Union leaders have been forced to call off planned postal strikes following a legal challenge from Royal Mail.
A two-day strike by postal workers planned for later this month has been called off following a legal challenge by Royal Mail.
In a newsletter to members, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) blamed laws that are “heavily weighted against working people” for scrapping planned walkouts on 16 and 17 February.
The letter did not detail the nature of the challenge but insisted lawyers “have advised that we could defend our position in court”.
However, it adds that “given the laws in this country are heavily weighted against working people, the risks of losing in court may potentially impact on the re-ballot – we simply cannot allow this happen”.
The union’s strike mandate runs out on 17 February and members are currently being balloted on whether to strike for a further six months in the bitter dispute over pay and conditions.
The CWU said they received correspondence about the legal challenge over the weekend and called it “the latest in a long list of deliberate, sustained and coordinated attacks” on its members.
Union leaders said winning a yes vote in the next ballot “has to be our absolute focus” and that details of a “formal strike fund” to support workers taking industrial action will be announced shortly.