Thousands of postal workers in Bradford have taken part in industrial action regarding pay and the threat of job losses.

The workers, who gathered outside the Royal Mail office at Forster Square, Bradford, were taking part in a 24 hour stoppage as part of a national strike involving 130,000 postal workers nationwide.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) organised the strike in a bid to get Royal Mail bosses to return to the negotiating table after the union turned down a 2.5 per cent pay offer and rejected the Royal Mail's business plan, which it claimed would lead to 40,000 job losses.

The union is demanding postal workers' pay should rise to the national average over the next five years, which the Royal Mail said amounted to a 27 per cent increase.

The union is also campaigning to prevent the Royal Mail closing 70 larger post offices and move services into WH Smith stores.

Passing motorists honked their horns and shouted messages of support to those on the picket line outside the Bradford office.

John Tracey, branch secretary of the Bradford and District Amalgamated CWU, said: "We have had good support from the public. I think if you said to anyone, no matter what their job was, that their employer wanted to reduce their wages by more than 25 per cent, I am sure that person would want to go out on strike."

Mr Tracey said that the union had around 1,800 members in the district and estimated that 95 per cent of its members were taking part in the action.

The Royal Mail said it had no more money to improve the pay offer and had "no option" but to modernise the business in the face of increased competition.

Around £1.2 billion was being invested in the business to make sure the organisation can compete in an "increasingly tough" market, said the Royal Mail.