An Post unions and management invited to talks
Communications Minister Noel Dempsey has invited An Post unions and management to meet with him in an effort to resolve their long-running difficulties.
The company's workers mounted a one-day strike yesterday to protest at what they say is An Post's failure to honour a number of union-management agreements.
The main points of contention are the closure of the SDS parcel delivery service and the company's failure to award pay increases due under the social partnership process last year.
Speaking last night, Mr Dempsey said a settlement of the dispute was vital for the survival of An Post, particularly because of plans to introduce competition in the postal market in 2009.
He also appeared to back the company’s stance in the dispute, saying it was suffering unsustainable losses and was entitled to claim “inability to pay” under the social partnership process.
Mr Dempsey said the Communications Workers Union (CWU) could go to the Labour Relations Commission if it was unhappy with this situation.
Despite this, CWU spokesman Sean McDonagh said he and his colleagues would be “extremely happy” to accept the minister’s invitation to talks “to explain our plight and the way An Post management are behaving”.
