Revelations that unions at the Royal Mail are just as greedy and stupidly short-sighted as its management are causing companies to look elsewhere for the distribution of messages and the delivery of product.

Reportedly the growth of email has resulted in 10 million fewer letters a day being sent, a total drop of 10%, and a national strike would significantly increase the decline. It has been proudly claimed by the Communication Workers Union that the last national strike in 2007 left an estimated 200 million letters and parcels caught in the backlog and that the recent local strikes have held up the delivery of 30 million.

Rumours that the popular children’s character is to be rebranded as Postman Prat should be dismissed as mischievous, if not appropriate.