An Post has put forward further proposals in an effort to resolve the dispute with the Irish Postmasters Union (IPU) over the opening of certain post offices on the Saturdays of bank holiday weekends.
The High Court today adjourned to July 19th legal proceedings arising from the dispute.
On May 17th, An Post got a High Court order which restrained 43 postmasters/postmistresses from closing their post offices on the Saturday of the June bank holiday weekend. The 43 — out of a total of 1400 — had closed their offices on the Saturday of the Easter bank holiday weekend.
When granting the order, Mr Justice Kelly remarked that the question of the obligations of postmaster and sub-postmasters to open their offices or not on a Saturday of a public holiday weekend was a vexed one. Despite arbitration and conciliation negotiations, the matter remained very much in contention, he said.
Today, when the case again came before him, Mr Justice Kelly recalled that An Post had made certain proposals two weeks ago. Those proposals were to be considered by the IPU executive and there was the possibility of a meeting of the entire union to take place.
Mr Anthony Kerr, for the IPU, said he did not think the meeting of the entire union would take place.
However, An Post had advanced further proposals last Friday which needed to be considered by the union executive at its next meeting on July 12th.
Mr Kerr said the union's solicitors had also been seeking to ascertain the views of the 43 postmasters who had closed their post offices on the Saturday of the Easter weekend.
As things stood, most of the individual defendants had indicated they were happy with whatever course the union took.
In those circumstances, Mr Kerr said, he wished that the matter be adjourned. Mr Justice Kelly said he would adjourn the case for mention on July 19th.