LRC's Pomphrett 'confident' of postal dispute deal

Tom Pomphrett, deputy director of the LRC, said he hoped the outstanding issue in the postal dispute would be resolved today.

A breakthrough in the row is under threat as both sides have clashed over whether certain staff should be reinstated before talks start on the future of the company.

An Post and the Communications Workers’ Union have agreed to enter into talks under proposals drawn up by the Labour Relations Commission (LRC).

The document recommends that all 550 workers suspended from the Dublin Mail Centre return to work before negotiations begin.

But An Post claims it is not obliged to reinstate the 92 temporary delivery staff made redundant during the two-week dispute because of a lack of work.

“There is some ambiguity in that the union is satisfied that this is what the proposal provides for but the company is satisfied that it merely provides for the lifting of suspensions," said Mr Pomphrett.

“There is a difficulty there but I am confident we will resolve that this morning.”

The majority of workers went back to work last night and An Post said it was hopeful postal services would resume on Monday.

The first meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday and talks are expected to last between six and eight weeks.

The dispute centres on cost-cutting measures and a new sorting system which union members claim was imposed without their agreement.

But company chiefs say they have no choice but to implement deals which have already been bought and paid for and which form part of an agreement on cost-cutting and pay reform.