Belfast postal workers' strike is continuing

The company has suggested a third party should help facilitate talks with the Communications Workers Union about ways to improve industrial relations.

Mail deliveries have been disrupted since the unofficial strike began on 31 January. Belfast has been worst hit.

Nearly half of Belfast City Hospital outpatient appointments were missed this week after letters did not arrive.

Talks were held at the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) on Thursday evening but there was no breakthrough in the 10-day-long dispute.

David Peden of Royal Mail said they were awaiting a response from the union to an offer which they had made two days ago.

"We would be very hopeful that we can get a quick response from this and the right response has to be to get people back to work, get people in around the table, discussing the issues. We can look back and we can learn lessons," he said.

"We cannot have illegal stoppages when outcomes of cases go against what people's expectations are; we cannot have people walking out of their work when things go against them.

We need to have a mature relationship where things can move forward and we don't interrupt the service to our customers David Peden Royal Mail

"We need to have a mature relationship where things can move forward and we don't interrupt the service to our customers."

He said about 60 people had returned to work since the weekend and that more managers were doing deliveries.

Mr Peden also said mail had been delivered to most of south Belfast in the last couple of days and also to parts of Great Britain.

However, the dispute is having a knock-on effect in other sectors of the community.

Belfast City Hospital said almost 1,000 people had not kept their outpatient appointments this week as reminder letters did not arrive.

Lack of support

Cancer clinics are, so far, unaffected but oncologists at the hospital fear they could be hit next week if the postal strike continues.

Carmel Hanna of the SDLP said on Friday it was in "nobody's interest" for the dispute to go on.

"It's got to be brought to an end," she said.

"Both parties in this dispute do need to be aware of their wider social responsibilities, particularly if people are missing appointments for scans where they may have a serious illness."

The dispute was started by more than 200 postal workers at the city's Tomb Street depot following difficulties between staff and management over disciplinary procedures and other issues in the north Belfast section.

It is understood the dispute relates to allegations of widespread bullying and harassment in the company.

However, Royal Mail rejected the claims, saying the company was only dealing with a small number of cases.

Post has been disrupted in north, south and west Belfast but an attempt to widen the strike to Londonderry failed because of a lack of support for the Belfast workers.

Royal Mail and the Social Security Agency have issued advice to customers affected by the dispute.

The agency said people who normally received benefit payments through the mail should collect it from their nearest post office.