MARTIN WALL and CIARAN D’ARCY Postal services have resumed following the suspension of industrial action that led to services around the country grinding to a halt over recent days.
The Communications Workers Union, which represents staff at IO Systems, a contractor which maintains automated sorting equipment for An Post, said the industrial action had been called off after the company agreed to re-instate workers on their original rosters and pay levels.
New talks between IO Systems and the Communications Workers Union are to take place on Tuesday afternoon to try to address the issues over revised rosters and consequent cuts to earnings which were at the heart of the dispute.
The suspension of the strike came on foot of the intervention of industrial relations mediator Phil Flynn.
An Post welcomed the agreement and said customers may now resume posting mail.
It said normal working will resume in the mail centres on Monday night, but it may take a number of days to restore normal service levels.
Postal services were badly disrupted over the weekend after 30 workers at IO Systems, which is contracted by An Post to maintain its automatic mail sorting systems, handed in strike notice on Friday.
In a statement Minister for Communications Alex White welcomed the decision. "I hope that the parties will reach a speedy resolution of all the matters in dispute."
The Communications’ Workers Union said, in a statement, it had agreed to suspend industrial action at IO Systems at the request of Mr Flynn and on foot of confirmation from the company that its workers, who had been on strike since midnight on Thursday, would be reinstated in their jobs at their agreed wage levels and rostering arrangements.
The union said it understood that new talks were being arranged through Mr Flynn involving IO Systems for Tuesday afternoon.
The general secretary of the Communications Workers Union Steve Fitzpatrick said: “We welcome the decision of the Company to re-instate its workers to their agreed rostering arrangements and wage levels. As we have consistently stated, we are prepared to engage, but only on the basis that workers at IO Systems have their jobs restored to their agreed wage levels and rosters. We are also prepared to back Phil Flynn’s intervention in good faith.
“However, we hope that IO Systems, or indeed An Post management, don’t squander the opportunity that is being presented.”
Department of Social Protection cheque payments by mail and Passport Express services will resume immediately.
