A Labour Court recommendation aimed at resolving a long-running dispute at An Post will be considered by the company board today.
The Communications Workers' Union (CWU) has already said it would "strongly recommend" to members that they accept the court's proposals. It has also called off industrial action which had been set to disrupt postal services in the run-up to Christmas.
The company has not given any indication as to its response to the recommendation, beyond saying that the cost implications in particular were being analysed.
An Post is seeking major changes to the operation of its collection and delivery service with a view to reducing overtime costs.
The union rejected a Labour Court recommendation in July which set out the detailed operational changes to be implemented by postal workers. It also rejected the court's decision to link the operational changes to pay increases due to the CWU's 8,500 members under Sustaining Progress.
The court said on that occasion that the increases should only be paid once the union had signed up to collection and delivery changes.
Its latest recommendation, issued on Monday, changed the picture in two ways.
Firstly, the court made a number of changes to its original recommendation on work-practice change.
For example, it addressed a CWU concern about the imposition of new productivity standards which the union said could not be met during peak periods such as the run-up to Christmas. In its new recommendation the court said the proposed new productivity standard should not apply this Christmas, and the parties should hold talks on the issue in the new year.
Secondly, and more crucially for the union, the court recommended the payment of overdue increases under Sustaining Progress without conditions.
CWU general secretary Steve Fitzpatrick said the union was now calling on the company to accept the recommendation.
He also called on management to "work together with the staff and their representatives to bring about a successful transformation in An Post in order to provide customers with the high level of service they deserve".
The union is to ballot its members on the recommendation.
