Royal Mail row over picket lines

Royal Mail has clashed with the main union representing postal workers as they staged another strike in the long-running dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.

The company said it has written to Dave Ward, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, claiming a pattern of "wholly unacceptable behaviour" on picket lines across the country.

The union strongly denied the allegations, insisting that picketing since the start of strikes has been peaceful.

Royal Mail said more than 100 allegations of incidents including violence and harassment have been reported over the four months of the CWU'S industrial action, with 35 cases reported to the police.

Royal Mail said it had reported picket line incidents to police in Scotland, Northern Ireland, West Midlands, Lancashire, London, Kent, Norfolk, Devon & Cornwall, and Gwent.