Postal workers in Bradford have angrily rejected major changes to their pension scheme by the Royal Mail which came into force this week and have threatened further industrial action.

The Royal Mail argues that the terms of the pension changes, which include the scrapping of a final salary scheme, were thrashed out with the Communication Workers Union and Unite months ago.

However, the CWU says that while it entered into consultation on the issue all its proposals were ignored.

Pensions were a key factor in the industrial dispute which paralysed the postal service last year.

Now the CWU is warning that further industrial action is imminent if a compromise is not reached. More than 90 per cent of the 140,000 CWU members balloted voted to reject the changes.

Paul Clays, CWU representative for Bradford and the North of England, accused management of underhand tactics.

He said: "Management's claim that we agreed to these changes is absolute nonsense. We agreed to take part in the consultation but they took no notice. There is no point having a consultation if no-one listens.

"I have been in the pension scheme for 20 years and expect to receive my final salary at the end. Now management is saying they are not going to do it.

"When you pay into a pension scheme it is your money and now they are saying they can't afford to pay out.

"We are very close to balloting for industrial action on this issue but there is still time for management to negotiate."

Responding to the CWU ballot's decision, a Royal Mail spokesman said: "Changes to the pension plan took effect on April 1, following the signing last week of a deed of amendment by Royal Mail and the Pension Plan Trustee.

"There had already been extensive talks which began last April with the CWU and other employee representatives, with the changes, which have now been made, agreed in writing with the CWU last autumn as part of a wider deal on pay and modernisation."