Royal Mail in negotiations with postal union leaders for guaranteed deliveries of Harry Poter

Royal Mail in negotiations with postal union leaders to appeal to them not to disrupt deliveries of J.K. Rowling’s latest novel.

Royal Mail chiefs are using Harry in negotiations with postal union leaders to appeal to them not to disrupt deliveries of J.K. Rowling’s latest novel.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, the seventh and last in the series, is due to be published on July 20 and Royal Mail has promised next-day delivery to thousands of retailers across the country.

But with postal workers threatening a series of walkouts in a dispute over pay, bosses have asked the Communication Workers Union to ensure that millions of children are not disappointed.

In a letter seen by The Mail on Sunday, Royal Mail human resources director Kevin Green has pleaded with CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward to abandon any plans for industrial action in the week of the book launch.

Mr Green’s letter says: “J.K. Rowling’s book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is due to be released on Friday, July 20, for delivery on July 21, and we will be providing a next-day delivery service for many major book retailers.

Royal Mail has not heard back from the union. But when asked if the CWU would give an assurance that it would not strike on a certain day, a union spokesman replied: “No.”

Royal Mail is also concerned about the launch of millions of Harry Potter stamps on July 17.

On last Friday the union’s 180,000 workers were called out, bringing chaos to the postal service.