POSTAL workers say they will continue striking until they reach an agreement with Royal Mail.

Seven-hundred delivery and mail centre workers at the company's Crewe depot walked out yesterday as a second wave of postal strikes got underway across the country.

It was the first day of this week's three-day walkout.

Following the first 24-hour strike by mail centres yesterday, manual data entry centre staff (MDEC) were due to walk out today and delivery and collection staff are striking tomorrow.

The strikes follow two 24-hour walkouts last week and come after peace talks broke down on Wednesday evening.

The row surrounds Royal Mail's modernisation plans, which the firm says are desperately needed to increase efficiency.

But the Communication Workers' Union (CWU) believes the changes are being put through without negotiation and are affecting the postal service.

Steve Wright, CWU branch secretary for South Cheshire, said: "Royal Mail says it wants to close depots to save money but we can't see how this sort of modernisation is going to make any winners.

"It is looking like it is going to be a long, hard dispute but we are still hopeful a resolution can be found.

"We don't want to strike for any longer than we have to but until an agreement is reached strikes are going to stand the test of time."

The Crewe depot, in Weston Road, faces an uncertain future under Royal Mail's plans as the company wants to transfer work to Warrington.

Lee Mutch, a Royal Mail employee of 26 years, was among the workers manning the picket line in Weston Road yesterday.

The 50-year-old, who lives in Crewe, said: "Striking is a last resort for us. No one wants to lose money during the recession but it says something about how bad things are when people are prepared to do it."

One of his colleagues, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "They have brought all these changes in without the equipment to do it.

"Two people are supposed to be taking on three delivery rounds plus all the parcels but we haven't got the vans to take out with us."

Another worker said: "We are willing to talk but all management wants to do is put its spin on things.

"It is not about wages, it is about terms and conditions."

He added: "We will carry on until we get some justice.

"We had a lot of public support last week with people driving past and peeping their horns."

Today's MDEC strike action, by workers who deal with badly-addresses mail, is likely to cause little or no disruption to the postal service. About 150 staff in Etruria are taking part.

But tomorrow's walkout is expected to hit all ST and CW postcodes.

It will involve staff at more than 10 depots in North Staffordshire and South Cheshire, including Stoke, Newcastle, Leek, Stafford, Uttoxeter and Nantwich.