Postal workers are to stage their first national strike for more than a decade in a bitter row over pay and conditions.

Up to 130,000 members of the Communication Workers Union will walk out for 24 hours on Friday, June 29, crippling postal deliveries across the UK.

In the northern region, which includes Bradford, 19,000 union members are expected to take part in the action.

The CWU has rejected a 2.5 per cent pay offer as derisory and warned that the Royal Mail's modernisation plans would lead to a cut in postal services and the loss of 40,000 jobs.

Workers in Bradford will distribute leaflets outlining their position at the Interchange and Forster Square stations on Tuesday.

Paul Clays, regional organiser for the Northern Region, said: "This will be an all out 24-hour strike across all departments and will cause serious disruption to the service.

"We did not want this but management have refused to negotiate and we have no option open to us. This is a situation that could easily be resolved, the ball is firmly in the Royal Mail's court. Their intransigence shows a lack of respect for its staff and the public we serve."

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "We remain hopeful that our people fully understand the damage that any industrial action will have on our customers and therefore our business and our future.

"The CWU must give at least seven days' notice of strike action. We have developed contingency plans which we will put in place in the event of any action and will do everything possible to minimise the impact on our customers should a strike happen."