Postal workers strike over jobs

Staff at delivery offices will join the strike

Workers at seven Royal Mail delivery offices in Scotland have been taking part in a 24-hour strike in a row over job cuts and services.

Royal Mail said about 330 staff at two offices in Edinburgh and others in Dunfermline, Cowdenbeath, Grangemouth, Bathgate and Irvine were involved.

About 160 distribution drivers in Edinburgh were among thousands in the UK who took action on Friday.

Royal Mail said "robust contingency plans" were put in place.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said accused Royal Mail of cuts which break a national agreement and threatened modernisation.

Royal Mail said it had honoured existing agreements.

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said it had put robust contingency plans in place to minimise disruption to its customers.

She said: "Industrial action will not modernise Royal Mail - it will simply disrupt the service, annoy customers and lead to an even greater loss of business, leaving Royal Mail less able to protect full time jobs - and the Universal Service in the competitive marketplace."