PICKETS will be outside major post offices tomorrow as the planned two day strike goes ahead. Union representatives for Fenland area postal workers said tonight that following the receipt of a Royal Mail managing director today they were left with no op

PICKETS will be outside major post offices tomorrow as the planned two day strike goes ahead.

Union representatives for Fenland area postal workers said tonight that following the receipt of a Royal Mail managing director today they were left with " no option but to continue with planned strike action for Thursday and Friday this week."

Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: "We're very disappointed that despite extensive talks with the Royal Mail, the company has dismissed our offers to resolve the dispute.

"It appears, as revealed in the leaked Royal Mail document which was in the media last week, that Royal Mail has no intention of resolving this dispute. The company seems intent on sidelining the concerns of postal workers.

"We were making progress and believed that we could reach an agreement until Mark Higson's (Royal Mail's managing director) letter wiped out any chance of that. His letter pulls back from change by agreement which is at the heart of this dispute.

"We are now offering unconditional talks at ACAS next week, as offered many times in the past weeks. We sincerely hope that Royal Mail will take us up on that open offer of unconditional talks.

"Comments by Lord Mandelson and others have not helped the negotiations which were difficult to start with. We believe government has a constructive role to play in resolving the dispute. We also urge Mark Higson to get his hands dirty and get involved in resolving this dispute as he has so far not been present at any negotiations.