Having tried "every measure possible" to seek a fair resolution to the long dispute with the Royal Mail management, 77% of CWU members had voted for industrial action to "force the Royal Mail to think again." Following the two 24-hour strikes, the CWU has now anounced further industrial actions aiming at "two weeks of continuous disruption to mail services". The management has continuously refused the CWU offers of "meaningful talks".

Back in 2006, Royal Mail and the CWU had agreed that they would work together to tackle the impact of competition in the mail market, use government investment to introduce automation, improve efficiency, introduce innovation products and raise the value and status of postal workers' jobs. Royal Mail, however, ditched the agreement, refused to negotiate a pay resettlement and insisted on unilateral imposition of its cost-cutting business plan with mass job losses and cuts to workers' pay and pensions. Furthermore, the Royal Mail management has been deliberately misleading the public by claiming that the CWU want a 27% pay rise. The CWU said they had never demanded a 27% pay rise.

Similarly, over 73% of CWU members had voted for strike action at Crown Post Offices in face of the "unreasonable actions" of Post Office Ltd. The Royal Mail subsidiary is planning to privatise 70 Crown Post Offices and move services into WH Smith stores and sell off or close further 15 branches. The deal follows a trial of 6 'Post Office outlets' in WH Smith stores. WH Smith is expected to make up to £2.5 million extra in its annual profits. Post Office Ltd also plans to impose a pay cut for 80% of staff for a period of at least two years, while offering the remaining 20% a below-inflation 'pay rise'. There are currently 458 Crown Post Office branches in the UK, compared to 1,500 in 1988.

The postal strikes have seen overwhelming support. Over 95% of postal workers across the country were said to have taken part in the actions. Royal Mail, however, kept claiming that support for the strikes was "patchy" and that they had "well-developed contingency plans" in place. These turned out to be shipping in managers to do normal staff's work, as well as resorting to rival company DX, which, according to the BBC, had offered to help Royal Mail make its urgent deliveries over the period of the strikes, expecting to gain about £10m of business as a result.