POSTAL workers are to be asked once again about future strikes as part of the ongoing dispute with Royal Mail Group over pay and conditions.

Ballots have been sent out to members of the Communications Workers Union asking the question over future industrial action.

In July, CWU members voted overwhelmingly in favour of striking – with 97.6 per cent of members supporting taking action from a 77 per cent turnout.

But after the introduction of the Trade Union Act in 2016, the result of a ballot is only valid for six months.

The CWU last week served notice on the Royal Mail Group of a re-ballot of its 115,000 members.

A spokesperson for the CWU said the results are expected to come out on Thursday, February 16.

The CWU and Royal Mail had been in talks from January 9 to 20, and CWU general secretary Dave Ward said these had resulted in “some areas of progress”, leading them to be extended into this week.

“Our union is still solidly behind this dispute. Our members are solidly behind this dispute,” he said.

“There has been a number of developments since and during the Christmas period where clearly we have moved a few things forward.

“We’ve invested so much in this dispute, [members] have invested so much in this dispute. We can never walk away from it.”

Since that initial ballot in July, postal workers have taken part in 18 days of strike action.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Royal Mail is committed to reaching an agreement to resolve the current pay and change disputes to secure the company’s future and its employees’ long-term job security.”