The postal strike in Ireland has ended after An Post’s maintenance contractor IO Systems and the Irish Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) reached an agreement in a labour dispute over pay cuts, with postal services resuming yesterday (October 6).
An Post welcomed the agreement between IO Systems and the CWU union highlighting that it puts an end to the disruption of mail services that lasted for several days.
“Customers may resume posting letters and parcels tomorrow, Tuesday, 6th October. Normal working will resume this evening in mail processing centres and any mail on hand will be prioritised for delivery,” the postal operator said in a statement on Monday.
However, An Post pointed out that it will take several days to “restore the normal quality of service levels for mail.” The company added that Department of Social Protection cheque payments by mail and Passport Express services resumed immediately.
The Communications Workers’ Union, which represents the staff employed at IO Systems and working at four An Post’s mail sorting centres, announced on Monday that it has agreed to suspend industrial action. This follows the confirmation from IO Systems that its workers, who have been on strike since midnight on Thursday, “will be reinstated in their jobs at their agreed wage levels and rostering arrangements,” the union stressed.
New talks between IO Systems and the Communications Workers Union were due to resume yesterday afternoon to address the issues over revised rosters and consequent cuts to earnings which were the main cause of the dispute.
CWU General Secretary, Steve Fitzpatrick, said: “We welcome the decision of the company to re-instate its workers to their agreed rostering arrangements and wage levels. As we have consistently stated, we are prepared to engage, but only on the basis that workers at IO Systems have their jobs restored to their agreed wage levels and rosters.”
He warned, however: “We hope that IO Systems, or indeed An Post management, don’t squander the opportunity that is being presented.”
Postal services in Ireland were severely disrupted since last Friday when 36 staff working at the An Post mail centres who maintain the sorting machines initiated the strike action.
