Talks between An Post and the Communications Workers Union (CWU) about the future of the company at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) have adjourned tonight.
The talks will resume tomorrow morning. In its proposals to get the two sides to the talks, the LRC laid out a six-week timetable for the talks to be concluded.
With postal services beginning to return to normal, An Post said it was pleased the talks were getting under way. Yesterday, the company began removing covers from postboxes in Dublin. The postboxes had been sealed during the two-week dispute, which ended last week. But it has warned that mail will be delayed for some days.
The latest in a series of rows between the company and the CWU arose from management's plan to hire 200 casual workers to help clear the backlog of mail. Union representatives claim the decision was made in breach of a 1992 agreement obliging the company to consult it on the hiring of temporary staff.
Talks between the two sides on a major cost-cutting proposed by the company ended without agreement before Christmas. Since then, relations have worsened following the company's decision to plead inability to pay the 3 per cent pay increase due to staff at the beginning of the year under Sustaining Progress.
A key aim of the company in the talks will be to reduce its huge overtime bill, which is contributing to losses of €600,000 a week. It is also seeking to reduce staff numbers in its letter-post division by 1,350.