Sub-post office owners are to begin balloting tomorrow on industrial action that could cause widespread disruption to services.
The action is threatened by the Irish Postmasters' Union (IPU) and arises from a row with An Post over bank holiday working and other issues.
The union is to begin distributing ballot papers to its members this evening. They operate about 1,450 sub-post offices throughout the State. A further 90 post offices are operated directly by An Post.
IPU members will be balloted on a proposal that they refuse to work extra hours at the 550 sub-post offices where mail is sorted.
These offices normally open early in the morning to allow sorting to take place, but will be restricted to normal business hours if the action goes ahead.
Mr John Kane, the union's general secretary, said a further ballot would take place within weeks to escalate the action if the matter had not been resolved. "That would involve a total withdrawal of services, with the exception of social welfare payments," he said. The row erupted on the Easter weekend, when 74 IPU members closed their sub-post offices on Saturday.
An Post said this involved a breach of the postmasters' contract, which requires them to open for five-and-a-half days a week. It sought an undertaking from them that they would not close in such circumstances again.
A spokesman said 45 had declined to provide this assurance and it was now taking High Court proceedings against them and the IPU.
Mr Kane said members had sought only to take Saturdays off on four bank holiday weekends. They had been trying to reach agreement with the company for 18 months.
Talks between the company and the Communications Workers' Union, which represents most of its full-time staff, on a number of other issues are currently taking place at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC). There is believed to be little chance of agreement being reached by the end of this week, the LRC deadline.
