Mediator Flynn to tackle postal dispute
Leading industrial relations mediator Phil Flynn will attempt to break the deadlock in the worsening dispute between 540 rural postmasters and An Post.
Mr Flynn has offered to chair a Dublin meeting between representatives of the Irish Postmasters Union (IPU) and An Post in a bid to secure a compromise deal in the dispute which has escalated over the last two weeks.
The dispute centres on the postmasters' demand for more pay to provide their premises for sorting post and also for supervising the job.
They currently get €2 an hour for the job before 8am and are demanding substantially more.
An Post does not accept that the 540 rural sub-postmasters should be treated on the same basis as their employees, who get €12 an hour for sorting post.
These postmasters work on contract for An Post, providing a service that is not their sole income and run in conjunction with businesses, a company spokesman said.
Both An Post and the IPU said yesterday they are hopeful today's talks will bring some breakthrough in the dispute.
