Royal Mail workers to vote for strike

British Royal Mail workers will be balloted for the first time since 2009 to go on a national strike in protest at the government’s privatization drive.

The vote over future pay and other issues which are concerned with the proposed sell-off of the sector will determine a date for the national industrial action, according to the Communication Workers Union (CWU).

The ballot which is the first for the Royal Mail since 2009 will lead to a strike action to be held on October 10th.

“We want Royal Mail and the government to put protections in place that are both meaningful and lasting”, said Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary.

For several years now, the government has been seeking to implement its drive for privatizing the Royal Mail. Its attempts led to a legislation in 2011, which authorized the future sell-off of the sector.

The CWU has earlier in July dismissed an offer by Royal Mail to have a three-year pay agreement for its workforce. It included an 8.6 percent increase in basic pay over three years.