Year: 2005

Postal workers are waging a campaign of sabotage and disruption against An Post, it was claimed last night. The company said that the aim was to ratchet up the pressure ahead of threatened industrial action next week over An Post’s refusal to implement an agreed pay increase. In the past month alone An Post has logged more than 30 incidents of what it believes are deliberate attempts to delay mail services in order to get the public “off side” with An Post by presenting it as being unable to run an efficient service. He cited experienced drivers “getting lost” on their way to mail centres in Dublin, Cork, Portlaoise and Athlone. Communications Workers’ Union general secretary Steve Fitzpatrick said that if allegations that his members had wilfully delayed mail were substantiated, he would not defend them. However, he said that his union had been accused of intimidation, fraud and now sabotage and “there was not one shred of evidence the CWU was behind this”.

An Post requires radical restructuring, new work practices and greater volumes of mail rather than higher prices. With full market liberalisation around the corner, An Post is undoubtedly under pressure and the pending strike by the Communications Workers Union (CWU) is adding significantly to its woes. The union’s refusal to implement the Labour Court’s recommendations is indicative of the problems that the company faces. Its survival depends on both unions and management adapting to the new competitive environment that looms. The payroll bills at An Post account for 64 per cent of its operating costs and inefficient work practices are damaging the company’s competitiveness.