An Post and the Communications Workers' Union (CWU) have accepted invitations from the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) to talks aimed at ending the dispute between the company and the union's members.
However, neither side will be speaking directly to each other and will hold separate talks with LRC facilitators. The talks will take place tomorrow afternoon at around 4.30 p.m.
An Post
A spokeswoman for An Post said although the company has accepted the LRC's invitation, it had "serious concerns about the capability of the CWU to conduct this process [LRC talks] to a successful conclusion".
A further 88 workers at An Post were suspended last night in the escalating dispute.
The spokeswoman said this morning that 508 staff had now been suspended in the Dublin Mail Centre and that only a "fraction of the normal amount of post" would be delivered today in affected areas.
She said no international mail was being delivered in or out of the State because of the dispute and collections from businesses had ceased.
"The suspensions continued overnight because of the continued refusal to carry out normal work," the spokeswoman said.
Major disruption to the postal service is again expected in Dublin, Bray, Carrickmacross, Castleblaney, Drogheda, Dundalk, Kells, Greysotnes, Navan, Tuam, Galway and Wicklow. In advertisements in national newspapers today, An Post also said social welfare cheques could be collected from the Department of Social and Family Affairs offices from tomorrow.
The company has asked customers not to post letters and is to begin sealing letterboxes in Dublin in the coming days.
The CWU claims the company is attempting to introduce new sorting arrangements, which have implications for sorters in local offices, without agreement.
Informal contacts had been made with both sides by the LRC yesterday.