Post offices all over the State reported thin attendance and heaps of mail continued to pile up despite the best efforts of a section of staff and Home Guards to maintain the services.

However, in Osmanabad, Buldhana and Akola districts of the State, the strike has entered the fourth day as it was started on July eight itself since a communication by the striking unions to defer the agitation by a day in view of Eid festival, did not reach them.

A spokesperson for the Federation of Postal Employees Association stated that the strike would continue till the 10-point charter of demands were conceded to.

A report from Nashik said postal services were badly hit in the city and other parts of the district.

While the employees' unions here has claimed that the strike was total, MC Nimkar,Superintendent of Nashik Post Office told media persons that postal deliveries, money orders and saving bank works were not affected. He said of the 688 employees in Nashik division, 378 had reported for duty while in postmen category 80 of the total 280 were on duty.

Meanwhile, in Manmad in the district all employees belonging to railway mail service (R.M.S.) joined the strike adversely affecting the distribution of postal-bags to various destinations.

However, the courier agencies were working overtime following increased work load in the wake of the strike. In Akola the strike was peaceful, according to SM Gownarayan, divisional secretary, National Federation of Postal Employees here today. He said the strike would continue till their demand were accepted. Senior Superintendent SN Agrawal said in a statement that efforts were being made to minimise the effects of the strike by making arrangement for delivery of postal articles. In Delhi, the government renewed appeal to striking employees to call offthe stir and come forward for an amicable settlement. Union representatives ruled out any possibility of calling off the stir.