Kerry postmasters reject contract proposals

IRISH Postmasters’ Union (IPU) members in Kerry have voted to reject An Post’s latest proposals for new contracts after the IPU said this threatened existing contracts and the long-term viability of its members’ livelihoods.

The vote was cast during Sunday’s National Meeting of the IPU in Athlone where proposals were rejected amid fears 422 Post Offices – the bulk of which are in rural areas – are earmarked for closure by An Post. Instead, the IPU called on Minister for Communications, Denis Naughten to support an investment programme in the network that recognises the social, commercial and financial value Post Offices add to the communities they serve.

Seamus Ó Luing is Postmaster of Ventry Post Office and is the IPU’s representative for the South West Region. “These are totally new contracts that would put us at the whim of the company. Basically, the rejection of the new contracts was done because it threatened members’ existing contracts. The government simply must recognise the social and financial value of Post Offices,” he said.

The latest stand-off had been brewing ever since An Post sought the cooperation from Postmasters to take part in training to implement its new ‘An Post Current Account Service’. However, the IPU said members withheld participation as part of its overall campaign strategy, but have since rolled back on this decision after An Post threatened legal action.

“It’s worse than it ever was at the moment as up to 422 Post Offices are set to close and if these new contracts are carried through, you can be guaranteed a large number of these closures will include Kerry Post Offices,” Mr Ó Luig added.

Redundancy packages for 262 post offices as part of An Post’s ‘exist deal’ for self-employed postmasters - estimated to cost around €11.5m – have also been rejected according to the IPU. This scheme is primarily targeted at older Postmasters who may already be considering retirement.

The IPU have also called for the introduction of a mechanism of payment to Postmasters for core social services. IPU General Secretary, Ned O’Hara, said the Post Office Network is under huge pressure as Postmasters’ incomes are falling dramatically. “The IPU’s aim is to keep as many Offices as possible open, to introduce new services, and to develop the Network’s social function within communities,” Mr O’Hara said.