27/10/2009
Mail Strike Talks Reconvene
There's fresh hope today of a resolution to a highly damaging industrial dispute that is threatening to cripple the UK's mail system as Christmas approaches.
Trade union chiefs and Royal Mail bosses are meeting again today in an attempt to avert a second wave of postal strikes.
Workers are planning to walk out for three days from Thursday after last week's two stoppages on consecutive days.
By way of a complication, the Communication Workers' Union (CWU) is reportedly seeking a High Court injunction to try to prevent Royal Mail from employing 30,000 temporary workers to cover for striking staff.
However, temperatures may have cooled over the last 24-hours as CWU leaders completed seven hours of talks with Royal Mail bosses on Monday before adjourning.
Yesterday's talks were hosted by TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber who described the session as "useful".
However, the dispute - described as "fundamentally" about jobs and workers' terms and conditions - hasn't yet been resolved, with management hoping that today's further talks may end in the strike threat being removed.
Royal Mail said the volume of mail held up by last week's strikes - originally estimated at 30 million - is now down to five million items.
See: : Royal Mail Strike Talks Underway
(BMcC/GK)
Trade union chiefs and Royal Mail bosses are meeting again today in an attempt to avert a second wave of postal strikes.
Workers are planning to walk out for three days from Thursday after last week's two stoppages on consecutive days.
By way of a complication, the Communication Workers' Union (CWU) is reportedly seeking a High Court injunction to try to prevent Royal Mail from employing 30,000 temporary workers to cover for striking staff.
However, temperatures may have cooled over the last 24-hours as CWU leaders completed seven hours of talks with Royal Mail bosses on Monday before adjourning.
Yesterday's talks were hosted by TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber who described the session as "useful".
However, the dispute - described as "fundamentally" about jobs and workers' terms and conditions - hasn't yet been resolved, with management hoping that today's further talks may end in the strike threat being removed.
Royal Mail said the volume of mail held up by last week's strikes - originally estimated at 30 million - is now down to five million items.
See: : Royal Mail Strike Talks Underway
(BMcC/GK)
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25 January 2011
Met Police Seize Scam Mail Aimed At UK Victims
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09 October 2007
Bitter Row Ensues As Postal Strike Continues
A bitter war of words has erupted between the Royal Mail and the Communication Workers' Union as the postal strike continues. Royal Mail chief executive Adam Crozier rubbished CWU's claims that the way the firm treated its employees was like "slavery". Mr Crozier accused the union of talking "cobblers".
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04 May 2004
14.4 million letters lost every year by Royal Mail
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Consumer group, Postwatch, have announced that thousands of letters are delivered to the wrong address every month, but few people complain to Royal Mail. The watchdog estimates that around 14.4 million letters are ‘lost’ every year, although around 60% of these are just simply posted through the wrong letterbox.
06 June 2003
End of line for trains as Royal Mail drops rail
The Royal Mail has announced that it is the end of the line for the mail train as it unveiled plans to put in place a more efficient and flexible UK-wide distribution network by road and air.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:It will be cloudy again throughout the day. Mainly dry in the morning, but patchy drizzle in places, becoming more widespread and persistent in the afternoon. Freshening southwesterly winds. Maximum temperature 12 °C.Tonight:Cloudy with a spell of heavy rain pushing south through late evening and the early hours, followed by some clear spells. Minimum temperature 6 °C.