eBay and Amazon are taking steps to prepare for a possible national postal strike in the UK. The Communication Workers Union voted today to take strike action over job security and working conditions at Royal Mail, a situation that would have online sellers and retailers scrambling just as the holiday shopping season begins.

The Guardian newspaper reported that Amazon.co.uk has cancelled its long-term contract to use the Royal Mail for parcels over 500 grams and will use a rival service, Home Delivery Network (HDN), which also delivers for Tesco and Argos.

Meanwhile eBay has lobbied the government and said it was working with alternative postal carriers "to ensure sellers can provide the levels of service that are critical in the run up to Christmas." eBay UK told sellers it would temporarily remove the option for buyers to rate sellers on the Dispatch Time DSR (Detailed Seller Rating) from the start date of any national strike action. (See today's blog post for more information.)

In a letter to the UK Secretary of State, eBay UK Managing Director Mark Lewis wrote, "These sellers tell us that Christmas typically accounts for a fifth of their annual sales and despite the tough economic conditions, they're successfully growing their businesses and investing for future growth. Any barrier to them delivering their goods could dent public confidence in a growing and increasingly important part of the economy."

He also urged the Secretary to consider eBay sellers "as you encourage both the Royal Mail and the CWU to reach a negotiated settlement and to bring this dispute to a swift end."

Royal Mail has been experiencing the effects of local strikes since September, and says there is currently a delay to mail of around 1-2 days in most parts of London and around 3-4 days in parts of the SW and SE postal districts.

The BBC has more on the Communication Workers Union vote to take strike action, and updates are available on the Royal Mail website.

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