An Post strike: Customers advised not to post letters

[TrueBlueTerrier]

An Post strike: Customers advised not to post letters or parcels until further notice

http://www.herald.ie/news/an-post-strik ... 75635.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



An Post are advising customers not to post any mail today as a precaution.

The workers, who maintain the An Post Automation Mail Sorting Centres, went on strike in a row over pay and rostering.

It comes after a 14-day notice to the strike action, which had been issued by the Communications Workers Union (CWU) to IO Systems management, lapsed at midnight.

The dispute is over new rostering for the workers who maintain the mail sorting equipment at An Post's four Automation Mail Sorting Centres in Dublin, Cork, Portlaoise and Athlone.

The rosters would see workers placed onto non-rotating night work for the rest of their working lives, as well as proposed 22pc wage cuts - with the workers having already suffered reductions to their pay.

The strike is expected to affect mail delivery services the longer the dispute continues.

Steve Fitzpatrick, CWU General Secretary, maintains the dispute is because IO Systems management is "having the workers who maintain vital mail sorting equipment pay for the contract they have with An Post through cuts to their wages.

"IO Systems have undertaken this action in complete disregard for the long-term consequences and impacts this will have on mail delivery services nationwide," Mr Fitzpatrick said.

"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. However, it is inevitable that services will be affected the longer the dispute continues. This industrial action will continue until the rostering and wage issues which IO Systems wants to ignore are fully addressed," Mr Fitzpatrick added.

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."

They are expected to release a statement on the ending of mail services shortly.