TUC to mediate over post dispute
Fresh talks aimed at resolving the bitter postal workers' dispute are to be held following an intervention by the TUC.
The Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union accepted an invitation for talks from general secretary Brendan Barber.
Both sides were in touch with the TUC in recent days seeking help in breaking the deadlocked row over jobs, pay and modernisation which led to two 24-hour strikes last week and threatened further walkouts next week.
Royal Mail chief executive Adam Crozier said: "I have had a number of conversations with Brendan Barber over the last few days and I'm very pleased we seem to have found a sensible and positive way forward."
Mr Crozier will give his first interview since the strikes started when he appears on BBC TV's Andrew Marr show.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said: "This is a welcome development. The offer by the TUC presents a real opportunity to break the deadlock. I hope both sides will take this chance to make progress."
Mr Barber was heavily involved in negotiating a deal which ended the last national postal dispute two years ago.
The news came as postal workers started tackling a huge backlog of at least 30 million letters caused by last week's strikes.
A spokesman for the CWU said: "We understand that the Royal Mail's managing director will be part of the team coming to the TUC. That is in line with our call for a senior team to become involved and that is welcome. We remain available to talk at any time and are determined to find an agreement."
The union has threatened to hold three further strikes from next Thursday. The 24-hour strikes would involve 43,700 staff across the UK in mail centres, delivery units in mail centres, network logistic drivers and garage staff on Thursday; 400 workers in Plymouth, Stockport and Stoke who deal with poorly-addressed mail, on Friday; and 77,000 delivery and collection workers on Saturday.
