Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Possible strike action by people contracted to work in An Post main delivery centres could bring a halt to all postal services on Thursday next as 34 maintenance delivery centre workers go on strike. I. O. Systems is contracted by An Post to maintain the postal machinery crucial to the operation of its main delivery centres in Cork, Dublin, Athlone and Portlaoise.

The long-running dispute flared up once more last week after it was reported that An Post's sub-contracted maintenance suppliers docked some of their employees' wages by as much as €2,000 or 60% for refusing to work new rosters. This is not acceptable industrial relations practice and any employer introducing reforms should exhaust all efforts to ensure that workers are consulted and that they agree, where possible, to the introduction of changes. Shockingly for workers, the company tried to change the work rosters from 12-hour to eight-hour shifts without their agreement. Such a change would result in more than a 20% cut for workers and also means some employees would have to work permanent night shifts, according to Communications Workers' Union, which represents the maintenance workers.

The company was served with strike notice by maintenance workers last week after it cut workers' wages because of their refusal to work the new roster. I ask the Minister to make a statement on the matter of great seriousness for An Post and our postal services later in the week.

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