New pay deal set to head off Christmas post dispute

A dispute threatening chaos to Christmas mail across Ireland today looked close to resolution as union chiefs considered a new pay deal.

Leaders of the Irish Postmasters Union, which last week rejected an offer by postal company An Post, were today studying a compromise package drawn up over the weekend.

If the deal is accepted, it would draw to a close a three month dispute by sub-postmasters, which threatened to escalate from next week.

Action by the postal workers centres around demands for increased pay for opening offices before 8am and at weekends, and over the sorting of mail.

John Kane, general secretary of the IPU, said today he was hopeful the union’s executive would accept the offer.

`I’ve reason to believe they will. There’s a bit of fine-tuning to be done on one or two bits of it which could be all critically important.

`But assuming that is possible to achieve this morning I believe the executive on ballot will probably recommend it this afternoon.’

He said the new deal, drawn up by mediator Phil Flynn, consisted of increased overtime rates and would mean sub-postmasters no longer having to sort mail.

The dispute escalated two weeks ago when 540 rural sub-postmasters began suspending sorting facilities at their sub-post offices on Mondays and Fridays.

After key talks last week failed to resolve the dispute the IPU sent out ballot forms to its members, asking them to endorse the escalation of action from December 2.

Until now protests have affected rural sorting offices only, but if action was extended it would involve closing down services at 1,700 of the Republic’s 1,800 sub-post offices.

This would affect all services except social welfare payments.

Members of the IPU were due to return ballot papers on the possible action by Wednesday, but if today’s talks are successful they will face a new ballot on the proposed pay deal.