Royal Mail to stage fresh 48-hour strike on Thursday

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said in a statement that the strike involves 115,000 postal workers, and is currently the biggest ongoing strike of the year.

The action is being taken in protest against an "imposed" 2% pay rise and picket lines will be mounted outside delivery and sorting offices.

The union said its members were facing a "dramatic" drop in living standards because of surging inflation.

CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: "There can be no doubt that postal workers are completely united in their determination to secure the dignified, proper pay rise they deserve. We can’t keep on living in a country where bosses rake in billions in profit while their employees are forced to use food banks.

"When Royal Mail bosses are raking in £758m in profit and shareholders pocketing in excess of £400m, our members won’t accept pleads of poverty from the company. Postal workers won’t meekly accept their living standards being hammered by greedy business leaders who are completely out of touch with modern Britain.

"They are sick of corporate failure getting rewarded again and again.

"Royal Mail’s leadership have lost the dressing room - and unless they make efforts to get real on discussing a pay rise that postal workers deserve, serious disruption will continue."