Liverpool unofficial postal strike after staff sacked

About 200 postal workers in Liverpool have staged an unofficial strike over the sacking of six workers.

The workers began the wildcat action, which did not have the authorisation of the Communication Workers' Union (CWU), at three depots in the city earlier.

An agreement was reached for staff to return to work.

Unions and management have agreed on an independent disciplinary hearing which will be heard by Royal Mail and CWU representatives from London.

"We hope it will take place as soon as possible as nobody wants this hanging over them - our members who are affected have got more than 200 years service between them," said Mark Walsh, Merseyside CWU branch secretary.

"We have agreed on a hearing that will have people from outside Merseyside," he added.

Deliveries affected

CWU said night staff at the Sandhills office were dismissed after a disagreement over new sorting machinery. Royal Mail apologised for the disruption.

It said it regretted the effect on deliveries and collections.

According to the CWU, the workers were dismissed on Saturday following an incident a few weeks earlier.

Staff walked out from the offices at Liverpool North, Liverpool South and West Derby at about 0800 BST and returned to work in the afternoon.

"Royal Mail apologises to customers in Liverpool today for any inconvenience they suffer as a result of unofficial industrial action being taken by a number of employees in the city," said a spokesperson.

"We are doing all we can to deliver Special Delivery and other items of tracked mail.

"We regret that the unofficial action has affected deliveries and collection of the mail in the city."