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| Hopes post backlog will clear | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Royal Mail hopes to be able to clear a backlog of millions of items before a second wave of strikes next week. | |
| The company puts the number of letters and parcels at about 30 million but the Communication Workers Union believes the figure is closer to 65 million. | The company puts the number of letters and parcels at about 30 million but the Communication Workers Union believes the figure is closer to 65 million. |
| A further three strike days are planned from Thursday next week, in the dispute over pay, conditions and modernisation. | A further three strike days are planned from Thursday next week, in the dispute over pay, conditions and modernisation. |
| The union said up to 120,000 workers "solidly supported" this week's action, which Royal Mail called "unnecessary". | The union said up to 120,000 workers "solidly supported" this week's action, which Royal Mail called "unnecessary". |
| A Royal Mail spokesman, when asked whether the backlog would clear before the next strikes, said: "Our aim will be do do that. We will have to see how things go." | |
| The CWU has offered "unconditional" talks at the conciliation service Acas, and says it is waiting to hear whether Royal Mail will attend. | The CWU has offered "unconditional" talks at the conciliation service Acas, and says it is waiting to hear whether Royal Mail will attend. |
| Royal Mail has described plans for three further walkouts on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as "appalling". | Royal Mail has described plans for three further walkouts on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as "appalling". |
| 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, with the CWU announcing further strike dates Origins of the Royal Mail strike Sorrow and anger on picket line | 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, with the CWU announcing further strike dates Origins of the Royal Mail strike Sorrow and anger on picket line |
| A spokesman thanked the "20% of delivery staff" who chose to work on Friday and who were "doing everything possible to get all delayed mail delivered to customers as quickly as possible over the next few days". | A spokesman thanked the "20% of delivery staff" who chose to work on Friday and who were "doing everything possible to get all delayed mail delivered to customers as quickly as possible over the next few days". |
| Royal Mail managing director Mark Higson urged the CWU to accept an agreement looked at on Tuesday. | Royal Mail managing director Mark Higson urged the CWU to accept an agreement looked at on Tuesday. |
| "Signing that agreement... will mean that next week's strikes will be unnecessary and, more than that, we will not have any more action this side of Christmas," Mr Higson said. | "Signing that agreement... will mean that next week's strikes will be unnecessary and, more than that, we will not have any more action this side of Christmas," Mr Higson said. |
| CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward reiterated its position that it wanted talks at Acas with "no preconditions on either side". | CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward reiterated its position that it wanted talks at Acas with "no preconditions on either side". |
| He said on Friday: "We have six days before any further strike action would take place. | He said on Friday: "We have six days before any further strike action would take place. |
| "Given the progress we were making in talks earlier this week, this should be enough time to reach an agreement." | "Given the progress we were making in talks earlier this week, this should be enough time to reach an agreement." |
| About 78,000 delivery and collection workers walked out on Friday following Thursday's strike by mail centre staff. | About 78,000 delivery and collection workers walked out on Friday following Thursday's strike by mail centre staff. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY As a small online retailer, this has been devastating to our business, and I'm angry at both Royal Mail and its workers for failing to prevent thisJoe Richards, Southampton Send us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAY As a small online retailer, this has been devastating to our business, and I'm angry at both Royal Mail and its workers for failing to prevent thisJoe Richards, Southampton Send us your comments |
| Meanwhile the GMB union said it had started to receive calls to a hotline it has set up for members of the public to report employment agencies supplying staff to Royal Mail during strikes. | Meanwhile the GMB union said it had started to receive calls to a hotline it has set up for members of the public to report employment agencies supplying staff to Royal Mail during strikes. |
| The unions have said the practice is illegal, but Royal Mail has denied its move to hire 30,000 agency workers to deal with the effects of the strike as well as the Christmas rush, broke the law. | The unions have said the practice is illegal, but Royal Mail has denied its move to hire 30,000 agency workers to deal with the effects of the strike as well as the Christmas rush, broke the law. |
| If they go ahead, the strikes next week could involve: | If they go ahead, the strikes next week could involve: |
| • Thursday - 43,700 staff in mail centres, delivery units in mail centres, network logistic drivers and garage staff walking out from 0400 GMT | • Thursday - 43,700 staff in mail centres, delivery units in mail centres, network logistic drivers and garage staff walking out from 0400 GMT |
| • Friday - 400 workers at three sites in Plymouth, Stockport and Stoke, who assist mail centres by reading and entering mail addresses | • Friday - 400 workers at three sites in Plymouth, Stockport and Stoke, who assist mail centres by reading and entering mail addresses |
| • Saturday - 77,000 delivery and collection staff across the UK. | • Saturday - 77,000 delivery and collection staff across the UK. |
| Meanwhile, HM Revenue & Customs has said it will not extend the 31 October deadline for filing tax returns because of the postal strike, but added that any returns received late because of the strike would be unlikely to incur a fine. | Meanwhile, HM Revenue & Customs has said it will not extend the 31 October deadline for filing tax returns because of the postal strike, but added that any returns received late because of the strike would be unlikely to incur a fine. |
| Last year 2.4 million people sent returns by post. | Last year 2.4 million people sent returns by post. |
| If people miss the postal deadline, they can still file online by 31 January. | If people miss the postal deadline, they can still file online by 31 January. |
| Consumer groups such as Which? and Consumer Focus have also called on companies to be lenient with those who are late paying bills because of the postal strike. | Consumer groups such as Which? and Consumer Focus have also called on companies to be lenient with those who are late paying bills because of the postal strike. |