Postal deliveries in Oxford look set to be disrupted again, with workers gearing up for more strike action.

After a series of wildcat disputes last year, local leaders of the Communication Workers' Union have asked permission from their national executive for an official ballot after clashing with bosses over holidays.

As reported in the late edition of yesterday's Oxford Mail, the union claims managers have ignored a return to work agreement negotiated at the end of the last strike in November, which gave staff the right to vote on how leave would be delegated.

The agreement said both the union and management would come up with a plan and staff would decide on which one was best. But now it is claimed managers have ignored the union's plan and want workers to accept their terms.

Management claimed the union option was unworkable.

Union chiefs say that because the ballot is not over pay, the ballot can be 'fast-tracked' and the result of the vote could be known in a few weeks.

CWU Oxford branch spokesman Steve Peck said: "Management have come up with two options both of which are detrimental to staff and mean some people may not get a summer holiday at all.

"We don't want to take action but management are being intransigent. We have just got back to normal and now they are having another go."

Mr Peck added management wanted to save money by not employing as many casuals in the summer to cover staff holidays and instead stagger leave.

Royal Mail spokesman Adrian Booth said: "We are trying to improve the situation. The union option was unworkable and we are not prepared to compromise service to customers.

"This is an extremely disappointing development but we have not exhausted discussions and it is far too early for customers to worry about strike action. They have had enough of that in recent months."

In October and November, deliveries in Oxford were crippled by an official walkout, sparked when workers were asked to sort mail from strike-hit London centres.