Royal Mail trucks

Royal Mail has said its Christmas deliveries will not be affected by industrial action, as it reaches an agreement with the Communication Workers Union (CWU) after weeks of talks.

The operator, which last week admitted the threat of industrial action had caused it to lose business to rival carriers, said the two parties have come to an agreement over pay, legal protections, industrial stability and pensions.

The details of the proposed agreement have not been revealed.

Although the result of October’s vote for industrial action still remains valid, the CWU has confirmed there will be no disruption to its deliveries while the union’s executive committee considers the agreement, including over the peak period.

The union said the agreement will “ultimately be subject to a ballot of the union’s members”.