An Post - Warning of threat to post jobs from liberalisation

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THE COMMUNICATIONS Workers Union has warned of a threat to postal services in Ireland and up to 10,000 jobs at An Post as a result of an EU directive on postal liberalisation.

At the union’s biennial delegate conference in Wexford yesterday, CWU president Charlie Kelly also said that in the absence of a new vision that rewarded investment without worshipping competition for competition’s sake, the future for Eircom could be bleak.

He said the company’s debt levels were unsustainable and the future of 5,000 skilled employees was at risk.

Mr Kelly criticised Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan and said his “lack of leadership in the key area of communications is of considerable concern”.

“Despite a good relationship with him when he was in opposition, he has been no friend to us since he got his stripe.”

Mr Kelly said postal workers were extremely worried about the prospect of postal liberalisation, due next January. There was undeniable evidence that liberalisation of postal markets in other European countries had led to job losses, service reductions, cherry-picking and a deterioration of pay and conditions.

“Already the universal service provision which provides for a daily delivery at a uniform price is under attack and any attempt to interfere with that provision will have major consequences, particularly on rural Ireland. An Post employs over 10,000 people, is consistently voted among the most trusted of all service providers and, at present, has the highest service quality in its history.”

Mr Kelly also said the recent purchase of Eircom by STT created an opportunity for the Government and the regulator, ComReg, to use its technical expertise to build a high-speed network.

“There is no reason that such a development could not be built on an open-access basis, thus creating room for all to compete off a new fibre-optic network on a price, content and service basis.

“The only other real option will see existing policies eventually closing down Eircom.”