Post Office workers the length and breadth of the country are to be balloted by the CWU (Communication Workers Union) in a row over proposed changes to their conditions of service.
Postmen are furious that the Post Office seems committed to pushing through unpopular reforms without any form of consultation.
The CWU's deputy general secretary Dave Ward went further when he commented "the Post Office seems totally committed to pushing through unpopular reforms without any form of consultation".
Amongst the controversial reforms being proposed by the Post Office is the banning of postmen wearing their hideously tacky blue shirts outside their trousers.
Even more unpopular is the proposal that the postmen's red elastic bands be changed to the colour green.
"Our workers are up in arms about this suggestion - we feel that the red elastic bands are a national icon . When members of the public are walking home and observe the red bands strewn all over the pavements, they know they can expect to have some mail hanging half in and half out of their letter box.
Seeing green elastic bands lying about their housing estates will just confuse the public.
We will not back down on this matter of principle".
