Dempsey urged to issue short-term postal licences in Republic of Ireland

Minister for Communications Noel Dempsey is being urged to prepare short-term licences for private companies to collect and deliver mail so businesses can continue to operate during a postal strike.

Dempsey has already said he has the option to fast-track a full market opening of postal services ahead of an EU directive, which comes into force in 2009, liberalising the sector.

However, the Small Firms’ Association is urging the minister to issue temporary licences to private operators who currently run a drop-off service for some companies.

The Communications Workers Union (CWU) said last Friday that it would launch a nationwide ban on overtime and an all-out strike at the GPO in Dublin and other selected locations from tomorrow.

Talks betwe en An Post management and unions aimed at averting tomorrow’s strike ended without resolution yesterday. A spokeswoman for An Post said that there were no plans to hold any further talks. The talks were being chaired by Dermot McCarthy, secretary general at the Taoiseach’s department.

Negotiations focused on a request by the CWU for a third party to assess the financial implications of its demand to separate the two issues at the core of the dispute.

The issues are the non-payment of the social partnership agreement and the need to change overtime practices that are costing the company €38 million a year.

The director of the Small Firms’ Association, Pat Delaney, urged Dempsey to take steps to ensure that business can continue during postal disputes.

“There is no doubt the impact of such a dispute would be very sharp and severe on business,” he said. “Charities would be very badly hit in the lead up to Christmas because it’s their busiest time of the year, as well as publishing companies and direct mail companies, as this is a burgeoning area, particularly for Christmas goods.

“So the minister should move quickly to assuage the fears of the business community by issuing temporary licences to private mail companies that have drop-off distribution systems in place but are forbidden under law to provide a full postal service, so they can collect and deliver.”

Stephen Fitzpatrick of the CWU, said: “We need to change; we don’t have any option but to change. But our problem is we are not getting any say in how the change is impacting on our members.”

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