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An Post Advises Customers Not To Post Any Mail
Posted On Oct 03 2015
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“In the face of provocation from IO Systems and throughout this action, CWU members will continue to do everything in their power not to impact An Post services”.
“Due to the withdrawal of labour by staff of IO Systems, we are unable to process mail for delivery to customers”, a spokeswoman said.
The industrial dispute centres on changes to rosters of IO Systems workers.
The dispute involves between 20 and 30 staff of Athlone company IO Systems who maintain and operate key sorting equipment at the four An Post mail centres in Athlone, Portlaoise, Cork and Dublin. “This industrial action will continue until the rostering and wage issues which IO Systems wants to ignore are fully addressed”, Mr Fitzpatrick added. “We cannot take in mail that we cannot ensure we can process and deliver”.
An Post urged parties to the dispute to use the “State’s dispute resolution Institutions (LRC & Labour Court) to resolve their differences in a peaceful manner”.
“The immediate implications for mail services are as yet unclear, but it is certain that they will start to affect services the longer the dispute continues”, said the CWU.
The union has accused An Post of “blackmailing” postal workers, describing the company’s decision to suspend postal services as “bizarre”.
Communications Workers’ Union official Seán McDonagh said An Post managers refused to fix the machines as that was the work of the IO Systems employees.
An Post says contingency plans are in place but that disruptions could be significant.
“This sacrifice clearly counts for nothing to the company that has abandoned all semblance of a positive industrial relations environment to defend the dubious contract it has entered with IO Systems”.
Concerns had been raised that thousands of people in receipt of social welfare payments would be affected by the industrial action.
“Around 68,000 of these who receive their Jobseekers’ payments by cheque may be affected”. Any delay has the potential to cause considerable hardship for a few.
