The reason for such a low turn-out and lack of confidence in either candidate to replace Alan Johnson was the capitulation of the union to the Employers Agenda after what members considered was an effective resistance by both their official and unofficial industrial action. A lot of sacrifice for very little gain and the fact that discontent and unrest within Royal Mail continued demonstrated the suspicion of a sell-out was well-grounded. I've been years away from the job (and out of the country) so what present feelings and attitudes are, i have very little idea.
I personally now view that much of the militancy in Scotland at the time turned out to be engineered in a careerist power-play by Keggie with a number of local branch officials duped. Our walk-outs was more to give Keggie leverage against Johnson than aimed against the bosses.
Postal workers have despite being uniformed civil servants in the past have always had a radical streak. It was the only union to endorse GDH Cole's guild socialism since already being employees of the state they understood that nationalisation, state-ownership and state-control being pushed by other unions were dead-ends for industrial democracy. Another form of workers control was required.
Blimey, it's not every day you get schooled on anti-electoralism by the SPGB.
I suppose those numbers are especially notable given how I think of the CWU as being one of the UK unions with the most engaged membership, like they got a 75.9% turnout in that ballot from last year. Anyway, I suppose that if no-one else cares about this stuff then that's a pretty good reason for why I never really developed a well-thought-out opinion on it before.