Disruption to the delivery of rural post looks set to worsen after a day of talks between representatives of the Irish Postmaster's Union (IPU) and An Post failed to resolve a dispute over pay and conditions.
At the end of the meeting An Post management offered to undertake an immediate review of postmasters' pay and conditions.
However, the IPU's executive council rejected this offer even in an interim basis and said a ballot of its members tomorrow on withdrawing mail services from early December will proceed.
If a decision to take action is endorsed the industrial action would escalate, halting work at 1,700 of the country's post offices from December 2nd. It is also feared industrial action could spread to urban centres.
Talks aimed at resolving the postmasters dispute which is causing disruption to rural mail deliveries have ended without resolution this evening.
The dispute is affecting some 520 post offices around the country and is over a range of pay issues including the failure to secure a 1 per cent increase under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.
Workers from about 225 post offices began sorting mail from their homes two weeks ago after the IPU said members would close rural sorting offices every Monday and Friday in pursuance of their claim.