Postal services return to normal with postmasters' deal

POSTAL services are returning to normal after postmasters' and postal workers last night resolved some of their differences with the company.

Postmasters yesterday overwhelmingly accepted a revised offer from An Post to bring an end to a three-month dispute.

A fresh postal dispute, in which some members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) refused to work in allegedly sub-standard mail sorting offices, also fizzled out last night.

The postal sorters are scheduled to return to work this morning after protesting at a small number of centres. The offices were Mountbellew in Galway; Templemore in Tipperary; Mitchelstown in Cork; Castlecomer in Kilkenny; Kilmaley in Co Clare along with Abbeyleix, Portarlington and Mountmellick in Co Laois.

The CWU conceded some members were unhappy to be faced with extra duties as a result of the company's deal with the Irish Postmaster's Union.

By a large majority, 841-31, postmasters accepted the deal recommended by the union's executive. As part of the offer, contract postmasters will be paid between 6 and 11 per hour for early morning duties and 13.50 for all hours worked on Saturdays.

Postmasters will no longer have to sort or subdivide mail which some CWU members resented.

The CWU's national officer Steve Fitzpatrick suggested the IPU dispute had strained relationships with fellow postal colleagues: "Some of the work, previously carried out by postmasters, will be transferred to other postal workers, but that's an issue to be resolved between us and the company. It'll take time but it will be resolved."

Mr Fitzpatrick said: "relations between postmasters and CWU members in some post offices may have been damaged to some degree during the dispute". Meanwhile, the IPU's general secretary, John Kane, said the An Post cash offer to postmasters was inadequate but he was pleased the deal was accepted.

IPU members operate 1,700 sub-post offices across the country.

The Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (ISME) last night welcomed the IPU decision to end the dispute which threatened Christmas mail deliveries.

ISME's chief executive Mark Fielding said he was relieved common sense finally prevailed.

"Over the last number of weeks, our member companies voiced concern that payments due in the form of cheques and orders would be delayed resulting in significant cash flow difficulties.

"Such a scenario would have caused particular problems during the busy Christmas period."

An Post also welcomed the result of the IPU ballot and said that services will return to normal within a few days.