Postal Strike to Wreak Havoc on Mail Order Sales

The postal strike will cause chaos for mail order companies according to Flying Brands boss Mark Dugdale and The Catalogue Exchange trade body, who are urging the unions to back down and call off the strike.

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), representing 130,000 postal workers, are set to begin the second of two 48-hour walkouts on Monday and the wrangle over pay and job cuts is expected to end deliveries for a week and disrupt deliveries well beyond that, according to reports.

A spokeswoman for catalogue and home shopping trade body The Catalogue Exchange said: "It has already been a difficult trading period for many members and this, coming now as the Christmas mailing season peaks, is going to have serious knock on effects."

Dugdale, who is chief executive of mail order giant Flying Brands, said the action could be detrimental to future relationships between small businesses and Royal Mail. He said: "Not only will this threaten small businesses who are already under significant economic pressure but, longer term, it will lead to a continuing exodus to alternative suppliers to Royal Mail. We urge CWU members to call this action off."

The Catalogue Exchange represents members including John Lewis Direct, Sainsbury's and M&M Direct.