Dispute Hits Galway Mails

6 December 2004

34 staff listed for overtime working to cover indoor sorting, collections and network transfers refused to attend on Saturday. As a result delivery of 125,0000 items will be delayed and a reduced level of mail will be delivered in Tuam, Athenry, Loughrea and Ballinasloe.

On Thursday local An Post management received a demand from branch officers that the pool of Christmas overtime hours for December 2004 be the same as that of 2003 regardless of volumes of mail. The union was told that all overtime hours would be scheduled on the basis of volumes of mail on hand.

The action by the union is a clear breach of the Christmas arrangements agreement concluded two weeks ago following intensive negotiations between An Post and the CWU under the auspices of the Labour Relation Commission.

An Post deplores this latest action being taken by the CWU. It is calculated to disable Company efforts to provide an effective service over the busy Christmas period.