The BBC reports that two new dates in the ongoing postal strike have been announced. Friday 6th and Monday 9th November will see all-out strikes, in contrast to recent action where different parts of Royal Mail have walked out for 24 hours at a time each.
Royal Mail have said that the backlog of undelivered mail has risen to 35 million items, but that they have cleared items delayed by last week’s strike. The Communication Workers’ Union called RM’s estimate “laughable” and said that the true figure was between 50 million and 60 million. Anecdotally, we’re hearing from many online merchants that their post does seem to be getting through still, though whether that will continue in the face of all-out strikes, remains to be seen.
Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, who is chairing talks between the two sides, seems to remain optimistic that a settlement can be reached soon. He said that proposals had been put to the CWU and to RM’s management, and
They’ve agreed to look at those proposals over the weekend and consult appropriately with colleagues, with a view to returning to the TUC for further negotiations early next week.
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