I HAVE a great admiration for postal workers who go out in all weathers delivering our mail and have been fortunate having had some really friendly and helpful posties covering my round in Mile End. So I am dismayed to learn they plan more strikes over the coming months

I HAVE a great admiration for postal workers who go out in all weathers delivering our mail. I have been fortunate having had some really friendly and helpful posties covering my round in Mile End over the past 20-odd years. This summer, I was happy to back the Communication Workers' Union campaign against the part-privatisation of the Royal Mail.

So, it was with dismay that I learnt of the decision by postal workers to carry out more strikes over the coming months. I rely very heavily as a freelance journalist on the mail, for letters, packages and not least cheques. In common with other self-employed people, I incurred considerable costs through the non-arrival of cheques because of recent strikes.

I understand some of the postal workers' grievances and worries, but appeal to them not to make the public suffer as a consequence. Not only will they drive more customers away from Royal Mail to alternative providers, but also run the risk of driving some small businesses to the wall.

Jonathan Fryer

Bow Common Lane, Mile End