The 2007 strike was a defeat plucked from the jaws of victory. CWU leaders turned the strike on and off, dragging it out unnecessarily for months. Then after a real push, with back to back 48 hour strikes, our leaders surrendered to a court injunction just when victory was in sight.

It is understandable that some are worried this might happen again. However the answer isn’t avoiding a strike - that will only make Royal Mail more aggressive - but to apply the lessons from 2007. These can be summed up as organising the strike from below, because the officials will never lead a fight consistently without pressure from below at the very least. At key points in the past, postal workers have had to take unofficial action without the leaders.

For instance, the CWU tops are set to agree a ballot timetable for 4 August - great. But CWU conference set the date for 2 July! It will mean no national strike until September. Not good enough. London and Scotland will have been striking for three months by then.

The 500 offices that have taken action or secured ballots should call an unofficial conference as soon as possible. Delegates could then hammer out a strategy to win.

How long should strike days last? How close together should they be? What should we do if Royal Mail victimise activists? Or redirect mail? Or open up temporary scab mail centres? What if wildcat strikes develop - should we spread them and stay out?

All these are live questions of strategy now. If we leave it to chance, we could end up like we did in 2007 - with the rank and file disunited and ill-informed. But if we use the summer to get organised, then, when the crunch comes, we will have an alternative leadership ready to stop any backsliding or hesitation by the officials.

There can be no doubt that CWU militants have sufficient experience and courage to win this fight. But we have to take control of the dispute to make it happen.