[Updated] CWU and RM agree draft deal – postal strikes cancelled

5/11/2009 at 13:28

Sky News is reporting that the postal workers’ union and Royal Mail have agreed a draft deal that may lead to tomorrow’s strike being cancelled. The CWU’s executive committee will still have to approve the deal. It’s expected that there will be more on this today, so I’ll update this post as we get news.

Update 13:34 BBC has the same story.

Update 13:45 Also in the Mail: all still “could” resolve the current dispute and no comment from either side.

Update 17:18 Sky News says strikes called off for tomorrow and Monday; no further details at the moment.

Update 17:38 Sky now saying strikes definitely called off; statement expected from CWU later.

Update 17:42 BBC says strikes called off until “at least the New Year” but “unlikely that an agreement has been reached to resolve the wider dispute over job cuts, pay and working conditions”. Statements expected from CWU and RM management later.

Update 18:33 CWU have issued a statement saying that tomorrow’s and Monday’s strikes are off. RM and CWU have reached an interim agreement which provides “a period of calm for the CWU and Royal Mail to reach a full and final agreement [and] guarantees that modernisation will be introduced with agreed job security and improved terms and conditions for postal workers.” Details of the agreement are embargoed until midday tomorrow.

Update 18.38 PA report that legal action by CWU against RM for employing temporary workers as strike cover has been dropped.

Update 18:54 Statement from Royal Mail announces that mail services will operate as normal tomorrow and Monday.

And as a taller woman than me says, that’s a full lid.