By Becky Barrow PUBLISHED: 11:16 EST, 4 December 2012 | UPDATED: 02:51 EST, 5 December 2012 Postmen are threatening to deliver only half the mail, a militant union warned last night. Thousands of vital letters such as energy bills and bank statements would fail to reach customers if the boycott went ahead – causing chaos for households and businesses. Royal Mail has lost business to the likes of TNT Post and UK Mail over the past seven years. Currently, half of all letters are handled by a rival company, with Royal Mail responsible for only the final mile of the delivery.
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Strike could happen in New Year and all non-Royal Mail post would just be ignored
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Unions say commercial competitors are costing jobs and don't have to meet same standards of service or pay
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Royal Mail has been criticised for putting up price of stamps
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Its delivery arm made a profit for the first time in four years this year
yesterday it will ballot its 200,000 members in the @placeholder about