Formal talks between An Post and the Communications Workers' Union (CWU) aimed at averting a pre-Christmas postal strike ended without resolution at the Labour Court last night.
The two sides attended the court for intensive talks at the weekend, but no agreement was reached. The court is to issue a recommendation tomorrow.
The talks ended after nearly 12 hours of negotiations.
The union has undertaken to put the court's findings to a ballot of members, making an immediate strike unlikely. However, it has not ruled out a resumption of industrial action before Christmas.
Its members have already balloted in favour of industrial action over the company's refusal to pay the full terms of Sustaining Progress. The Labour Court recommended in July that the outstanding wage increases should be paid, but only after the union signed up to a major rationalisation of An Post's collection and delivery service.
This was rejected by the union, which identified four elements of the rationalisation plan that it said workers could not accept.
These included what the union called the "divisive" decision to alter the conditions of collection and delivery staff while other workers in An Post retained their entitlements.