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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Royal Mail strikes are called off | Royal Mail strikes are called off |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The postal strikes have been called off until at least the New Year to allow for fresh talks between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union. | The postal strikes have been called off until at least the New Year to allow for fresh talks between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union. |
| TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said the decision had been made to provide "a period of calm" in which the two sides could reach a long-term deal. | TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said the decision had been made to provide "a period of calm" in which the two sides could reach a long-term deal. |
| As a result, he said Royal Mail deliveries would be "free of any disruption" over Christmas. | As a result, he said Royal Mail deliveries would be "free of any disruption" over Christmas. |
| Yet Mr Barber added that securing a final deal remained a long way away. | Yet Mr Barber added that securing a final deal remained a long way away. |
| The industrial dispute has been over the level of job losses the Royal Mail says are necessary as part of its modernisation plans. | |
| While the CWU accepts that some redundancies are required, the two sides disagree over their extent. | |
| They also disagree over changes to pay and working conditions for Royal Mail staff that remain in their jobs. | |
| "The agreement reached today is a very important step forward, but it is a long way to the end of the road," said Mr Barber. | |
| He added that both Royal Mail and the CWU recognised that trust between the two sides had to be improved. |