POSTAL workers in Comet country were tonight gearing themselves up for strike action. Workers, members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) at the sorting office in Stevenage were due to start their action at 4am tomorrow (Thursday) over pay, conditi

POSTAL workers in Comet country were tonight gearing themselves up for strike action.

Workers, members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) at the sorting office in Stevenage were due to start their action at 4am tomorrow (Thursday) over pay, conditions and postal reforms.

Postal staff at Hitchin and Letchworth GC are due to strike from tomorrow night (Thursday). Both stoppages are due to last 24 hours.

The CWU is also upset at talks managers are having at what the union says is a preference exercise that could see job losses go at Royal Mail depots in Comet country.

CWU area representative for the SG post code region in Herts and Cambs Steve Butts, said: "We have not been consulted but managers are carrying out this preference exercise to see whether there is room for voluntary redundancies among staff. In fact I have had one of the preference exercise letters sent to me.

"But if people go then they will not be replaced meaning the staff that stay will have to pick up the extra work.

"But we expect a good turn out for the strike in Stevenage and North Herts."

Tomorrow only mail centre staff and drivers will strike and all mail processing, movement and collection will be affected.

On Friday delivery and collection staff will strike meaning delivery and collection of all mail will be affected.

Special delivery and Royal Mail tracked items will still be delivered on strike days and Post Office branches will open as normal, although collections will be affected and Parcel Force will operate as normal.

"I think the odd day for a strike is not an issue. It is the concern about the escalating problem about reliability. Some companies will take their postal business elsewhere and find other options. The postal unions are damaging their own business," said Tim Hutchings, chief executive of the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"People have got to get on with their businesses and if this is an ongoing situation we will sit down and wonder whether we can rely on the post next week of next month and then begin to find alternatives.