Industrial action hits post for third day
Postal deliveries in rural areas of the Irish Republic were delayed for the third day in succession today, by industrial action at sub-post offices.
The 600 members of the Irish Postmasters’ Union, who run post offices in the countryside, are refusing to accept earlier morning deliveries of mail and to supervise and assist sorting.
A spokesman for the union forecast an accumulation of undelivered post at centres across the State, causing delays of up to one and a half days in deliveries.
But the state-backed An Post postal company maintained it was “absolute nonsense” to suggest that there would be a significant backlog by the end of the week.
The dispute centres on pay and conditions for the contracted postmasters.
Postmasters have been paid #1.30 an hour for supervising and assisting with mail-sorting, and the union wants a #26.60 per hour increase.
Talks between the two sides broke down last week and no arrangements have been made for a resumption.
