Amazing news, imo, while the strike itself could have disasterous if lost, surely a ballot with a majority against striking is even more so. Perhapssp this is because many posties are new eople who have been forced off the dole que by the Nu labour Workfare regime, and have no sence of solidarity, though i may be wrong.

From the BBC Website

Post workers reject strike action


Postal workers are worried about low pay and job cuts
Postal workers have voted to reject industrial action by a margin of less than 2,000 votes, following pressure from Royal Mail bosses.
Workers had been expected to vote overhwhelmingly in favour of strikes in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The surprise result will be a bitter blow to Communication Workers Union (CWU) leaders, who have been locked in talks with Royal Mail bosses.

The union's national executive is expected to meet on Thursday to decide on their next move.

Management pressure


Strike ballot results
Votes in favour of action: 46,391
Votes against: 48,038
Majority: 1647
According to CWU officials in Scotland, just over 50% of those who voted in the UK ballot decided against taking industrial action.

CWU Scotland spokesman Derek Durkin, has blamed management pressure on the workforce for the outcome but insists postal workers will continue to fight for a better wage.

The row is over pay and conditions, with postal staff rejecting a pay raise valued by management at 14.5% over 18 months, because they say it is tied to changes which would mean the loss of thousands of jobs.

Keeping post moving


ROYAL MAIL OFFER
14.5% pay rise over 18 months
- 3% in October
- £26.28/week in local productivity deals
- 1.5% in April
Average basic pay for a 40-hour week lifted from £261.98 to £300
End to second delivery, giving a five-day week for all
Loss of 8,500 jobs on voluntary basis
30,000 redundancies across Royal Mail group
16,000 of those jobs gone already
Total cost of proposals: £340m

The Royal Mail says it has drawn up a contingency plan to keep the postal service moving, if a strike happens.

This includes guaranteeing cash supplies to post offices to pay pensions, and managers volunteering to staff sorting offices.

However, it also involves taking out adverts asking the public and many businesses not to post letters on strike days.

The BBC's business editor, Jeff Randall, said a strike would be potentially damaging for the prime minister, who appointed Royal Mail's chairman Allan Leighton.

TRADE UNION DEMANDS
8% pay-rise in October
Talks to achieve £300 a week
Swift discussions on end to second deliveries and new shift patterns
No fixed target for job-losses
Agreements tailored to local post office needs
Shorter working week
He and chief executive Adam Crozier were brought in from the private sector to turn the business around and make it profitable again.

However, our correspondent said the two men were determined to make the necessary changes to their company.

"I wouldn't say they're spoiling for a fight, but they're definitely up for one," he said.

£200 a week

Allan Leighton was appointed by the prime minister to bring business common sense to an industry not known for it

BBC's economics editor, Jeff Randall


Profile: Chairman Allan Leighton
Profile: Chief executive Adam Crozier
If union members turn out to have voted in favour of strikes, industrial action could begin as early as next week.

Paul Cox, a postman in South London, is one of the workers who say they find it hard to live on their postal pay.

"We can actually work a 40-hour week, getting up at three or four o'clock in the morning, and take home less than £200 a week.

"In this day and age that's adisgraceful amount of money," he told the BBC.

Royal Mail bosses, however, say that pay levels are much higher and have warned industrial action will be "commercial suicide" for the organisation.

According to the company, the basic pay rates for postmen and women are


nationally £261.93 per week / approx £13,667 per year

outer London £307.31 pw / approx £16,035

inner London £328.70 pw / approx £17,151

The company has recently started edging back to profit after two years of making enormous losses and its managers say change is essential.

But a strike is estimated to cost Royal Mail up to £23m a day - and the company expects to turn a profit of just £80m during the whole of 2003.