MILLIONS of items of local mail are sitting in a distribution centre or in articulated lorries around the country because of a dispute between Royal Mail and a union in east London, it has been claimed.

The Communications Workers Union (CWU) has been involved in a dispute with Royal Mail about job losses and changes to pay and conditions and has taken industrial action - both official and unofficial - over the last few months.

Royal Mail is now refusing to allow the East London Mail Centre, in Bromley-by-Bow, which sorts mail for Waltham Forest, to process items, meaning they have to be driven to other centres across the UK, before returning to east London for distribution.

This, according to CWU officials, is causing severe delays to the service.

In addition to this, as from today, the 11.30am post box collections have been cancelled, as have all business box collections before 3pm, creating yet more delays.

Angela Mulcahy, CWU East London area processing representative, said: “Every single item of mail, whether from pillar boxes, post offices, or from customers, is not processed in east London at the moment.

“We have heard there are currently 12,000 items of east London mail going around the Midlands on an articulated lorry.”

Items of post are also piling up at the East London Mail Centre as staff struggle to cope with increased workloads, Mrs Mulcahy said.

Mrs Mulcahy claims the Royal Mail is punishing the union's members at the Bromley-by-Brow centre by removing the processing work, as it generates overtime.

Both Mrs Mulcahy and John Ayres, CWU east London drivers' representative, believe the Royal Mail service is deliberately being destroyed, in order to make the case for wholesale privatisation more attractive.

Referring to the recent industrial action, Mrs Mulcahy said: “I'd like to apologise to everyone who has had a poor service but all we are trying to do through our action is to protect the Royal Mail, if we don't do this there won't be a Royal Mail in the future.”

Mr Ayres said union members are not opposed to modernisation but are angry that changes to working terms and conditions are being taken without union consultation.

The latest 24-hour strike is due to take place at the East London Mail Centre, and at delivery offices throughout east London, on Wednesday.

The Guardian is awaiting a statement from Royal Mail.