Royal Mail workers to strike in London

LONDON (Reuters) - Royal Mail workers pledged on Thursday to go ahead with three days of strikes in London next week despite condemnation from a minister who accused them of sticking their head in the sand.

The announcement comes a day after Business Secretary Peter Mandelson said the government was shelving a plan, opposed by unions, to sell a stake in the state-owned postal services operator as part of a plan to make it more competitive.

The strikes, in protest at what the union says are cuts in jobs and wages, are spread over three days from next Wednesday to Friday, the Communications Workers' Union (CWU) said.

Delivery workers will strike on Wednesday, distribution and logistics staff on Thursday, and mail centres on Friday, disrupting London's mail network.

"Postal workers cannot continue with the levels of cuts on hours, jobs and wages by aggressive management which we are currently experiencing," Martin Walsh, the CWU's London representative, said in a statement.

Mandelson condemned the planned strike, calling it a "head-in-the-sand" approach.

"The Royal Mail needs to change and modernise to turn itself round and compete effectively. The union nationally agreed a way forward two years ago. But its own branches are standing in the way of progress," he said.

"Endless industrial relations problems and disputes are damaging the company and their ability to compete," he said.

Royal Mail also condemned the strike action, saying it was simply asking the union to honour existing agreements on modernisation and changes in working practices to address falling mail volumes.