An Post workers to strike next Wednesday

Postal services are set for disruption next Wednesday when An Post workers will stage a national day of protest.

The decision for a 24 hour stoppage has been taken by the Communications Workers Union following an all-day meeting.

The strike is in response to alleged breaches by the company of pay agreements and the closure of the SDS parcel service.

An Post issued the following response: "The strike decision of the CWU is a thoughtless rejection of the legitimate interests of pensioners, the unemployed and others dependant on social welfare payments.

"Thousands of welfare recipients will be unable to claim their benefits during the 24 hour closure and thousands more due to receive payments on Thursday and Friday will be similarly affected due to the action of the CWU.

"The union is contriving a dispute with management where there is none. There can be no dispute about the difficult but necessary business decision of the board of An Post to close down SDS and reintegrate its parcels delivery business into An Post mails operations.

"The CWU is ignoring agreed industrial relations procedures by taking unofficial industrial action which will accelerate the undermining of public confidence in the mail system and deliver a further damaging blow to a business which is in decline and had an operational loss of €43m last year.

"What is needed urgently is for the union to abandon its denial of the financial difficulties of An Post and to engage meaningfully at the Labour Relations Commission in the ongoing process to resolve difficulties surrounding the implementation of new work practices.

"Belligerent action against an important public service, the repudiation of an agreement – brokered by the LRC - on Christmas arrangements and an attack on welfare recipients can only worsen long term prospects for An Post, its customers and stakeholders."