THERE is genuine affection among the British public for the Royal Mail, and a desire for it to do well.

As such, there has been no clamour for its virtual monopoly to end.

That, however, may change after the unofficial industrial action which has blighted the service over the past two weeks.

The scale of the damage is immense. The dispute has cost the Royal Mail tens of millions of pounds, removing any lingering hopes that it may soon return to profitability.

But with the backlog expected to take up to three weeks to clear, it is the anger and frustration of customers which may have the most serious long-term impact.

The inadequate industrial relations seen over the past few days calls into question the Royal Mail's privileged position.

Both the senior management team and a significant proportion of the workforce have emerged from the dispute without much credit.

Too often the chief executive and the chairman were content to negotiate through the media rather than face-to-face with representatives of the workforce.

And too many employees were prepared to resort to walk-outs rather than consider the consequences of their actions.

The return to work and the resumption of negotiations give both sides the opportunity to come to their senses.

The management team has to realise that reforms are better introduced by consensus than by compulsion.

And the postal workers have to accept the inevitability of reforms if both the Royal Mail and their jobs are to survive.

There appears to be an acceptance by the Communication Workers Union that changes in working practices are vital if the Royal Mail is to compete in the 21st century.

Royal Mail directors should seize on that understanding to construct an agreement that can be acceptable to everyone.

It must never be forgotten that the Royal Mail can only survive if it continues to offer a value-for-money service which engenders the goodwill of the public.

Further industrial action will destroy that goodwill and leave the Government with little option but to end the Royal Mail's monopoly and put its very existence in jeopardy.