Communications regulator accused of failing post services
The CWU biennial conference yesterday called for a root-and-branch examination of ComReg, its role and its impact on telecoms and postal services.
A call for the protection of loss-making postal services was also made by the 17,000-member union’s general secretary, Steve Fitzpatrick.
It has cost an average of €65m in each of the past two years for An Post to deliver the mandatory universal service obligation (USO) level without any government subvention, according to the CWU.
The USO obliges An Post to provide every person and every organisation with at least one collection and one delivery five days a week.
“Unfortunately, we have in ComReg a regulator that is not defending or supporting universal services for post and telecoms and is thereby failing to honour its statutory obligations to protect these vital public services,’’ Mr Fitzpatrick claimed.
Mr Fitzpatrick said this is particularly true among small businesses and in rural areas where the “draw of the market” is failing vulnerable communities.
He told delegates at the Killarney Convention Centre that it is essential for rural Ireland and business that postal services are protected and allowed to grow.
“Our postal members are in effect subsidising the universal service level which the Government is obliged to ensure through its regulator, ComReg,’’ he said.
‘’We are determined to pursue this issue and have commenced work on a complaint in Europe against the Irish Government and ComReg. An Post has never received a cent of taxpayers’ money and Ireland continues to enjoy one of the lowest stamp prices in Europe.
‘’It is long past time for ComReg to support the postal services instead of taking actions which threaten them.”
Mr Fitzpatrick also said Eircom is legally bound to maintain a national network to provide universal service in telephony.
‘’Both Eircom and Vodafone are designated ‘significant market players’ and are at the mercy of ComReg. Recent ComReg decisions have imposed universal service obligation costs on Eircom of over €5m, which should instead be properly borne by all players in the Irish telecoms market.”
Meanwhile, the CWU, which represents workers in the postal, courier, telecom, call centre, and e-communications sectors, is seeking a 6% pay increase.
CWU president Cormac O’Dalaigh told the conference its members will not accept calls for tax cuts as a substitute for pay rises and the union is targeting across the board rises of 6%.
“The message from this conference could not be clearer — Ireland needs a pay rise. Increasing the wages of ordinary workers will see them spend that money on essentials which will directly increase employment and the tax take in Ireland,’’ he said.
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