WHILE I sympathise with the predicament of postal workers, strike action is not the answer. If everybody who is unhappy about their pay level, work demands, or job security were to throw their toys out of the pram and strike, the whole country would grind

WHILE I sympathise with the predicament of postal workers, strike action is not the answer.

If everybody who is unhappy about their pay level, work demands, or job security were to throw their toys out of the pram and strike, the whole country would grind to a halt.

During what is now officially the longest recession since records began, the postal strikes will have no doubt left thousands of families and businesses facing bank charges and fines for late payments. This dispute could be the final body blow for many struggling companies, and could adversely affect the credit ratings of individuals.

The strike action also defies logic. Disruption to the post will drive companies away from using mail to sell their products, and could see customers leaving Royal Mail and taking their business elsewhere - putting Royal Mail and postal workers themselves at risk.

A significant loss of business could, in fact, trigger a surge of job losses at Royal Mail on a far greater scale than that which is currently on the cards. The strike action is irresponsible, and bad for business on all sides.

The Government needs to get directly involved and force management and unions to meet with Acas - the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service - to put an end to this dispute as quickly as possible in order to minimise the fallout from it.