POST Office union chiefs were locked in talks with Consignia last night over the future of the work force.

Senior members of the Communications Workers' Union, including deputy general secretary John Keggie, met with the Consignia board to discuss possible plans to cut 30,000 jobs.

The emergency meeting follows comments by Consignia chief executive John Roberts who mentioned the figure during an address to a Commons select committee.

The company has insisted that no final decisions about job losses have been made.

Newcastle branch secretary of the union, John Woodhouse, said: "Union headquarters accepted an offer for talks with Consignia.

"The company has confirmed that the figures of 30,000 that have been reported are not set in stone.

"Consignia believes that there should be no need for compulsory redundancies.

"They have assured us that the union will be fully informed throughout the process.

"The union will see what they have to say before making a decision on ballot actions."

The union had originally given the company a 1pm deadline yesterday if the company did not remove the jobs threat by the afternoon.

The deadline was removed, but the union has insisted that strike action is still an option.

The region's five-man sorting and delivery offices in Darlington, York, Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Sunderland employ 5,700.