An Post could lose monopoly under new EU regulations

Plans to make An Post more competitive could put the future of the country's ten thousand postal workers under threat, according to union members.

Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy is to unveil the final stage in reforming the EU's postal service later this week in Brussels.

Under the proposals An Post could lose its monopoly on the distribution of letters to private operators by January 2009

Steve Fitzpatrick of the Communications Workers Union said universal service provision will be a key point

“I think our main concern is what happens to the universal service provision,” he said.

“All post offices are obliged to deliver to every address a minimum of five times a week at the same price. From what we can gather from the initial papers from the commission, that provision will still stay. But we're waiting to see who'll help to do that work and how it will be funded. That's the key thing for us.”