Postmasters set to fight for pay hikes

POSTMASTERS are gearing up for a fresh battle with An Post over pay, amid claims that most of them earn less than €15,000 per annum.

Members of the Irish Postmasters' Union gave support for a new campaign to seek further pay increases at their annual conference in Cork at the weekend.

The union, representing 1,700 postmasters who work as sub-contractors for An Post, is to pursue further pay rises from the company on the current fee-per-transaction system under which IPU members now operate.

Although there are no immediate threats of any strikes, the issue could lead to a resumption of the industrial action which affected mail deliveries in rural areas for several months last autumn.

The dispute on pay issues was only resolved when a new pay scale of €6 per hour was agreed for postmasters who opened their offices before 8am and for Saturday work.

However, IPU general secretary John Kane said yesterday that the union would be demanding a more realistic figure of around €42 per hour for work done before 8am.

Despite An Post reporting large losses, Mr Kane claimed that postmasters were entitled to a further pay increase because the company's post office division continued to be profitable.

"It is not right that IPU members should be asked to subsidise other loss-making areas of the company," said Mr Kane. "Most of our members are working over 40 hours a week but getting less than €15,000 under the existing transaction fee system."

He also called on An Post to increase the number of automated sub-post offices in order to maintain their viability.

Currently, only 1,000 of the country's 1,700 sub-post offices used automated equipment.

A review body which is examining the services offered by IPU members established as part of last year's settlement is due to publish its findings within the next fortnight. Mr Kane said these would be used as a basis to justify the union's demands for further pay increases.

He also said the IPU would be demanding a more realistic basic pay structure in return for signing up to the new national wage agreement, Sustaining Progress.

Although a new service whereby sub-post offices provide a range of services for AIB customers has proven successful, Mr Kane said the extra volume of work had also required IPU members to take on additional staff.

The annual conference also heard calls from IPU members for An Post to provide greater security, following an increase in the number of robberies at post offices in the past year.