POSTAL workers on strike in St Albans say new working conditions proposed by Royal Mail bosses would drastically affect their lives.

The workers, who have formed picket line outside the sorting office in Brick Knoll Park, Ashley Road, are taking part in a national strike led by the Communications Workers Union (CWE) over pay, pensions and plans to modernise the service.

Paul Grace, CWE representative for the St Albans area, said measures workers were facing were "totally unacceptable". He said: "We had a six-week break to try and settle it, and then Royal Mail came back with a completely new document. They want to end the final salary pension scheme and for people to work until they're 65. People can't do this job until they're 65, we carry a tonne of mail a week."

The strike started on Thursday and resumed this morning following the weekend. If no agreement is reached between Royal Mail and the union, normal service will not resume until Wednesday morning.

Mr Grace continued: "For years people have had regular rounds and now that's being taken away - you have to turn up for work and not know when you're going to finish. How are you going to know whether you can pick your kids up from school?

"We've always adapted to changes but the benefits must be to both sides, not just one way."

A spokesman for Royal Mail said: "Royal Mail desperately needs to modernise and improve its efficiency. A key part of this is simply asking our people to work all the hours they are already paid to work across the working week and to use the equipment Royal Mail is investing in to modernise and compete - something which has been taken for granted for decades in almost every company in the UK."