Proactive Investors - Royal Mail parent International Distributions Services PLC could see things go from bad to worse later on Thursday when the Communication Workers Union (CWU) announces the result of its new strike ballot.
Following 18 days of strike action since August, postal workers are still “determined” and “standing up for themselves,” a CWU spokesperson said in a statement.
Royal Mail woes have mounted up in recent months, most recently being hit by a cyberattack in January, which brought overseas deliveries to a halt.
Meanwhile, around 115,000 staff have repeatedly walked out as part of the ongoing pay dispute with the CWU, costing the formerly nationalised courier £200mln, it said last month.
It reported a 12.8% fall in revenue in the nine months to December, with strike action significantly contributing to a £295mln operating loss, which Royal Mail anticipates will rise to between £350mln and £450mln this year.
Commenting ahead of the ballot results, CWU said: “This should signal to Royal Mail’s top brass that they should drop their efforts to turn Royal Mail into a glorified Uber (NYSE:UBER).
“Everybody needs real negotiations to end this dispute, not a new wave of disruption.
"No matter what happens, tomorrow’s strike ballot will be a historic event.”