An Post has said the reason a number of areas of Galway city were left without a postal service on Tuesday was because 16 delivery staff called in sick on the day after the bank holiday.
The Communications Workers' Union (CWU) issued delivery failure notices throughout the areas affected, which included part of Shop Street and Bridge Street; Dalysfort Road and Dr Mannix Road in Salthill; Woodfield, Ros Ard and Liosmore in Barna; and Coogan and Camiluan Parks in Newcastle.
"The reason for this and other delivery failures throughout the country is due to an acute shortage of staff as a result of a recruitment ban that has been in place in An Post since 2003. This is yet another example of An Post's attempt to justify their plans for a diminished postal service," the CWU said.
A spokeswoman for An Post said some areas were left without a service because 9 per cent of delivery staff called in sick. She said the CWU campaign was a "grossly unfair" attempt to undermine the company's efforts to change work practices.
