Postal dispute talks continue

12 April 2012

Marathon talks aimed at averting a fresh wave of postal strikes are continuing, with time running out on reaching a deal to prevent more disruption to mail deliveries.

Leaders of the Communication Workers Union have been locked in meetings with the Royal Mail for the past two days after announcing three more 24-hour strikes from Thursday.

The two sides have been meeting at the London headquarters of the TUC, leaving at midnight on Tuesday night after agreeing to more talks.

The union's postal executive will meet later on Wednesday to discuss any progress made during the talks, which were aimed at breaking a deadlocked row over jobs, pay and modernisation.

The union's postal executive was briefed by CWU negotiators yesterday, while Royal Mail chief executive Adam Crozier was given details of the talks by managing director Mark Higson, who is leading the management team.

Up to 120,000 CWU members staged two 24-hour walkouts last week, which delayed more than 30 million items of mail.

The union has announced that 43,700 staff in mail centres, as well as drivers and garage staff will strike on Thursday, 400 workers in Plymouth, Stockport and Stoke dealing with badly addressed mail will strike on Friday, and 77,000 delivery and collection staff will walk out on Saturday.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber, who is chairing the talks, described them as "useful" on Monday, adding that further work was being done to try to reach an agreement.

The TUC leader was involved in drawing up a deal which ended the last national post strike two years ago.

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