Post strike 'will hit welfare payments'

THOUSANDS of welfare recipients and pensioners will be prevented from collecting their payments next week because of a planned one-day strike, An Post warned last night.

The Communications Workers Union yesterday sanctioned the strike action over the SDS parcel delivery service.

Postal workers will strike next Wednesday and march on the Dáil over what they claim is the unnecessary closure of the SDS service and breaches of an agreement by management.

CWU general secretary Steve Fitzpatrick warned this one-day protest was the first step in a vigorous campaign of action by the union. It was not clear if this could mean a disruption of the Christmas service.

An Post said the "belligerent" strike action will prevent thousands from collecting their benefits on Wednesday.

Thousands of pensioners will not get their payments on Thursday because company staff will not be able to get the money to the post offices the day before, An Post's spokesman added.

An Post has decided to close down SDS and reintegrate its parcels delivery business into mails operations because the service lost €43 million last year.

Meanwhile, Irish Ferries workers yesterday announced an "all-out" strike from next Monday. None of the company's ferry services operated yesterday due to 24-hour stoppage by SIPTU workers over the company's plans to outsource 150 jobs on its Rosslare to Cherbourg route.

As SIPTU workers marched through Dublin, spokesman Paul Smith said they were "provoked" into taking further action because the plans will lead to nearly 300 redundancies.

The company has posted two telephone numbers on its website for enquiries: 0818-300400 (Ireland) and 08705-171717 (Britain).