In a tweet this afternoon, the CWU said this second ballot covers Royal Mail’s “unacceptable change proposals”.

“We have a week to meet every member. If any union can do that it’s us. Let’s go,” it said.

A Royal Mail spokesperson commented: “We are losing £1m pounds a day and we need to change what we are doing to fix the situation.

“A second ballot is a ballot against the change we need to win, and is premature. It is another sign that the CWU are against the change required to modernise our business so we can compete, grow and succeed in the future.

“We stand ready to talk to the CWU but it must be about both change and pay. We offered a deal worth up to 5.5% for CWU grade colleagues, the biggest increase we have offered for many years, which the CWU rejected.

“But in a business that lost £92m in the first quarter, we can only fund this offer by making the changes that will pay for it and ensure Royal Mail can grow and remain competitive in a fast-moving industry.”

More than 115,000 postal workers at Royal Mail are currently gearing up for a strike over pay, following the result of the first ballot announced yesterday (19 July).

Royal Mail Group held its 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM) earlier today.