A second postal worker has been reinstated at Keighley's Royal Mail sorting office after being sacked for allegedly wilfully delaying the post.

The female worker, a union shop steward, will be back at her job on Monday following a successful appeal. The Keighley News understands the sacking occurred after an 18-month-old telephone bill was discovered among items of rubbish.

The woman's explanation that it was mixed up with other items by mistake was not accepted by Royal Mail initially. Her suspension, interview, dismissal and reinstatement was the second involving the sorting office in a year.

Communication Workers Union official Eddie McTeague says there is concern among the 100-plus Keighley members about the management style and a wish to address it.

He claims there is unrest among sorting office staff and a climate of mistrust, and says a recent union meeting in Keighley confirmed that members were prepared to stand up for a resolution.

A Royal Mail spokeswoman confirms that a postwoman has been reinstated following an internal appeal but cannot comment on individual cases.

"We feel this shows we have a good appeal structure in place which has been agreed with the unions and gives all our staff a fair hearing," she says.

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