ANOTHER week, another series of postal strikes. The walk-outs planned for Friday and next Monday, following on from the most recent strike on Saturday, will achieve nothing for postal workers.

The only possible outcome of this dispute, as we have said before, is fewer jobs for members of the Communications Workers Union.

Modernisation of the postal service is inevitable. Frustrated businesses taking their custom to other mail handlers is happening already. Job security agreements are a nonsense in the longest recession in history. Public support for the postal workers is almost non-existent.

The involvement of the TUC in talks appears to have achieved little. There appears to be intransigence on both sides. The postal workers’ position appears to grow weaker with every strike announcement.

Yet the strikes continue.

We have a real fear that the hierarchy of the CWU is leading its members to ruin.

Meanwhile, many thousands of people are facing real hardship rather than mere inconvenience as a result of these strikes.

Small businesses, in particular, are on the brink as they wait for payments. Job seekers are missing out on interviews.

The CWU leadership must know that if these strikes continue into the Christmas period then any public support they may have will disappear.

This is a battle we do not believe the postal workers can win. Better for them to call off the strikes and start working with Royal Mail bosses to find a way forward for the industry that benefits as many CWU members as possible.