ELEVEN staff at Hereford's Royal Mail sorting office were sent home from their shift last Saturday for challenging management over the new single daily delivery working practices.

All 11 were allowed back on Monday and docked a day's pay, with no further disciplinary action taken.

The dispute disrupted weekend deliveries from the office but brought union and management representatives together for talks this week.

Royal Mail spokesman Richard Hall said the single daily delivery pattern led to 'differences in expectation' between staff and management.

Dave Taylor, area delivery representative for the Communication Workers Union (CWU), said 'constructive talks' to address staff concerns were on going.

The troubled Saturday shift came at the end of a tough week for sorting office staff adapting to the demands of single delivery.

Frustration at late finishes from Monday to Friday saw management challenged on Saturday, said Mr Taylor.

Staff who started at 4am that day and expected to finish by about 11.30am were told they would have to work on to clear a bigger than expected influx of mail - much business related.

Eleven workers were sent home for challenging management over the stay, said Mr Taylor.

Mr Hall said that those 11 deliveries did not go out but the remaining 106 did.

"Though there has always been only one delivery on a Saturday, the bigger rounds brought in by the new working pattern increased the weekend workload and meant a later finish," said Mr Hall.

Mr Taylor said that the staff stance toward the 'major culture change' of single delivery had eased by Monday and the CWU was now talking to management over operational issues identified over the first week of the new system.

Last week the Hereford Times reported severe delays in mail delivery across the county as single daily delivery came into effect and sorting office staff adjusted.

Under the new system, urban deliveries would, said Mr Hall, arrive about lunchtime and rural deliveries by about 3pm.

The merging of first and second deliveries is a national scheme.

Second deliveries account for 20% of Royal Mail's costs but represent less than 4% of the daily mailbag.