4,500 postal staff on strike in region; FIVE MILLION ITEMS OF MAIL STUCK INSYSTEM AS ACTION CONTINUES.

Byline: ALASTAIR CRAIG

UP TO 4,500 postal workers in the North East were staging a no-show today as strikes against Royal Mail continue.

More than 850 workers at the Tyneside Mail Centre, in Gateshead's Team Valley Trading Estate, failed to attend work yesterday as part of 48-hour industrial action over terms and conditions and plans to modernise.

And with more than 30 delivery offices across the region shutting down today, union leaders have warned it could take a week for normal service to resume.

More than 2,000 staff at depots across Tyneside, Northumberland and County Durham stayed at home in a union disagreement over modernisation plans and working conditions.

Over five million items of mail remain unsorted in the North East as the postal strike hit families and businesses.

North East divisional representative for the Communication Workers Union, Bob McGuire, apologised to families and company owners for the disruption.

He said: "What we're trying to do is save the postal service. Royal Mail's idea of modernisation is to downsize, taking away thousands of jobs.

"It's important for anyone already looking at alternatives to the Royal Mail to get in touch with their MP and put pressure on the company to sit down and negotiate new terms."

The Federation of Small Businesses estimates that 70% of small firms rely on the Royal Mail for their post.

Head of policy for the North East Chamber of Commerce Ross Smith urged a quick resolution to the disagreement.

He said: "Many businesses in the region have already looked for alternatives rather than rely on Royal Mail.

"It obviously has the potential to cause disruption and businesses don't want to get the sense there may be further industrial action. We want to see the dispute brought to an end quickly. "In the difficult current financial climate businesses are looking to avoid disruption.

One of the big problems has been cash flow and businesses may be relying on the post for payments."

Union bosses claimed the Government rushed to the aid of private firms in times of trouble, such as Northern Rock, but would not invest in an organisation it already owns.

Business leaders in the region have warned a long period of strikes might encourage private companies to desert to the Royal Mail's rivals.

CAPTION(S):

PICKET: Postal workers outside of the sorting office in Team Valley