WORLD> Europe
British postal workers begin 48-hour walkout
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-10-22 17:16

LONDON: Tens of thousands of British postal workers have walked off the job in a 48-hour national strike over jobs, pay and the future of the state-owned Royal Mail.

About 42,000 mail center staff and drivers began a 24-hour strike Thursday morning. About 78,000 delivery and collection workers plan a one-day strike Friday.

The strike stems from a lengthy dispute over jobs, pay and modernization.

The Royal Mail has struggled to make money since it lost its 350-year-old monopoly, and has had to deal with falling mail volumes as customers switch to e-mail.

An independent review recommended last year that the company be partly privatized. That is opposed by unions, and the government says it is not feasible during the economic downturn.