SIR: Iread in last week's newspapers of the impending conflict between the Union of Communication Workers and The Post Office Management. I recall that it is not long since a settlement ??was reached in the last dispute which resulted in much inconvenience to both commercial and personal customers.

In the current 'macho' communications, no mention is made again of the customer who will suffer again, if the dispute grows into an all-out strike. However, if postal services are interrupted for any length of time, then business will look for alternative methods of communicating with their customers, and even many ordinary customers will, where possible, use fax and? 'e' mail to communicate.

From the minimal accounts which I have read, I have more sympathy with the workers, for I have heard few cogent reasons why the Lostock depot should be transferred to Crewe. The management of the Post Office does indeed have much explaining to do. However, despite the unpromising situation, and the breakdown in communication (which in itself is ironic) the only way forward is through patient negotiation and a determination on both the parties to achieve a fair settlement through negotiations, and not threats of actions which will destroy livelihoods, businesses and the ordinary customers' confidence in what is, for the most part, a highly regarded service staffed by workers who deserve, I suspect, a rather better management than they have got.

Alan Allsop

Manchester Road, Over Hulton, Bolton

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.