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| Mail boss asks for 'common sense' | Mail boss asks for 'common sense' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Royal Mail chief executive Adam Crozier has said he hopes "common sense prevails" and this week's UK-wide strikes are called off. | Royal Mail chief executive Adam Crozier has said he hopes "common sense prevails" and this week's UK-wide strikes are called off. |
| Mr Crozier's comments on the BBC's Andrew Marr show come ahead of fresh talks between the Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union on Monday. | Mr Crozier's comments on the BBC's Andrew Marr show come ahead of fresh talks between the Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union on Monday. |
| He said he hoped an outline deal will see Thursday, Friday and Saturday's strikes cancelled. | He said he hoped an outline deal will see Thursday, Friday and Saturday's strikes cancelled. |
| Yet he added that any final agreement would take "a couple of months". | Yet he added that any final agreement would take "a couple of months". |
| This week's planned strikes follow after UK-wide walkouts by Communication Workers Union (CWU) members on Thursday and Friday of last week, in an ongoing dispute over pay, conditions and modernisation. | This week's planned strikes follow after UK-wide walkouts by Communication Workers Union (CWU) members on Thursday and Friday of last week, in an ongoing dispute over pay, conditions and modernisation. |
| The Royal Mail says it is continuing to deal with a backlog of 30 million items but the CWU puts the figure nearer to 65 million. | The Royal Mail says it is continuing to deal with a backlog of 30 million items but the CWU puts the figure nearer to 65 million. |
| 'Complete nonsense' | 'Complete nonsense' |
| Mr Crozier said the key to Monday's talks would be a form of words to end the strike action, which the Royal Mail says was formulated last week - but not enforced - by a team of its representatives and CWU leaders. | Mr Crozier said the key to Monday's talks would be a form of words to end the strike action, which the Royal Mail says was formulated last week - but not enforced - by a team of its representatives and CWU leaders. |
| 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 two 24-hour strikes were held on Thursday and Friday of last weekFresh talks between the two sides due to take place on Monday, with further UK-wide strikes planned for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 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 two 24-hour strikes were held on Thursday and Friday of last weekFresh talks between the two sides due to take place on Monday, with further UK-wide strikes planned for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Origins of the Royal Mail strike Sorrow and anger on picket line |
| The union has described the suggestion that the wording had been agreed as "total nonsense." | The union has described the suggestion that the wording had been agreed as "total nonsense." |
| Mondays' talks are being brokered by the TUC. | Mondays' talks are being brokered by the TUC. |
| In Mr Crozier's interview with the BBC, he denied accusations that he was taking a back seat in the continuing dispute. | In Mr Crozier's interview with the BBC, he denied accusations that he was taking a back seat in the continuing dispute. |
| He said he was not involved in the direct talks with the union, because his focus was instead on talking to affected customers. | He said he was not involved in the direct talks with the union, because his focus was instead on talking to affected customers. |
| He also denied that he was taking any direction from the government. | He also denied that he was taking any direction from the government. |
| "Of course I have been keeping them [government ministers] up to date," he said. | "Of course I have been keeping them [government ministers] up to date," he said. |
| "But it is complete nonsense to say they are pulling the strings." | "But it is complete nonsense to say they are pulling the strings." |
| Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has said that Monday's talks between the Royal Mail and CWU are an opportunity to end the deadlock and that both sides should seize the opportunity. | Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has said that Monday's talks between the Royal Mail and CWU are an opportunity to end the deadlock and that both sides should seize the opportunity. |
| If this week's strikes to go ahead, they are due to involve: | If this week's strikes to go ahead, they are due to 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. |
| Falling post levels | |
| The Royal Mail, which has shed 63,000 frontline postal staff in recent years, says it needs to further cut jobs as part of continuing modernisation plans. | |
| It says it needs to streamline its business because the number of letters and parcels its core business delivers is falling 10% each year. | |
| The CWU agrees that job cuts are necessary, but where the two sides disagree is over their extent, and the future pay and working conditions of the workers that remain. | |
| In 2008, the Royal Mail Group went into the black for the first time in 20 years, and profit at the main letters and packages unit was £58m from a turnover of £6.7bn. | |
| Royal Mail says this margin is very small considering the size of the turnover. The group also has a £6.8bn pensions deficit. |