Mail strike could be devastating for local small businesses

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 19th Oct 2009

The Communications Workers Union has confirmed that the first national postal strikes will begin next week with mail centre staff and drivers walking out on Thursday 22 October and delivery and collection staff striking on the following day.

Mike Bell, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Weston-super-Mare, has expressed his alarm that the proposed national mail strike could drive local businesses to the wall.

"Talking to local businesses it is clear that the existing dispute is already causing substantial cash flow problems," said Mr Bell. "A national mail strike could prove devastating. Businesses are already suffering due to the recession. At such times, cash flow is critical. If cheques aren't arriving by post this dispute risks driving some small firms to the wall."

Mr Bell works for a Weston based small publishing company which is dependent on the postal service to distribute publications to readers throughout Britain. He added: "I know from my own experience that post has already been taking weeks to arrive in some cases thanks to the sporadic strikes around the country. Big businesses can make other arrangements to get mail delivered. It is much harder for small businesses to do so.

"It is a crying shame that such a great British institution is being brought to its knees by dithering about Royal Mail's future by the Labour Government. Even at this late stage I hope that government, management and unions can get round a table and sort out this damaging dispute."