Postal workers are set to confirm their opposition to privatising Royal Mail amid warnings it could wreck postal services.

The Government is pressing ahead with plans to sell off Royal Mail later this year despite opposition from groups including the Communication Workers Union (CWU).

It will be debated at the union's annual conference in Bournemouth today and tomorrow, when delegates will urge Labour to give an "unequivocal commitment" that following privatisation of all or part of Royal Mail, the next Labour Government will renationalise it.

Billy Hayes, CWU general secretary, said: "Privatisation is an old-fashioned idea. We've seen it fail in areas such as the rail industry, where prices have soared and safety standards and services to customers were left in disarray.

"Our conference will be restating the CWU's opposition to the planned privatisation of Royal Mail which we don't believe is in the interests of customers, the workforce or the wider industry.

"We want a modern Royal Mail in full public ownership and able to deliver the universal service six days a week to all parts of the UK."

The union said in a special edition of its magazine privatisation would be the ultimate wrecking ball for UK postal services.