Postal drivers set to leave trade union over internal restructuring

Postal drivers are planning to leave their trade union in a dispute over internal restructuring in the organisation.

The Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) said it had been informed by its Dublin postal drivers’ branch that it is to pull out of the organisation.

The move follows a decision by the CWU national executive to transfer members in its postal drivers’ branch to another part of the union, the Dublin postal delivery branch/Dublin postal amalgamated branch.

Some sources suggested that members of the postal drivers’ branch would seek to join another organisation, the Independent Workers’ Union.

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Union sources said the postal drivers’ branch had 147 members.

CWU general secretary Steve Fitzpatrick told members of the postal drivers' branch in a newsletter on Wednesday that it was the sole recognised negotiating body for the vast majority of workers in An Post.

“The company cannot, and will not, entertain representations from any other trade union in our areas of influence,” he said.

Mr Fitzpatrick said that CWU’s national executive re-structured branches to ensure it could seek the best results for all members.

He said there had been many changes to branch structures in the union over the years.

“There is no longer any sense in having two separate branches made up of members of the same grade, working in the same office and dealing with the same management.”

Mr Fitzpatrick said it was disappointing that the branch did not give any of the union’s officials an opportunity to explain the reasoning behind the reforms of structures prior to its decision last weekend to leave the organisation.

He said a range of welfare, social, financial and legal benefits that came with CWU membership would not be available to anyone who opted to leave the organisation.

“When you joined the CWU (or any of its predecessors), you accepted its rules, one of which clearly states that the allocation of members to branches, and indeed the formation or abolition of branches is a matter for the union’s national executive committee.”