(Alliance News) -Â Royal Mail PLC on Tuesday said it is "disappointed" Communication Workers Union members backed industrial action.
CWU members voted 95% in favour of industrial action, Royal Mail noted.
The union held back from announcing strike dates, however, and said it wanted to become an additional emergency service in view of the coronavirus crisis.
"We welcome and appreciate CWU's statement this afternoon that now is not the time to take industrial action," said Shane O'Riordain, managing director of Regulation, Corporate Affairs & Marketing.
"As the coronavirus crisis has developed, we have worked with CWU to formulate and implement the appropriate sick pay and absence policy for our colleagues," O'Riordain said.
"We jointly agreed on the policy and communicated it to our colleagues last week. Colleagues, including those with less than one year's service, will receive full pay in relation to any coronavirus illness or self-isolation. We have made adjustments to our parcel handling procedures to protect our colleagues and our customers."
Royal Mail added that it wants to reach an agreement with the CWU and is ready to discuss the union's proposals for "future strategic business opportunities".
Shares in the postal operator closed up 3.7% at 148.55 pence in London on Tuesday.
By Lucy Heming;Â lucyheming@alliancenews.com
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