CWU Action Grave Threat To National Postal Service

5 November 2005

An Post regrets to inform customers that due to industrial action being planned by the Communications Workers Union from Sunday night onwards, it will not be possible to guarantee any mails services in or to any part of the country or abroad.

Despite repeated requests by the company for information, the CWU has failed to provide any definitive detail of the precise locations that are to be hit by industrial action or the staffing arrangements being put in place to ensure provision of social welfare benefit payments.

Tonight An Post has called upon Mr David Begg, General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to intervene with the CWU union on the issue of their refusal to provide this crucial and long-awaited information to the company.

The action being taken by the CWU is reckless and irresponsible. It will achieve nothing but serious inconvenience for customers and it will further undermine An Post’s business base as customers are left with no option but to seek out other service providers and electronic communications alternatives.

An Post is putting in place all possible contingencies available to the company in an effort to minimise the level of disruption to customers caused by this action. However all services are likely to be affected. The EMS, Swiftpost, Postaim, Publicity Post and ad-hoc or Special Collections services have been suspended. The action also presents a grave threat to the collection and delivery of all other mail.

An Post will keep customers fully up-to-date with all developments and service changes as they arise.