An Post unions to march with CWU
The move is indicative of an increasingly bitter atmosphere between An Post and its workers, which could see joint strike action early in the new year.
Officially, today’s strike involves more than 2,000 CWU members angry at the company’s failure to pay a Sustaining Progress pay rise.
However the Civil and Public Services Union (CPSU), which represents clerical and financial staff at An Post, last night said its 500 members would also take part in today’s protest.
In a further sign of bitter tensions within An Post, the Public Service Executive Union (PSEU), which represents lower and middle management, said its staff would support the march.
Although neither the CPSU or the PSEU have a mandate for industrial action, members have been asked to participate during their lunch break.
CPSU An Post branch secretary Terry Kelleher said there was not enough time for the union to ballot on industrial action before Christmas but indicated the prospect of joint action between all unions was likely in the new year.
“There is a growing mood that after Christmas some kind of joint action should be taken. The mood in the place is just unbelievable. I think that all the unions may be gearing up to do the same,” he said.
CWU official Sean McDonagh said participation of other unions was confirmation that issues raised by CWU were company-wide.
The CWU executive will meet after the protest to decide its next move. In a positive development Mr McDonagh said postal services in Galway would resume as normal tomorrow after a local dispute involving overtime rates was resolved.
An An Post spokesperson warned customers to expect delays and reiterated the company’s view that the strike was unnecessary.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern urged both sides to seek a resolution saying Christmas was “the last time of the year to go closing your services to the public”.
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