Postal workers solidly supported a national strike as picket lines were mounted outside mail centres at the start of nationwide walkouts across the country.
The Communication Workers Union stepped up its attack on Business Secretary Lord Mandelson over his role in a bitter dispute over jobs, pay and modernisation, with one leader accusing him of telling "untruths."
Pickets waved banners and flags, with slogans including Defend Our Postal Services, and Protect Our Pensions, attracting hoots of support from passing motorists.
Up to 42,000 mail centre staff and network drivers launched a 24 hour strike, while 78,000 delivery and collection workers will walk out on Friday.
The union is set to announce further strikes after hopes of reaching a last minute deal collapsed, leading to bitter recriminations.
Deputy general secretary Dave Ward repeated he believed a "form of words" had been agreed during marathon talks earlier this week, claiming the progress was "wiped out" by a last minute intervention from Royal Mail managing director Mark Higson.
Mr Ward told GMTV that Lord Mandelson had "misrepresented" the dispute and was "frankly telling untruths." He claimed the minister was affected by the collapse of his plan to part-privatise the Royal Mail, adding: "He is putting personal setbacks in front of settling the dispute."
The Royal Mail condemned the decision to go ahead with the "wholly unjustified" strikes and said it was willing to keep on talking, although officials warned there would now be delays to mail deliveries.
The company said it had made a "reasoned and sensible" proposal which it said would have averted the immediate strike action and provided a period of calm in the run-up to Christmas.
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Lord Mandelson said he deeply regretted the strike decision, adding that industrial action was not in the best interests of the Royal Mail, the work force or "hard pressed" consumers and businesses.
