Independent group to study An Post plan to axe jobs

AN independent group will today be appointed by the Labour Court to examine controversial cost-cutting plans by management at An Post.

Under a company proposal, which is being resisted by unions, management is seeking to cut more than 1,000 collection and delivery jobs as well as reducing overtime.

In return it has offered a 5.35% pay increase, which has already been rejected by workers who are angry at the company’s failure to pay the last round of wage increases due under the Sustaining Progress agreement.

The dispute, which was referred to the Labour Court in December, erupted after members of the Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) voted overwhelmingly against the management restructuring plan.

Since then, relations between both sides have continued to deteriorate and came to a head at a heated meeting of the Oireachtas Communications Committee when several unions vented their frustration at management.

However, after brief Labour Court talks yesterday, both sides agreed to reconvene today when it is expected the court will deliver an interim deliberation recommending independent assessment of the issues at stake.

Although the composition of the proposed expert group is not yet known, it is anticipated that a May deadline will be set for the group to report back to the court with recommendations.

Crucially, those findings will have to address differing union and management assessments of the true financial state of the company and the consequent need for drastic work practice changes.

However, both sides remained entrenched in their respective positions as talks ended yesterday.

An Post’s chief operations officer Larry Donald said that due to the company’s financial situation, new work practices had to be implemented as part of its recovery strategy.

And CWU general secretary Steve Fitzpatrick described the changes sought by the company as unacceptable.

Mr Fitzpatrick also said it would be very difficult for the Labour Court to broker an agreement the union could sell to its members given the lack of trust with which workers viewed management.

Meanwhile, further Labour Court talks on the planned closure of An Post’s parcel division SDS are due to commence later this week. The closure, with the loss of 270 jobs, has been delayed until after the Labour Court deals with the matter.