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Royal Mail strike to hit firms hard

Jun 29 2007

A 24-hour postal strike by the Royal Mail that began today (Friday, June 29th) is likely to hit small businesses in the UK particularly hard.

The strike, which is over pay and possible job cuts, involves around 130,000 Royal Mail workers and means that there will be no deliveries by union members today, with sorting offices also closed.

According to the Federation of Small Businesses, its members will be particularly badly hit because they often rely heavily on Royal Mail's services.

A spokesman told the BBC: 'A cheque delayed in the post can mean the difference between life and death for a small business.'

The British Chamber of Commerce believes that companies still reliant on cheques may consider using rival delivery firms, or make more of an effort to implement online payments.
SMEs also face the prospect of further industrial action, as the Communication Workers' Union (CWU) has said more strikes will take place if an agreement is not reached.

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