An Post pay row rumbles on
Union leaders are to seek clarification of Labour Court recommendations issued in a bid to end a row over wages at An Post.
With workers waiting for salary increases for the last two years the court called for staff to be offered a pay rise of 8.5%, in line with sustaining progress agreements.
But it is understood the wage increase would be tied in with restructuring and changes to the mail delivery and collection processes.
A spokeswoman for the Communications Workers Union said the detailed proposals were both complex and comprehensive and required further study.
“They require careful and detailed consideration and, even at this initial stage, will require clarification,” she said.
“When we have clarification around certain points, we will then be in a position to make a decision as to our position in relation to recommending or not the proposal to the members of our union.”
The Labour Court issued detailed recommendations to resolve the crisis including that staff should be awarded wage increases in line with sustaining progress provided proposals on reforms of mail collection and delivery are implemented.
It is understood An Post employees are the only public service workers denied salary rises agreed by management under sustaining progress.
The CWU national executive will meet tomorrow afternoon to give the report consideration.
Around 8,000 An Post workers have already mandated union bosses to take all action necessary to secure the best deal for them.
A CWU spokeswoman said the union wanted the matter resolved but that every agreement made with the current management had been broken.
“This is money that is overdue, we are not talking about future payments,” she said.
“It is very difficult to talk to members about restructuring and change when they have not been paid the money that they are due for so long.”
Last month workers had sought a pay increase of at least 8.5% as agreed under sustaining progress, with some of that backdated to November 2003. A 5% rise - the first for more than two years – was offered.
The company, which announced a €7m profit last year after major losses in the previous two years, pleaded inability to pay the increase.
