Talks between Royal Mail and union leaders aimed at heading off this week's national strikes by postal workers are due to resume.
Leaders of the Communication Workers Union spent 12 hours locked in negotiations with Royal Mail managers yesterday in a bid to avert planned walkouts on Thursday and Friday.
Union sources said the length of Monday's talks in Windsor, Berkshire, was a positive sign but that there was no sign of a settlement at this stage.
The CWU has consistently called for independent mediation, a demand which 98 MPs have backed by signing a Commons motion. Royal Mail has said it is willing to go to conciliation service Acas if the strike is called off.
The dispute over pay, conditions and modernisation plans has been intensified by Royal Mail's decision to hire up to 30,000 temporary workers to help deal with the effects of strike action. Employing extra people to do the work of striking staff is illegal under employment law.
The CWU general secretary, Billy Hayes, described the decision as "a stupid move" and said the union was considering legal action. But Royal Mail management said the extra staff would reduce the impact of "unjustified and irresponsible" industrial action. They said the workers would clear any backlogs between walkouts, as well as tackle the seasonal increase in mail volume.
