ROYAL MAIL faces its first strike by thousands of postal managers for 20 years over plans for compulsory job cuts that would hit workers on long-term sick and maternity leave, The Times has learnt.

Union leaders are furious at secret plans to cut managerial jobs that define workers who refuse to take voluntary redundancy as “surplus”. The plans will be forced through this week in an attempt to sack 3,000 of 14,000 managers.

A leaked Royal Mail memo revealed that about 700 staff will be declared surplus. However, up to 1,500 jobs are at risk because only 1,300 managers have volunteered for redundancy. The memo says authorisation will be sought for compulsory redundancies.

The job cuts are part of attempts by Royal Mail, which lost £600 million last year, to improve its performance and reduce costs. Although it is only three years since the organisation, which still enjoys a monopoly on most of its services, was profitable, its new managers have said drastic action is needed.

Senior managers are trying to force through the cuts on middle ranks before the end of the month and will not wait for staff on medical leave to return to work before telling them whether they will be able to return to a job. The “management headcount reduction” memo claims t that the human resources department in each business unit “will take responsibility for writing to LTS (long-term sick) and maternity leave people”.

It says that the “surplus” staff will be allocated to a general resourcing pool, through which they will be told other work will be sought.

But the memo states: “They need to have expectations managed carefully i.e. little or no chance of redeployment.”

Unions believe Royal Mail is taking the hardline approach because it feels it has broken union strength after the vote by the Communication Workers Union, which represents postal workers, not to strike over pay. A spokesman for Amicus said: “This is the second stage of divide and rule. But it will have the reverse effect.”

Peter Skyte, national secretary of Amicus, said: “Royal Mail has been duplicitous. At the same time as they have been saying to us that they are seeking to secure changes by voluntary means, they are drawing up plans for compulsory redundancy. There is now every prospect that Royal Mail’s managers may be balloted on industrial action for the first time in 20 years if the company seeks to impose compulsory redundancy or reneges on the terms of the job security agreement with us.”

Royal Mail also plans to cut the terms of its voluntary redundancy scheme. The memo says that the current terms will be “put on hold”. It says: “Individuals will be advised that terms will reduce if VR not accepted by 25/03/04. Individuals will be given two weeks notice of any changes in terms.”

A spokeswoman for Royal Mail said the company would try to secure job losses by voluntary means but could not rule out compulsory cuts. She said that the long-term sick and women on maternity leave were being contacted because it was the company’s policy to treat all staff the same.