05/November/2026
Description
I wish to advise you of agreement with An Post in respect of the arrangements to apply for PEAK/Xmas 2026, the details of which are outlined in the attachment to this circular.
The agreement follows extensive engagement in joint working between CWU and An Post representatives. While the primary focus is to ensure the required resources are in place to process and deliver up to approximately 3.6 million items per week this year, it is critical the difficulties experienced last year by delivery staff and customers are not repeated.
As a first step, in response to the underlying resourcing shortfall, the union concluded agreement with the company in March which comprised three main recruitment pillars:
- Baseline staffing
- Additional night and processing duties
- Second-wave afternoon parcel deliveries
The Postal Executive’s strategic approach has proved successful. Filling baseline posts and introducing additional night duties have provided overstretched delivery staff with welcome respite.
Recruitment of afternoon delivery staff to supplement existing arrangements and ease pressure on overloaded deliveries is also having a positive effect. Although recruitment has taken longer than anticipated, it is nearing completion. This recruitment stream will provide 308 additional staff on 20-hour contracts compared with last year and will be fully implemented from week 46 as part of the Peak arrangements.
The company has also agreed to deploy 349 temporary staff to DSUs from week 48 and retain them until the end of the third week in January, subject to a joint review of volumes.
Overall, the recruitment measures (baseline staffing, night duties, afternoon deliveries and temporary staff) will provide an additional 461 full-time equivalents (FTEs) compared with last year. Combined with infrastructure improvements in processing and DSUs, and an increased allocation of overtime hours, these measures place us on a much firmer footing heading into Peak 2026.
The measures outlined above, together with an 11 hour increase nationwide to last year’s package is considered the best possible arrangements.
Importantly, these arrangements extend into January, with provision for post-Peak overtime, the retention of temporary staff subject to volumes, and further Saturday attendances where required following JWG review. This provides a basis for responding to demand beyond Christmas and avoiding a repeat of the pressures experienced last January.
On the processing side, the company has invested significantly in its sites at Cheeverstown and Grange Castle. This will provide capacity for approximately 600,000 additional items per week, ensuring that the projected volume of approximately 3.6 million items in the busiest week can be processed.
At this point volume projections are somewhat uncertain given the worldwide economic turmoil and the impact of the two EU tariffs. Nonetheless, the Union is satisfied that the company has made all reasonable efforts to ensure the necessary resourcing is in place to cater for circa 3.6m items per week. However, we have agreed to jointly review volumes and resourcing throughout the entire period.
Finally, I wish to reassure Branches that all of the claims and sentiments of motions passed at Biennial Conference were to the fore in our discussions with the company. Although, they were most receptive to alternative operational arrangements, they would invariably be based on the business needs and would not unnecessarily increase costs. Essentially a late finish approach for quantified extra mail volumes on deliveries, based on the application of standards, as originally envisaged in the C&D Agreement. Such an approach was not favoured by the Union, and it was therefore decided to maintain the ‘status quo’ in addition to the exact same enhancements nationwide.
As I have outlined above the Union regards the agreement to be the best achievable, providing certainty and assistance for members that will ensure the quality of service that members take such pride in, is delivered to customers at the most important time of the year.
All members are requested to co-operate fully with the agreed arrangements, and local engagement should commence immediately to finalise arrangements to incorporate the parameters agreed above.
Please revert to the CWU Regional Officers if assistance is required.