A NATIONAL postal strike has begun after talks broke down between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU).

The first national strike in two years, drivers and mail centre staff started their 24-hour walkout at 4am today (Thursday).

Collection staff are set to join the industrial action tomorrow with more strike dates expected soon.

CWU leaders laid the blame on business secretary Lord Mandelson and Royal Mail heads for the failing to come to an agreement.

Ministers have described the suggestion an agreement was vetoed as "fantasy".

Postal workers in London and elsewhere have held a number of one-day strikes in recent months in a wrangle over plans to ‘modernise’ Royal Mail.

They voted three to one favour of national strikes and CWU set dates for today’s action.

The CWU claimed Lord Mandelson worked with Royal Mail to "undermine the dispute".

Workers are angry after tens of thousands of jobs were cut and believe changes may be made to their pay and conditions.

Royal Mail’s plans to hire 30,000 temporary staff to ease the strain of strike action also sparked outrage.

Royal Mail spoke out against the strikes, saying they were "wholly unjustified".

It also pleaded for a ‘period of calm’ before Christmas, as industrial action would cause ‘pain and disruption’ for customers.

Union reps for CWU in east London issued an apology to customers for any disruption caused earlier this month.

In an open letter to residents in Waltham Forest and surrounding boroughs, they also issued an explanation for the reasons behind the strike.

Temporary drop off points for mail addressed to Waltham Forest council have already been set up in the event of a strike.