asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will make a statement on the dispute at Tallaght, County Dublin, where postmen are refusing to deliver social welfare items; the reasons for the dispute; and the negotiations that have taken place to resolve it.
Written Answers. - Delivery of Social Welfare Items.
687.
On Friday morning, 3 June 1983 postmen employed at Tallaght refused to deliver unemployment pay orders due for payment on Saturday.
The action, which was unofficial, was in support of a demand for extra overtime for handling the orders. The matter had been under discussion between local management and staff and proposals made by management on the previous afternoon had been taken away for consideration by staff representatives. If the proposals were unacceptable to the staff, which turned out to be the case, it was open to them to make representations through the headquarters of their union in accordance with agreed disputes procedures. Regrettably, instead they took precipitate action which caused inconvenience to social welfare recipients. In the event the matter was resolved on a basis which enabled the bulk of the unemployment pay orders to be delivered on the Friday afternoon and the balance was cleared over the Saturday and the following working day.