Postmasters are worried about the future of the sub-post office network, and their union is seeking clarification from An Post and the Minister for Public Enterprise before deciding on possible industrial action, a spokesman said yesterday.
There is an urgent need for consultation with those who run the State's 1,800 sub-post offices in light of "the gloom" in which the new proposals for the network have been received, Mr Anthony Clinton, acting general secretary of the Irish Postmasters' Union said.
Despite reassurances from the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, who spoke on RTE Radio's Liveline programme yesterday, members are suspicious about the new proposals, Mr Clinton said.
The Minister said the network of post offices would remain in their present form.
The Government is determined the number of outlets for An Post throughout the State would remain as they are, she added, "because I'm committed to the rural network".
However, Mr Clinton said: "We need an awful lot of clarification. There is a total rowaway from the postmasters and the post office as we know it. From my understanding so far, this is the demise of the post office." Some postmasters were earning as little as £4,665, and one third of those who ran post offices were earning £6,000 or less, he said.
"How, if the Government put them into agencies, will they earn any better than that?"
The IPU has been campaigning to win greater business for the sub-post offices. "But there was no meat on the proposals announced by Minister Mary O'Rourke," he said.
The union was particularly disappointed with the Government's failure to put services such as motor tax, car fines and Garda fines into the network, he added.
Uncertainty also hung over the promised increase in payments to postmasters recommended in the consultant's report by Mr Phil Flynn.
"It is subject to State aid clearance from the EU. There has to be clearance from the EU Commission before the 12 per cent is paid. How long do we have to wait for that, if in fact we get it?" Mr Clinton asked.