James Mills is a web developer in the North East of England and founder of Refresh Teesside »
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Karen McLauchlan is the Evening Gazette's deputy business and features editor - with special interest in all things industry, property and arts related » 
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Deloitte, which has 23 offices across the UK including Newcastle, is among the country's leading professional services firms » 
ClimateNE & Climate Change Schools Project support the move to a low-carbon, resilient economy and help businesses avoid risk and realise commercial opportunities. Posts by Jen Atkinson, Krista McKinzey and Harriet Thew » Many business owners in the North East will have had the chance to do something today they haven't done for a while - open a letter.
Whether it's payments, orders, supplies, certification - most companies will have been waiting on something important for the best part of a week during the postal dispute, and often with plenty at stake.
Now we can enjoy a brief period of respite, but further rolling strikes are expected. It is to be hoped that the talks that resumed last night produce a breakthrough - and quickly. However, the fact that some postal workers have launched 'wildcat' strikes against the wishes of their union hardly bodes well for an early settlement.
All concerned in this action have to realise that this kind of 1970s-style negotiation tactic does nobody any good. It damages Royal Mail, which will do CWU members' future prospects no favours at all. It can also do serious damage to businesses and by extension their employees and the wider economy. A recognition of this wider responsibility is urgently needed.
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