Postal workers in east Oxford and Abingdon today warned that strike action could still be on the cards if Royal Mail bosses fail to offer assurances over four sacked staff members.

Last week, it appeared that the threat of strike action had been halted for thousands of residents in the OX4, OX13 and OX14 districts when Royal Mail bosses claimed an agreement had been reached.

They said all industrial action had been suspended until the conclusion of an industrial relations review for offices in the Royal Mail's south central division.

But leaders of the Communication Workers' Union (CWU), which represents postal staff, said that staff could still strike over four sacked workers, whose cases have since been taken to industrial tribunals.

Peter Boswell, Oxfordshire's CWU branch secretary, said: "As part of the industrial relations review, it was agreed at national level that there would be no further strike ballots on the separate issue of delivery revisions.

"However, staff working at the east Oxford and Abingdon offices meet on Wednesday and Thursday to hold talks in support of their colleagues and they might well discuss further industrial action.

"What the CWU wants is for Royal Mail to give an assurance that if the tribunals rule that the four staff were unfairly dismissed they should be re-instated."

No one from Royal Mail was available for comment.

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