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| Royal Mail wins strike injunction | Royal Mail wins strike injunction |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Royal Mail has won an injunction in London's High Court preventing next week's 48-hour strike. | Royal Mail has won an injunction in London's High Court preventing next week's 48-hour strike. |
| The postal firm's workers had been set to walk out from 19 October in protest over pensions, wages and jobs. | The postal firm's workers had been set to walk out from 19 October in protest over pensions, wages and jobs. |
| But the company said the strike would be "unlawful" if the Communication Workers Union (CWU) did not follow dispute resolution procedures. | But the company said the strike would be "unlawful" if the Communication Workers Union (CWU) did not follow dispute resolution procedures. |
| A strike ballot of the CWU's 110,000 members had produced an 89.1% vote in favour on a 73.7% turnout. | A strike ballot of the CWU's 110,000 members had produced an 89.1% vote in favour on a 73.7% turnout. |
| It would have been the first national strike since Royal Mail was privatised four years ago. | It would have been the first national strike since Royal Mail was privatised four years ago. |
| 'Unaffordable' scheme | |
| Mr Justice Supperstone, who granted the injunction, said: "I consider the strike call to be unlawful and the defendant is obliged to withdraw its strike call until the external mediation process has been exhausted." | Mr Justice Supperstone, who granted the injunction, said: "I consider the strike call to be unlawful and the defendant is obliged to withdraw its strike call until the external mediation process has been exhausted." |
| The CWU has said that Royal Mail's move to reform workers' pensions means that its members will lose up to a third of their retirement entitlements. | The CWU has said that Royal Mail's move to reform workers' pensions means that its members will lose up to a third of their retirement entitlements. |
| The company said pension scheme members would indeed build up smaller benefits in future, but that was because the plan in its current form was unaffordable. | The company said pension scheme members would indeed build up smaller benefits in future, but that was because the plan in its current form was unaffordable. |
| Earlier this year, the Royal Mail announced that it would close its current defined benefit scheme in March 2018. | |
| Although the pension fund is currently in surplus, Royal Mail, which was privatised in 2013, claims that its current annual contribution of £400m a year would swell to £1.26bn. |