Tag: Mail Services

It sounds unbelievable but it’s true: Ireland’s system of collecting and delivering post has not changed in 250 years. While it has grown to cater for the population surge in Dublin in recent years, the fundamental structure of An Post’s operation has remained at a standstill. One thing which has not remained static is the company’s wage bill. It now stands at a staggering half a billion euro. And it’s rising. And that is the crux of the An Post problem. In a world where people send emails, use the internet and have developed new forms of communications, it has failed to change. And the symptoms of this malaise are clear.

A plan to subcontract out the delivery of mail in rural areas is among a set of radical proposals being discussed by management and unions at An Post. Under the proposals, self- employed postmen would be responsible for making deliveries using their own vans and they would not be on the An Post payroll.
The concept would not apply to major urban centres which are less costly to service. An Post is anxious to implement major change at the company’s “collection and delivery” operation. An Post faces an operating loss of EUR30 million for this year. Its chief executive, Mr Donal Curtin, has spoken about the company being on a financial “knife edge”.