A STRIKE expected to take place by Royal Mail staff, which would have hampered deliveries in the Gloucestershire area, was called off last week as the interested parties went back to the negotiation table.

At the Dursley Delivery Office, 62 of the 64 members of staff are Communication Workers Union (CWU) members, which had balloted for industrial action on Monday, November 4.

Union representative at the office at Draycott Business Centre, William Hunt, told the Gazette he was hoping that at least 20 staff at the centre would join him on the picket line on the day.

The delivery office covers GL11 postal code areas of Dursley, Cam, Coaley, Stinchcombe, Uley as well as GL13 areas of Berkeley, Sharpness, Rockhampton, Newport and Stone.

In addition it also delivers to GL12 areas of Wotton-under-Edge, Kingswood, Charfield, Wickwar, Cromhall, Falfield and Hillesley.

A CWU spokesman said they had made progress in talks with Royal Mail and expected to finalise an agreement in the next two weeks and so had called off the 24-hour national strike.

As part of the ongoing negotiations, Royal Mail has agreed to extend the legal validity of the current industrial action ballot until, Wednesday November 20, meaning if talks break down a strike could still happen up until that date before another ballot would have to take place.