IPU optimistic about new proposals

The Irish Postmasters' Union has said that, at first glance, the proposals aimed at settling its dispute with An Post are the breakthrough the union has been looking for.

The IPU's 13-member executive will meet this afternoon to discuss the deal, which was put forward by industrial relations mediator Phil Flynn.

It's understood the deal proposes to increase the disputed €2-an-hour for early morning work to between €5 and €11.

IPU spokesman John Kane said: "The document is in three parts. One deals with the immediate problems of the payment for work before 8am and the Saturday and our members disengaging completely from the sorting of mail.

"The second part deals with a review process that will take up to the end of next March. The outcome of that has to be negotiated between us then afterwards and implemented from January 1.

"The third one, which is again very important in the longer term, is that there's a very strict time frame on our negotiating procedures and our conciliation and arbitration scheme going into the future."

John Foley of An Post also expressed confidence the proposal would lead to a breakthrough.

He said he expects the IPU to recommend the deal to its members.

"I think the intention of the union is to ballot on it," Mr Foley said.

We should have a recommendation for acceptance, I think, and that will probably weigh heavily with the membership. Hopefully, we'll have this thing out of the way probably by the end of this week."