Dispute delays post in Mayo and Waterford

Mail deliveries in parts of East Mayo and Waterford were disrupted this morning because of the postmasters' dispute with An Post over pay.

Eleven staff at sub-post offices in Swinford, Kiltimagh and Charlestown are continuing to refuse to travel to the central sorting office at Claremorris to collect and sort the mail for their area.

A spokesman for An Post, Mr John Foley, said the 11 staff were holding talks with company officials in Swinford today in an effort to ensure deliveries will resume by tomorrow.

Elsewhere, seven postmasters from Tramore refused to travel to Waterford this morning to pick up post, resulting in major disruption to deliveries in the area.

Postmasters in Co Galway also staged a three-hour protest outside the main sorting office in Ballinasloe this morning. However, Mr Foley said deliveries were not delayed significantly. Postmasters staged similar actions in Ballina and in Mallow earlier this week.

The workers are all members of the Irish Postmasters' Union (IPU), which represents hundreds of staff contracted to run sub-post offices around the country.

Earlier this month, the IPU began closing 540 sorting offices around the country on Mondays and Fridays in an escalation of its pay dispute with An Post, which began in August.

The IPU is looking for a €40 per hour increase for sorting duties and for post offices opening before 8 a.m. Up to now, postmasters have been paid €2 an hour for supervising and assisting with mail-sorting. They are refusing to accept deliveries until 8 a.m. - two hours later then usual.

Mr Foley said the company was hoping to resolve the dispute when it sits down with the IPU for talks next week.