http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8345423.stm

The postal strikes have been called off until at least the New Year to allow for fresh talks between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said the decision had been made to provide "a period of calm" in which the two sides could reach a long-term deal.

He said that meant Royal Mail deliveries would be "free of any disruption" over Christmas.

However Mr Barber said that securing a final deal remained a long way away.

Probably don't want to be like the Fireman and see the world carries on without them.

Well what a waste of time that was ! Typical union,no conviction to go through with anything.
This will be carnage in our office tomorrow,we rely heavily on overtime to complete deliveries.Not one person was asked to go in on overtime as they didn't think it was needed ! Plus i'm not sure how many people will have seen this on the news.Not had a phone call …although i was going in anyway !

Perhaps its because the union has to face the fact that no matter how much right is on your side, if the public believes the people who are really behind the worsening service ( the government and SENIOR management)then there's really not much point making an unpopular stand now.
If the dispute is continued in the new year, it could actually be worse as the christmas period is, contrary to opinion, a doddle compared with the holocaust of mail ( most of which will now be downstream access) that arrives on Jan. 3rd.
Hopefully it wont come to that…