Sub-post offices ‘face extinction’ without social welfare contracts
Speaking at the IPU annual conference yesterday, Mr McArdle, a postmaster in Co Louth, said: “The actions of the Government in encouraging more and more social welfare claimants to divert their payments into bank accounts through electronic fund transfers is threatening the future viability of the post office network.”
However, An Post has reached agreement to process payment of garda fines, and he said the possible creation of a new banking operation in conjunction with Belgian bank Fortis “has the potential to be a major shot in the arm for the post office network”.
“Discussions are ongoing between An Post and Fortis, the Belgian bank, to create a new banking operation for APFS (An Post Financial Services),” Mr McArdle said.
“If these discussions are successfully concluded, it will enable the local post office to provide customers with a current bank account and access to a whole range of financial products including loans and insurance. It is hoped that this banking operation can commence in early 2007.
“Equally critical to the survival of the whole post office network is the retention of as much of the Department of Social and Family Affairs (DSFA) social welfare contract as is possible,” he said.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that An Post has sacked 14 employees since 1999 over problems with the delivery of publicity material.
It also emerged during a recent hearing of the Employment Appeals Tribunal that publicity mail had not been delivered in some parts of Dublin for over two years because of a dispute between management and staff.
An Post was ordered by the tribunal to reinstate a postman to his former position after he succeeded in an unfair dismissal claim against the company.
Eamonn Murphy of Castlecurragh Heath, Mulhuddart, Dublin, who worked in the Blanchardstown sorting office, was fired in 2004 for his alleged failure to deliver publicity material for the ESB.
The inquiry heard that there was a problem with publicity post being dumped in the Blanchardstown office as well as problems with delivering mail to Allendale, a new estate in the area.
The tribunal was told that staff did not deliver publicity post on overtime as they did not have the facilities or equipment to do it.
There was also disagreement over the existence of an agreement on the delivery of publicity post between the company’s management and unions.
Mr Murphy, who had worked with An Post for 30 years, claimed he had not received any written or verbal warnings about his behaviour. He admitted that he had not delivered publicity post to Allendale as it would have been delivered on overtime duty.
The company’s HR director claimed Mr Murphy had falsified documents about the delivery of mail which was considered gross misconduct.
The EAT ruled that Mr Murphy had been unfairly dismissed.
