Mail deliveries and post office services will be spared further disruption until after Christmas at least, union leaders decided yesterday.
Following a meeting of its national executive in Dublin, the Communications Workers' Union, which organised a 24-hour stoppage on Wednesday, said it had decided to suspend further industrial action "for the time being". A spokesman said this meant there would be no action in the run-up to Christmas.
The decision to suspend action followed what the union described as a "helpful statement" from the Minister for Communications, Mr Dempsey, in which he said he wished to have meetings with both An Post and the CWU within a week.
The union was also asked by the general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Mr David Begg, to refrain from action while he raised its concerns with the Government and the National Implementation Body, which is made up of high-level Government, employer and union representatives. Mr Steve Fitzpatrick, the CWU general secretary, said the executive committee had unanimously decided to postpone further action after carefully considering Mr Dempsey's statement. Mr Begg's intervention had also been an "important consideration".
"We note, in particular, Mr Dempsey's comment that both sides must adopt a 'spirit of partnership to resolve the outstanding issues'. What has destroyed that partnership spirit in the past has been the repeated breaching of agreements by An Post management," he said.
An Post in turn accuses the CWU of failing to implement a succession of cost-saving agreements. The two sides have spent several months this year in negotiations at the Labour Relations Commission on new proposals by the company to reduce overtime and cut staffing levels in its collection and delivery service.
The result of a ballot by CWU members on the outcome of those talks is to be announced today. If, as expected, they reject the terms on offer, the matter is set to be referred to the Labour Court. About 8,000 CWU members took part in a demonstration in Dublin on Wednesday, coinciding with the strike which resulted in the cancellation of all mail deliveries and closed 93 post offices in cities and towns. They demanded that An Post pay wage increases due since last year under Sustaining Progress.
The company says it cannot afford to pay until a comprehensive agreement is reached on cost-saving measures.
