Some of the U.K.'s biggest strikes have been called off after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, reports BBC News.

Unions representing Royal Mail postal workers and rail staff said that "out of respect for her service to the country and her family," they had chosen to cancel immediate strike action.

Queen Elizabeth II, the U.K.'s longest-serving monarch, died Sept. 8 at Balmoral aged 96, after reigning for 70 years.

Some stores have announced temporary closures as a mark of respect. The planned strike action by postal workers on Friday 9 Sept. and National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) rail worker walkouts on 15 and 17 Sept. has been suspended. The train drivers' union Aslef has also postponed a strike planned for 15 September.

The Rail Delivery Group said train timetables would be normal now that strikes were not going ahead. A spokesperson from the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, said it welcomed the decision by the RMT to call off next week's strike action at a time of "national mourning".

The RMT union intends to reschedule the strikes, but has not yet decided when. It would need to give two weeks' notice of any action, as would the Aslef union.