Final talks before postal strike due

Wednesday, 21 October 2009 12:00 AM

By Alex Stevenson

Last-ditch attempts to reach agreement between postal workers' representatives and the Royal Mail are taking place today as tomorrow's industrial action looms.

No deal was reached despite 12 hours of negotiations yesterday. A final attempt to reach agreement to prevent the industrial action will take place later.

The Communication Workers' Union remained defiant as it prepared to implement the two days of strikes which will hit postal services later this week. Mail centres and network distribution units will be hit on Thursday, before delivery offices and collection units virtually shut down on Friday.

General secretary Billy Hayes rejected Peter Mandelson's statement to the Lords yesterday, in which the business secretary called the union's plans "self-defeating".

"Peter Mandelson's re-reading of old Royal Mail press releases helps no one," Mr Hayes commented yesterday.

"Repeating the management mantra that is blatantly untrue is extremely unhelpful."

Royal Mail bosses are determined to push through a modernisation programme which shifts the company on to a more profitable and sustainable footing.

The CWU's objections relate to the 2007 pay and modernisation agreement, which stated that "change will be introduced by agreement".

The Royal Mail plans on doubling the number of temporary workers it hires in a bid to dampen the impact of the strike.

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• post office