The anticipated Post Office strike next Thursday is unlikely to have much impact on the Royal Mail’s services, the company suggests.

In a statement a Royal Mail spokesperson said: “If any industrial action takes place in Post Office Ltd, Royal Mail will be operating as normal. We expect there to be no or little impact on the services we provide to our customers.

“Post Office limited has over 11,000 branches which will continue to operate as normal. Customers who need to post at a post office should use these branches.

“Royal Mail customers will also continue to have access to Royal Mail services including pre-paid parcel drop-off  through over 1,200 Customer Service Points at Delivery Offices nationwide.”

Members of the Communications Workers Union voted last week for industrial action and a Post Office strike over changing contract terms and the closure of the final salary pension scheme. The strike action will take place on Thursday should ongoing negotiations fail. The final salary pension scheme will be replaced by another scheme that will save the Post Office a considerable sum of money in the long term. As with many government agencies pensions are a major burden and a headache for its management – though a much cherished part of the overall employment package for the staff in receipt of it.

The Post Office isn’t the only postal agency in the world in dispute over pensions, with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers also acting out industrial action recently over similar issues.