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| Brown urges end to postal strike | |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The prime minister has called on Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) to "get back to the table" to bring an end to industrial action. | |
| "This strike will be self-defeating if all it means is people stop using the Royal Mail," Gordon Brown said. | |
| He was speaking after the start of the first nationwide postal strike in two years, which began at 0400 BST. | |
| Union leaders have blamed Business Secretary Lord Mandelson and Royal Mail chiefs for the failure to reach a deal. | Union leaders have blamed Business Secretary Lord Mandelson and Royal Mail chiefs for the failure to reach a deal. |
| But ministers say the suggestion that an agreement was vetoed is "fantasy". | But ministers say the suggestion that an agreement was vetoed is "fantasy". |
| "This strike is solvable and I believe that management and workforce can resolve it," said Mr Brown. | |
| STORY SO FAR... Postal workers, especially in London, have been holding intermittent one-day strikes for months in a row over the way Royal Mail is to be modernisedEarlier this month, postal workers voted three to one in favour of nationwide industrial action (though Royal Mail said 60% of the total number of postal workers in the UK did not vote to strike)The CWU set dates for the first nationwide postal strikes in two yearsLast-gasp talks failed to reach an agreement and indeed the split between the union and Royal Mail management became more acrimonious Q&A: Royal Mail dispute Royal Mail's one-man competitor | STORY SO FAR... Postal workers, especially in London, have been holding intermittent one-day strikes for months in a row over the way Royal Mail is to be modernisedEarlier this month, postal workers voted three to one in favour of nationwide industrial action (though Royal Mail said 60% of the total number of postal workers in the UK did not vote to strike)The CWU set dates for the first nationwide postal strikes in two yearsLast-gasp talks failed to reach an agreement and indeed the split between the union and Royal Mail management became more acrimonious Q&A: Royal Mail dispute Royal Mail's one-man competitor |
| 'Vindictive' | 'Vindictive' |
| The CWU said it would be announcing plans for further strike action. | The CWU said it would be announcing plans for further strike action. |
| Dave Ward, CWU deputy leader, said his message to Royal Mail and Lord Mandelson was to "get your hands dirty" and meet the union at the conciliation service Acas. | Dave Ward, CWU deputy leader, said his message to Royal Mail and Lord Mandelson was to "get your hands dirty" and meet the union at the conciliation service Acas. |
| He also criticised Lord Mandelson, describing his actions as "vindictive". | He also criticised Lord Mandelson, describing his actions as "vindictive". |
| The business secretary said that trading insults would not help resolve the dispute. | The business secretary said that trading insults would not help resolve the dispute. |
| "Politicising it or dramatising it is absolutely useless," Lord Mandelson said. | "Politicising it or dramatising it is absolutely useless," Lord Mandelson said. |
| "I'm not sure that my intervening would be welcome by both sides. Both sides within the Royal Mail itself need to resolve this." | "I'm not sure that my intervening would be welcome by both sides. Both sides within the Royal Mail itself need to resolve this." |
| 'Period of calm' | 'Period of calm' |
| Royal Mail condemned the strikes, calling them "damaging". | Royal Mail condemned the strikes, calling them "damaging". |
| "We had an agreement with the CWU drafted on Tuesday night, around midnight," said Paul Tolhurst, operations director at Royal Mail. | "We had an agreement with the CWU drafted on Tuesday night, around midnight," said Paul Tolhurst, operations director at Royal Mail. |
| Royal Mail says union 'walked away' | |
| "We were expecting frankly for these strikes to be called off and for a period of calm." | "We were expecting frankly for these strikes to be called off and for a period of calm." |
| He added that the company had had more than 80 meetings with the CWU. | He added that the company had had more than 80 meetings with the CWU. |
| "There are huge areas where we both agree on what we need to do. There are some areas we still need to work on," he said. | "There are huge areas where we both agree on what we need to do. There are some areas we still need to work on," he said. |
| The decision to go ahead with strike action came after several meetings between Royal Mail and the union this week. | The decision to go ahead with strike action came after several meetings between Royal Mail and the union this week. |
| Some companies, including John Lewis and Amazon, have said they are using alternative delivery services. | Some companies, including John Lewis and Amazon, have said they are using alternative delivery services. |
| The Federation of Small Businesses estimates that 70% of the 4.8 million small firms in the UK rely on the Royal Mail for their post. It says that every postal strike costs its members, who have up to 20 staff, £300 each. | The Federation of Small Businesses estimates that 70% of the 4.8 million small firms in the UK rely on the Royal Mail for their post. It says that every postal strike costs its members, who have up to 20 staff, £300 each. |
| If the strikes continue for a prolonged period, contingency plans for delivery of hospital appointments and medical test results have been drawn up, MPs were told earlier this week. | If the strikes continue for a prolonged period, contingency plans for delivery of hospital appointments and medical test results have been drawn up, MPs were told earlier this week. |
| And it has emerged that the Ministry of Defence may charter extra aircraft to ensure serving troops get their Christmas post. | And it has emerged that the Ministry of Defence may charter extra aircraft to ensure serving troops get their Christmas post. |
| Peaceful pickets | Peaceful pickets |
| Postal workers formed picket lines outside 37 mail centres in the UK. | Postal workers formed picket lines outside 37 mail centres in the UK. |
| A lot of this is payback time because we defeated them on privatisation Colin Elcome, postal worker in Cardiff | A lot of this is payback time because we defeated them on privatisation Colin Elcome, postal worker in Cardiff |
| Colin Elcome, on a picket line in Cardiff, said the workers had terms and conditions to protect, as well as an industry and a public service. | Colin Elcome, on a picket line in Cardiff, said the workers had terms and conditions to protect, as well as an industry and a public service. |
| "A lot of this is payback time because we defeated them on privatisation. Rather than building the industry up and the public service up, it seems that some of them want to smash it into the ground," he said. | "A lot of this is payback time because we defeated them on privatisation. Rather than building the industry up and the public service up, it seems that some of them want to smash it into the ground," he said. |
| There were about 20 people - including pickets and supporters - outside the Royal Mail's Mount Pleasant sorting office in London. | There were about 20 people - including pickets and supporters - outside the Royal Mail's Mount Pleasant sorting office in London. |
| The mood was peaceful, with no sign of any tension or police presence, correspondents said. | The mood was peaceful, with no sign of any tension or police presence, correspondents said. |
| About 20 people had gathered outside a sorting office in Leeds, while police watched about 30 workers staging a protest at Liverpool's main sorting office. | About 20 people had gathered outside a sorting office in Leeds, while police watched about 30 workers staging a protest at Liverpool's main sorting office. |
| Delivery vans could be seen entering and leaving the Birmingham mail centre, despite the strike and the presence of about 40 workers demonstrating with banners. | Delivery vans could be seen entering and leaving the Birmingham mail centre, despite the strike and the presence of about 40 workers demonstrating with banners. |
| 'Militancy worse' | 'Militancy worse' |
| The prime minister had urged unions and managers to agree a deal, saying a strike would be "counter-productive". | The prime minister had urged unions and managers to agree a deal, saying a strike would be "counter-productive". |
| HAVE YOUR SAYI won't have any junk mailMarion Monahan, Bristol Send us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAYI won't have any junk mailMarion Monahan, Bristol Send us your comments |
| In the Commons on Wednesday, David Cameron accused Gordon Brown of lacking the "courage and leadership" to intervene in the postal dispute to prevent two days of planned strikes. | In the Commons on Wednesday, David Cameron accused Gordon Brown of lacking the "courage and leadership" to intervene in the postal dispute to prevent two days of planned strikes. |
| Since plans to part-privatise Royal Mail had been shelved "union militancy has got worse," the Tory leader said. | Since plans to part-privatise Royal Mail had been shelved "union militancy has got worse," the Tory leader said. |
| Mr Brown said that had nothing to do with the dispute and urged unions and managers to agree a deal. | Mr Brown said that had nothing to do with the dispute and urged unions and managers to agree a deal. |