Postal workers agree strike truce with Royal Mail

Details of an agreement which paved the way for a fresh wave of postal strikes to be halted hours before the latest walkouts were due to start will be released today.

The 24-hour stoppages were scheduled for today and Monday in a long-running row over jobs, pay and pensions.

Members of the Communication Workers' Union (CWU) have held a series of strikes in recent months which have caused huge delays to mail deliveries.

But, following several days of talks between the union leaders and the Royal Mail, an agreement was finally reached last night.

Dave Ward, the union's deputy general secretary, said he was pleased with the agreement, which had been accepted unanimously by the postal executive of the CWU.

"We can now have a period of calm where we hope we can genuinely take forward modernisation in a way that puts the union at the centre," he said.

"Our members will now know we can deal with modernisation in a way that gives them improved job security and improved terms and conditions."

The two sides will have the support of the conciliation service Acas during negotiations over the next few months, he added.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson welcomed the agreement and thanked TUC general secretary Brendan Barber for helping broker a way forward.

He said: "Strikes do nothing to help Royal Mail, its business, its future prospects and of course the jobs and livelihoods of those who work in Royal Mail.

"I hope very much indeed that we will not see further strikes, and I hope very much indeed that if there are any issues that have got to be resolved, if there are wrinkles in the modernisation process which is absolutely vital for Royal Mail, that these wrinkles will be smoothed out by discussion and negotiation without resorting to further strikes in the future."

Mr Barber said the agreement provided for a "period of calm" in the run-up to and beyond Christmas to enable further negotiations to be held to secure a longer term deal.

An independent person would be appointed to oversee the "detailed negotiations" which will now take place, he said, adding: "Change is certainly coming. What both the management and the union have committed to is working together to manage that change in a way that carries the confidence of the workforce, to ensure that this vital public service meets the needs of all those millions of people and businesses for whom the post is a vital lifeline."

The union has decided not to press ahead with legal action against Royal Mail over the recruitment of agency workers following the agreement and has put it "on hold" instead.

Industry sources suggested Royal Mail had not recruited anywhere near the 30,000 temporary staff it said it was taking on to deal with the backlog of post as well as the Christmas rush.

Royal Mail managing director Mark Higson said he was "delighted" for customers that a "sensible agreement" had been reached which would allow deliveries to return to normal in the run-up to Christmas.

"We look forward to positive and constructive discussions on the next stage of Royal Mail's modernisation plan, which is key to the future of the company, all those who rely on it and to the future of the universal service," he said.

"I am extremely grateful to Brendan Barber for the tremendous help and support he has given over the last few weeks. I would also like to thank all those who have worked so hard to minimise disruption and to keep the mail moving for our customers."