A CRIPPLING national postal strike loomed last night as a feud between the cash-strapped Royal Mail and union officials threatened to end in a High Court action.

Postal workers are to be balloted on industrial action over this year’s 14.5 per cent wage offer which the Communication Workers’ Union claims has “more strings than the Philharmonic Orchestra”.

Meanwhile, Allan Leighton, chairman of Royal Mail, is threatening legal action against the union for libelling him in its literature.

The 200,000 members will vote over the next few weeks on whether to stage the first national post strike since 1996.

A few weeks ago, the union said that any strike mandate would be followed by industrial action — in the past it has received “yes” votes but not implemented them.

Royal Mail’s solicitors are demanding a retraction of campaign material issued by London branches which says that Mr Leighton, a favourite of the Government, is highly paid while workers are being offered a derisory rise in their pay and London weighting.

Mr Leighton complained about a poster which said: “Allan Leighton . . . does not believe we are entitled to a decent increase in London weighting. That’s a bit rich coming from him, who has wasted no time in awarding himself a fat pay cheque and £3 million bonus next year.”

Lawyers from CMS Cameron McKenna wrote to the union, saying that the bonus figure was incorrect and that the statement meant that “the chairman has double standards; he is motivated by personal greed when it comes to his own pay while adopting an entirely different approach when it comes to the pay of other lesser paid employees”.

The lawyers demanded “as a matter of urgency” action to “put the record straight”.

They added: “The statement is untrue in these respects. He does believe that employees are entitled to a decent increase in London weighting, he has not awarded himself a fat pay cheque and he has not awarded himself a bonus of £3 million next year.”

The letter added that, if any union official repeated the remarks, “appropriate legal action may be taken”.

The union has now sent out a newsletter depicting Mr Leighton as a used car salesman with a wad of money in his hand. It says that Mr Leighton’s claims about the pay offer are untrue and that it really amounts to only a 4.5 per cent increase.

Mr Leighton angered the unions last month when he went over their heads and wrote directly to employees offering a 14.5 per cent rise over 18 months dependent on changes to working practices.

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Science News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Time-worn Freddie gives up Test matches
• Brighton company 'involved in cyber attack'
• The art of survival: it’s all in the mind