Two 24-hour postal worker strikes will affect mail delivery and collection.

Difficult talks between the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and Royal Mail ended last night without resolution, resulting in the start of two 24-hour strikes today (22 October).

Royal Mail has confirmed that deliveries will carry on as normal today, with the Post Office branch network and the Crown Post Offices unaffected by the strike action. It has condemned the CWU’s decision to go ahead with strike action “as reckless and unjustified.”

However, mail centre staff and drivers will be staging a 24-hour strike, which will affect the processing, movement and collection of mail. Workers began picketing at 4am today.

Tomorrow (23 October) will see delivery and collection staff strike, affecting mail delivery and collection. Although the Royal Mail has taken action to limit the affect on customers, with managerial staff and contract drivers brought in to help, people should expect some disruption as services will be “very limited.”

Mark Higson, Royal Mail Managing Director, was disappointed with the breakdown in discussions and said it was “totally outrageous for the CWU to accuse the company of reneging on a deal when it was the union that had walked away.”

He said: “It’s now clear that the union leaders who were in the negotiations could not get the support of their own executive.

“My door is open and my phone is on and I am urging them again today to meet me so that we can all sign that agreement, get the strikes stopped and give us some peace in which we can get on with delivering Christmas for our customers.”

However, the CWU argues that it is Royal Mail who has dismissed its offers to resolve the dispute.

Dave Ward, CWU Deputy General Secretary, said: “The company seem intent on sidelining the concerns of postal workers.

“We were making progress and believed that we could reach an agreement.”

The British Chambers of Commerce commented last week that the postal strikes could be severely damaging to the recovery of the UK economy.  David Frost, Director General, said: “The run up to Christmas is a vital trading period for firms [....] orders will be lost and the fragile recovery will be undermined. It is about time those involved in the industry showed some much needed leadership and bought an end to this disruption.”

Online companies including Next Directory and PhotoBox, have been contacting customers to remind them of the strikes and what they can do to avoid a delay in receiving shopping orders, including paying extra for courier delivery.

Royal Mail has confirmed that Special Delivery and Royal Mail Tracked items will still be delivered on both days of strikes.

For further information on how the postal strikes may affect you, please click here.