The strike, which will cripple Christmas deliveries and could cost the economy £1.5billion, looked set to go ahead despite last-ditch talks.
Local business leaders say it must be stopped and education bosses are warning it could cost children a place at their preferred secondary school.
Bosses from the Communication Workers Union announced plans for the national strike last week.
As the Times went to press, mail centre staff and drivers were planning to walk out for 24 hours tomorrow.
Delivery and collection staff were also planning to stage a 24 hour strike on Friday as part of a bitter dispute over pay, conditions and modernisation.
A series of strikes have already been held in Leamington, with distribution workers at Priory Terrace walking out and postal workers in Warwick refusing to work overtime.
But business leaders are warning a national strike will have a devastating effect.
Bruce Undy, chairman of the Warwickshire and Coventry branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “At a time when small businesses are cutting costs and doing all they can to keep afloat during the recession, the postal strikes can have a disastrous impact on their cash flow.
“FSB research shows that small businesses find it difficult to find an alternative carrier to Royal Mail because of their smaller mailing volumes.”
A spokesman for the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce added: “The previous postal delays have already hurt small businesses as well as major companies. Many are already finding it a struggle. Striking will solve nothing, it will just hurt them even more, especially in the run up to Christmas which is a vital time for them.
“The union and Royal Mail need to continue talks until they work something out which will avoid a national strike.”
A national strike could also mean children in Warwickshire fail to get a place at their preferred secondary school.
Forms listing favoured schools need to be posted to Warwickshire County Council by the end of the month.
But the Local Government Association has warned a national post strike will “throw the system into disarray” and mean parents could have to courier letters to the council or drop them off themselves.
To try and ease the problem, Warwickshire County Council has extended its deadline from October 23 to October 30, but parents will have to prove they posted their form before October 23.
There could also be delays for people across the county who receive benefits and pensions by post.
A spokesman for the Department for Working Pensions said: “Only two per cent of people nationwide receive theirs by post so the vast majority of people won’t be affected.
“But for those who are, we have contingency plans in place. Couriers will take cheques to local post offices for people to pick them up from.”
South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust has also put plans in place in case of a strike.
Mark Rowlands, hotel services manager, said: “If the postal strikes were to take place, the Trust has
arrangements with Royal Mail to ensure that there is limited disruption to the service.
“If the strikes were to continue for longer periods of time and Royal Mail couldn’t continue with the contingency arrangements then we would seek alternative suppliers.”
Royal Mail has condemned the national strike as “appalling and unjustified”.
But union leaders say they have tried to stop the strike and said they were concerned about Royal Mail’s plans to bring in 300,000 temps to keep mailing moving during the strikes.
A spokesman for CWU said: “We’re disappointed that Royal Mail appears to be more interested in sidelining the views and concerns of its staff than reaching an agreement to bring this dispute to an end.
“CWU remains available for talks to avoid a strike.”
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