MORE strike action is being planned by Royal Mail workers in a dispute about how the postal service should be modernised.

After staff finish their walkouts over pay next week, they will pencil in new dates after a separate ballot relating to working terms and conditions was successful.

They argue that a three-year scheme to add gradual changes to the way staff work, known as the 'Pathway to Change', was agreed upon by workers, their union and the organisation's bosses and went well during its first year.

Chris Rye from CWU said: "We are not an over-militant union or workforce, but we can't have a situation where the allowances that are being removed end up costing us more than the pay increase.

"They claim we are against modernisation, but we had this agreed scheme with revisions for every office which helped the Royal Mail go from a forecast £400m loss to a £758m operating profit.

"A Pathway to Change revision at the Swindon office was not put in by the bosses, and they're now considering longer hours which will affect families who came to this job because the hours suited them best."

Gill Nobbs added: "My worry is that these new changes, which were not agreed to by the workers or unions, will affect the service to the public as well as our working conditions."

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "Instead of engaging meaningfully on change that will secure future jobs, the CWU has decided to ballot against change.

“This change is needed to support the pay package we have offered to CWU grade colleagues, worth up to 5.5 per cent.

"This is the biggest increase we have offered for many years and the CWU have rejected it. This would add around £230 million to Royal Mail’s annual people costs when the business is already loss-making.

“The CWU has put forward ideas for change that would cost over £1 billion while not delivering the changes needed to ensure Royal Mail can grow and remain competitive in a fast-moving industry. These actions do not represent a union that supports change.

"We wanted to meet this week but were disappointed the CWU couldn’t make it - we hope to meet next week.  The union have their heads in the sand and are failing to grasp the seriousness of the situation.

"Royal Mail can have a bright future, but we can't achieve that by living in the past."