By Mark Mackay

THE ROYAL Mail will attempt to reach an agreement over the next few days in an attempt to avoid strike action threatened by staff in Perth.

Local service leaders and senior management met in Edinburgh on Monday and will now put together a proposal which will go before workers.

A dispute over manning levels at the Breadalbane Terrace delivery office in Perth led to more than 130 workers being balloted earlier this month on whether to take some form of industrial action.

The vote was comprehensively in favour of a strike.

Action could be anything from an hour-long walkout to a series of strikes.

Yesterday area unit representative Brian Lornie said the threat of industrial action remained.

“We hope that the threat of industrial action will be removed, but that will be down to the proposals drawn up over the next few days,” he said.

“If they do not find favour with staff there is still the possibility of a strike.”

The Breadalbane Terrace office deals with mail covering a vast area of Perthshire, including Perth itself and communities north and south along the A9.

The dispute centres on proposals by Royal Mail not to replace two nightshift workers who have been offered early retirement.