An imminent postal strike threatened by Royal Mail workers could have disastrous consequences for small businesses, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned.

On June 7th, the Communications Workers Union (CWU) said that its Royal Mail members would take industrial action in the near future.

Now industry experts say it could be the worst postal uprising in more than a decade, and the FSB is urging the government to intervene in the strike in order to protect the nation's small businesses.

Colin Stratton, north-east chairman of the FSB, said: "Small businesses would be hardest hit by this dispute. They employ over half of the private sector workforce in the UK and are totally reliant on the Royal Mail.

"A cheque delayed in the post can mean the difference between life and death for a small business, which means that this strike cannot be allowed to go ahead."

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