Post Office to tackle backlog after strike
Post Office look to clear backlog after strike
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Saturday, 24, Oct 2009 09:37
By Lewis Bazley.
Royal Mail staff are attempting to clear a backlog of around 30 million undelivered items following two 24-hour strikes.
The amount of undelivered mail could grow next week with a further three days of strikes planned by the Communication Workers' Union (CWU).
While the union has said up to 120,000 workers "solidly supported" the industrial action, a Royal Mail spokesman labelled the strikes "unnecessary and irresponsible".
"We are very grateful to the 20 per cent of our delivery staff who have chosen to come to work today and who are doing everything possible to get all delayed mail delivered to customers as quickly as possible over the next few days," he added.
Mark Histon, managing director of Royal Mail, urged the CWU to vote yes on an agreement discussed last Tuesday so as to avoid further strike action before Christmas.
In response, CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward said the union wanted talks at Acas with "no preconditions on either side".
"We have six days before any further strike action would take place," he said on Friday.
"Given the progress we were making in talks earlier this week, this should be enough time to reach an agreement."
The first of next week's strikes will see 43,700 staff across the UK walking out of work from 04:00 GMT.
Some 400 workers at sites in Plymouth, Stockport and Stoke will strike on Friday over poorly-addressed mail before a 77,000-strong walkout among delivery and collection staff.