NORMAL working in An Post's financial services division is expected to resume this morning following a decision by 500 clerical staff members to end their five week strike. In a ballot last night they accepted a return to work formula in the Labour Relations Commission.
The margin for acceptance of the deal was only 66 votes, despite a recommendation for acceptance from their union, the Civil and Public Service Union.
The LRC is expected to issue settlement proposals in a separate dispute between An Post and the Communications Managers Union today.
The CMU members received an arbitration award that the company is refusing to pay. It is the first time An Post has refused to pay an award, which is worth several thousand pounds each to the CMU members affected.
At the heart of the strike by clerical staff was the question of promotional outlets. The strike took place because the company externally recruited a senior secretary for one of its managers.
Senior secretarial staff were always recruited in the past from clerical staff. An Post also decided to pay the new secretary £100 a week above the rate normally paid to internally recruited secretarial staff.
The company has now given a guarantee that no further external recruitment will take place without the agreement of the CPSU. A unified pay scale for senior secretaries will be applied and at least three new appointments will be made from within the company.
As part of the return to work formula 17 clerical assistants will be promoted to clerical officer grade. Each striker can apply for an interest free loan of £450, repayable over 15 months, to help offset loss of earnings.
CPSU members in Eircell have deferred a decision on whether to escalate their dispute over the external recruitment of staff.