POSTAL workers in Oxfordshire said tonight they were bitterly disappointed as details emerged of the agreement that halted a series of strikes planned in the run-up to Christmas.

Paul Garraway, Oxfordshire branch secretary of the Communication Workers’ Union, who works at the East Oxford delivery office, in Sandy Lane, said he had searched the agreement in vain for signs of concessions by Royal Mail.

The dispute has been over Royal Mail’s modernisation plans, working terms and conditions and alleged bullying and harassment.

Royal Mail has now pledged to review changes implemented this year, while there will be “genuine negotiations” in offices where changes have been made without agreement.

Both sides agreed there would be no victimisation, or settling of scores, arising out of the dispute.

But Mr Garraway said: “People here are all incensed. It doesn’t bode well for the future – for our members or the public, or the universal service.”

Next week, local representatives are due to be briefed by senior union officials who signed the interim agreement.

Mr Garraway said he hoped to discover that he had missed something in the document.

He added: “I’m disappointed. Our members have fought hard and stayed rock solid. All we have done is agreed to call off the strikes.”

He said he believed Royal Mail management had a strategy to keep the CWU talking until Christmas.

Mr Garraway said: “Most people here believe we will pay for this in the New Year. The quality of the service will go in the next few years.”

However, CWU general secretary Dave Ward said “significant concessions” had been made by the Royal Mail. He said: “There’s no doubt that the strength of support from postal workers in the strikes has made Royal Mail think again. They have made significant concessions this week that are clear for everybody to see.

“Those concessions have allowed us to suspend strike action and work towards a full and final agreement.”

He added: “The agreement ensures the imposed change that has led to the bitter local disputes will now be subject to negotiation and agreement.”

Royal Mail managing director Mark Higson said he was delighted a “sensible agreement” had been reached.

A series of local and national strikes since September have caused hundreds of thousands of items of mail in Oxfordshire to be delayed.

Chris Clinkard, owner of the Beautiful Group in Witney, said his business, trading through the e-Bay Internet site, had taken a massive hit as a result of the strike and that he had been forced to use couriers costing 60 per cent more than Royal Mail.