Ananova:

Talks to try to break the postal dispute are expected to resume later as Royal Mail faces legal action over the recruitment of 30,000 agency staff during the strike.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has served notice of action in the High Court.

The company has denied that the 30,000 workers are being used to break the series of post strikes.

It insists they are dealing with the backlog of post as well as preparing for the Christmas rush.

But the union believes the law has been broken in recent weeks because it is illegal to take on staff to do the work of people involved in a lawful industrial dispute.

Meanwhile, talks between the two sides aimed at resolving the row over jobs, pay and modernisation are to resume later.

Both sides are continuing to study proposals drawn up by TUC general secretary Brendan Barber.

Royal Mail said the backlog of post caused by three days of strike action last week had halved to 25 million.

But further walkouts are planned for Friday and next Monday unless the deadlock is broken.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "The up to 30,000 directly engaged, fully-vetted temporary workers being hired by Royal Mail to help us clear any mail delayed by strikes and help with Christmas volumes are entirely in line with all employment law.

"In addition we normally use agency staff throughout the year to help cover sick and holiday absence, fluctuations in volumes and higher volumes at Christmas."