who voted.

There were over 19,000 who voted 'No', over 20,000 who did not vote and another 20,000 not part of the union.

Perhaps they remember the lack of success in the last strike - held not long ago, in 2007 - when a small pay increase was described as a victory.

But it was a hollow success. The workers lost nearly as much as their rise by going on strike in the first place and this was a major reason why my relatives who work for Royal Mail abstained.

It is not difficult to fathom why external support for the CWU action is so low, given the horrendous timing of it.

People are right to be concerned that, if the action continues right up until Christmas, it will become infinitely more difficult for gifts to be sent between family members.

Even though some companies have already transferred their allegiance to private couriers, that same move is easier said than done for individuals who need to send off presents to far-flung relatives.

To follow the companies' lead, they would have to abandon probably the best thing remaining about using the Royal Mail - its low pricing.

Self-employed traders and others who must fill out an HMRC tax return may also be frustrated with the paper returns deadline of October 31 now fast approaching.

Striking in a recession does not reflect well, anyway. The latest employment statistics show there are now nearly three million people out of work.

It is little wonder Royal Mail bosses have had little trouble to find the required 30,000 casual staff to fill the gap.

I do not deny that the staff have valid grievances especially with the threat of machines taking over their jobs.

And my political views far removed from those of a Thatcherite, eager to crush the trade union movement.

But surely the union's best tactic to protect its workers in this case would be to continue to negotiate better terms with the employer.

It is the only way which the conflict can come to an end, anyway.

After all, the CWU should be careful - they could end up doing more harm than good for the hard-working posties.

The increase of internet access has already dealt a blow. Since 2005, the number of letters delivered has decreased from a high of 84 million a day to just 75 million now.

And though that still remains a phenomenal number, surely the priority should be not to lose any more customers.

The last thing a union should be doing is shooting its workers in the foot.