Staff at IO Systems - a sub contractor of An Post - are to be balloted on new proposals aimed at resolving a dispute that brought the postal system to a halt.

Talks are due to resume later aimed at resolving the dispute at An Post that led to a four-day shutdown of postal services.

An Post has advised customers not to post any letters or parcels until further notice.

Coupled with the decimation of local Garda stations, the threat of closure hanging over hundreds of post offices represents a potential body blow to what remains of the once rich but now sadly decaying fabric of rural Ireland.

Government inaction could lead to the closure of hundreds of post offices in the coming years, it has been claimed.

A dispute over new work practices has disrupted postal deliveries in several affluent areas of south Dublin today.

Rural post offices are closing at a rate of once every fortnight so far this year, according to Labour.

Postal services are returning to normal today after yesterday's industrial action by staff connected to the Communications Workers Union.

The strike at An Post has been called off after the Communications Workers Union agreed this afternoon not to take further industrial action pending completion of talks.

Postal customers were facing disruption from industrial action today, despite the emergence of a compromise deal between An Post and unions.

Industrial action by postal workers will go ahead from midnight tonight is likely to be suspended again for a week from tomorrow afternoon.

Postal workers have offered to suspend their planned nationwide strike if An Post allows independent costings of work practice changes, it emerged today.

There is fresh hope that tomorrow's planned industrial action by postal workers might be avoided.

A strike at An Post is set to get underway at midnight tonight.

As major disruption to our postal service looms, An Post is calling on the General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to intervene in the dispute with the Communication Workers Union.

Communications Minister Noel Dempsey says he's disappointed at the breakdown of talks earlier today aimed at averting Monday's postal strike.

The prospect of nationwide postal chaos intensified today after negotiations to avert planned strike action ended without a breakthrough.

Postal workers are set to go on strike from midnight tomorrow.

The Communications Workers Union has been that told its threat of industrial action at An Post is irresponsible and unacceptable.

The Labour Court has begun a hearing today into a dispute over An Post's plan to lay off 1,400 workers as part of a cost-cutting programme.

A postal strike that could have severely disrupted mail deliveries from this morning has been averted following the intervention of the National Implementation Body.

The Government mediator the National Implementation Body (NIB) today called on An Post to lift suspensions of 68 SDS workers and on workers to postpone their strike.

Postal services across the country are likely to be hit by industrial action from tomorrow morning following An Post's decision not to reinstate 68 workers it suspended earlier this week.

Disruption to postal services is likely from later today due to a stand-off between An Post and the Communications Workers Union over the closure of the company’s SDS subsidiary.

A deadline of 12pm tomorrow has been given to An Post management to either reinstate the 68 SDS workers or face all-out industrial action.

Ireland's postal service could be facing renewed disruption following An Post's decision to suspend 68 workers at its SDS parcel delivery service.

A one-day stoppage by postal workers could delay thousands of welfare payments shattering public confidence in the company, it was claimed today.

The Irish Postmaster's Union says it fears the future of the Post Office network is being undermined by An Post and the State.

Postal services are expected to return to normal in the coming days following agreement between An Post and the Communications Workers Union about how to clear the mail backlog caused by recent staff suspensions.

Part of the An Post dispute has been referred to the Labour Court.

Attempts to end the postal dispute are back on the rocks after talks stalled at the first hurdle last night.

Talks between the Communications Workers Union and An Post have broken down at the Labour Relations Commission.

An Post and the Communications Workers Union are due to begin talks today aimed at resolving a long-running dispute between the two sides.

The postal dispute has taken another twist, with the Communications Workers Union objecting to An Post’s decision to hire 200 casual workers to clear a backlog caused by recent staff suspensions.

An Post has agreed to reinstate the 91 temporary workers who it claimed were not covered by LRC proposals aimed at kick-starting talks on the postal dispute.

Tom Pomphrett, deputy director of the LRC, said he hoped the outstanding issue in the postal dispute would be resolved today.

Postal staff are expected to return to work tonight after both sides involved in a two-week dispute agreed to enter into talks.

An Post has accepted the Labour Relations Commission’s proposals for resolving the ongoing postal dispute.

The Labour Relations Commission has put forward new proposals aimed at bringing an end to the ongoing dispute between An Post and the Communications Workers Union.

Union leaders representing workers at An Post have met to discuss the stalemate in the postal dispute.

There has been no sign of structured talks commencing to resolve the postal dispute.

A resolution to the escalating postal crisis looked a long way off tonight despite both sides entering into mediation talks.

Dole recipients who were due to be paid today at post offices closed by industrial action, will be paid tomorrow.

Post offices throughout the country were closed today following unofficial action by members of the country’s Communications Workers’ Union over a reorganisation and pay row.