Government urged to intervene to break An Post pension impasse

The Communications Workers’ Union has written to the Taoiseach and Tánaiste seeking an 'urgent intervention' to sanction the increases for pensioners. Picture: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

Ministers have been urged to step in to break an impasse it is claimed is leaving 7,000 An Post pensioners out of pocket on their payments, and which is threatening industrial relations at the company.

The Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) has demanded the immediate payment of pensions due to these former workers, which it said was approved by the Labour Court and signed off by the An Post pension board of trustees and by the board of management of An Post.

The agreement would have seen their pension payments rise 5% from January 1, 2022, another 2% from January 1, 2023, and another 1% from July 1.

Despite the agreements, the CWU said final approval was required from Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe and Communications Minister Eamon Ryan. Until that approval is granted, the pension increases cannot take effect, it said.

The union has written to the Taoiseach and Tánaiste seeking an “urgent intervention” to sanction the increases for pensioners.

“It is unacceptable that An Post pensioners, who are getting on in years and on fixed incomes, have been left waiting for nearly nine months for the pension increases they are due,” said CWU general secretary Seán McDonagh.

“They have contributed financially to their pension provisioning and have shown exceptional commitment during their working lives at An Post. 

They have been left to endure an excessively cumbersome and lengthy process to approve pension increases. They should not be left waiting for the pension increases they are entitled to, and frankly deserve better.” 

The union said the payment of these pension increases will give rise to no cost to the exchequer or to An Post. It comes as An Post has already had the benefit of the same Labour Court decision by the reduction in its pension contribution fund from 14.4% to 8%.

The average pension at An Post stand at €320 a week.

Mr McDonagh said the manner in which these pensioners were being treated now threatens industrial relations at An Post.

“This persisting delay and, as a consequence the tawdry way in which An Post pensioners are being treated is putting at risk the ongoing co-operation of the An Post Group of Unions with the company’s transformation agenda,” he added.

The CWU has called for an emergency meeting of the board of An Post to direct management to immediately pay the pensions increase to the qualified former workers.

A spokesperson for the Department of Communications said the time taken to assess this issue was “necessary to ensure that robust governance procedures are in place”.

“Consideration of the consent requests is well advanced," the spokesperson said. “The matter is now being expedited in consultation with the company.”