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.

The BBC reports that 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.

The industrial dispute has been over the level of job losses the Royal Mail says are necessary as part of its modernisation plans.

While the CWU accepts that some redundancies are required, the two sides disagree over their extent.

CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward said the decision to end the strike action had been unanimously agreed by its executive board, yet he added that the union recognised the forthcoming negotiations would be difficult, saying the dispute had been "bitter".

Until the latest announcements, CWU members had held five 24-hour strikes over the past two weeks, which involved members in different roles striking on different days.