Today saw the first of a fresh round of industrial actions by postal workers as the CWU dispute with Royal Mail escalated on both industrial and political fronts. The now-familiar picket lines at Birmingham's main mail centre in Newtown were again mounted as workers walked out at 7pm. The CWU said today's 24-hour strike at mail centres and cash handling sites was "even more solid" than previous ones.
Meanwhile, a succession of speakers at a CWU lobby of Parliament called on Gordon Brown to put pressure on Royal Mail management to negotiate or "suffer the consequences with the public."
In related news, the Daily Mirror has revealed secret Royal Mail plans to slash posties' pensions unless they work five years longer and axe final salary scheme.