New talks in bid to avert post strike

Crucial talks aimed at averting a national strike by postal workers were being held at the conciliation service.

Leaders of the Communication Workers Union were meeting Royal Mail managers at the London headquarters of Acas to try to resolve a row over pay.

The union said it was pressing ahead with sending out ballot papers to 160,000 workers asking them to vote on whether to strike despite the talks at Acas.

The Royal Mail turned up for talks yesterday but the union stayed away maintaining it had a prearranged meeting of its postal executive.

The CWU accused the Royal Mail of trying to "shut down" negotiations which managers strongly denied.

The Royal Mail said its original offer was worth 14.5% over 18 months but maintained last night it had made revisions to the deal so that most of the money would be paid to postal workers by Christmas.

Increases on basic pay of 3% in October and 1.5% next April will be made but local offices will receive more money when they achieve performance targets.

Under the original proposal the target would have to reached across the country before the extra payments were made.

The Royal Mail has maintained that the ballot will make no difference to the negotiations because it has no more money to offer.

Voting will end next month and the union would have to give seven days' notice of any strikes if there is a decision in favour of industrial action.

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