An Post is to continue sorting rural postal deliveries in postal workers' homes throughout next week, in a worsening of the company's dispute with rural postmasters.
Some 530 rural post offices have been affected by the 10-week dispute, which has resulted in delays of up to 1½ hours in postal deliveries in some areas.
Yesterday rural postmasters escalated their action, which is in support of a pay claim, by refusing to allow mail to be sorted on their premises. The postmasters said they intended to take this action each Monday and Friday for the foreseeable future.
In response, An Post agreed with postal delivery workers who are members of the Communication Workers' Union for the mail to be taken from central offices to the homes of postal workers for sorting.
Last night An Post declared the temporary arrangement to be a success and said it would leave the arrangement in place for at least the coming week.
However, the postmasters' union claimed that delivery staff were still out at 6 p.m. and the dispute was costing An Post €1million a week in overtime payments.