Thousands of businesses and residents were expected to feel the knock-on effects today of strike action by postal workers as staff worked round the clock to clear a backlog of mail.

Although 100 employees based at the Abingdon Delivery Office in Ock Street called off their unofficial action yesterday afternoon Royal Mail admitted the service may not return to normal until tomorrow.

The latest walk-out at Abingdon was supported by 50 workers at the sorting office in Cowley.

After talks lasting all day, the Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union issued a joint appeal for all staff to return to work. The dispute surrounded 41-year-old postman Kevin Tunstall, who was sacked earlier this year for the alleged non-delivery of a test letter.

Mr Tunstall returned to work on Monday after a tribunal found he had been unfairly dismissed.

But a row broke out when Royal Mail offered only to re-engage Mr Tunstall. The CWU claimed he should be re-instated, meaning the benefits he had gained during more than 12 years working as a postman in the town would be automatically given back to him.

The union had planned to hold urgent talks with Royal Mail to discuss the situation and had warned that, if those talks proved unsuccessful, it would consider balloting its members over strike action.

Pete Boswell, the CWU's Oxfordshire branch secretary, issued a stark warning before yesterday's strike, suggesting the whole county could still have its postal service disrupted.

He warned if Mr Tunstall was not re-instated with full terms and conditions, the branch would ballot its members for industrial action.

"And it will not be just be Abingdon on its own. It will be the whole branch this time."

The union is believed to have been taken by surprise by yesterday's strike, though, although it had been no secret that feelings among staff at Abingdon had been running high.

Mr Tunstall said: "This does put a cloud on things."

Royal Mail spokesman Paula Elwood said: "The good news is the strike is over. Everybody is back and we are friends again."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.