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| Up to 70,000 post workers strike | |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| As many as 70,000 postal delivery and collection staff have failed to turn up to work on the third day of industrial action across the country. | |
| Saturday is the last of the current three days of strikes, but the Communication Workers Union (CWU) plans further walkouts on 6 and 9 November. | |
| Royal Mail said 25% of delivery workers had turned up for duty on Saturday. | |
| Days of talks between the CWU and Royal Mail have so far not resolved their differences over pay and modernisation. | Days of talks between the CWU and Royal Mail have so far not resolved their differences over pay and modernisation. |
| Mail backlog | Mail backlog |
| The parties have been meeting this week at the TUC headquarters in London. | The parties have been meeting this week at the TUC headquarters in London. |
| Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, who helped settle a dispute between the parties in 2007, said both sides would be examining fresh proposals over the weekend with a view to returning to the negotiating table "early next week". | Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, who helped settle a dispute between the parties in 2007, said both sides would be examining fresh proposals over the weekend with a view to returning to the negotiating table "early next week". |
| The turnout of a quarter of delivery staff on Saturday meant some households received post as normal, Royal Mail said. | |
| Meanwhile, the backlog of undelivered mail caused by the strikes has risen to 35 million items, the company has said. | |
| HAVE YOUR SAYNone of them will have jobs if they continue down this pathPablo, Bradford Send us your comments | |
| But the CWU said this estimate was "laughable", alleging that between 50 million and 60 million items had in fact been delayed. | But the CWU said this estimate was "laughable", alleging that between 50 million and 60 million items had in fact been delayed. |
| Unlike the current strikes, which have involved members in different roles striking on different days, the two new dates will be all-out strikes. | Unlike the current strikes, which have involved members in different roles striking on different days, the two new dates will be all-out strikes. |
| On Thursday, an estimated 44,000 CWU members took part in strike action across the country, while on Friday about 400 workers at three sites in Plymouth, Stockport and Stoke went on strike. | On Thursday, an estimated 44,000 CWU members took part in strike action across the country, while on Friday about 400 workers at three sites in Plymouth, Stockport and Stoke went on strike. |
| These strikes followed two 24-hour stoppages last week - by delivery and collection workers on 23 October, the day after action by mail centre staff. | |
| The company said Saturday's 25% turnout by delivery workers was higher than the 20% who worked during the earlier strike day. | |
| Royal Mail says it is trying to modernise to compensate for letter volumes dropping by 10% every year as people switch to other forms of communication such as e-mails and SMS text messages. | |
| It has shed 63,000 frontline postal staff in recent years and says it needs to cut more jobs as part of continuing modernisation plans. | It has shed 63,000 frontline postal staff in recent years and says it needs to cut more jobs as part of continuing modernisation plans. |
| The CWU agrees that job cuts are necessary but disagrees over their extent and over the future pay and working conditions of the workers that remain. | The CWU agrees that job cuts are necessary but disagrees over their extent and over the future pay and working conditions of the workers that remain. |