GSG 02-26 Eir & An Post Pension Campaign
04/February/2026
Description
The purpose of this circular is to bring you up to date in relation to the unacceptable delay and failure by Government to approve payment of agreed pension increases for retired staff of eir and An Post.
In the December addition of Connect magazine we outlined the failure of the Minister for Communications, Mr Patrick O Donovan to confirm the payment dates.
In respect of eir pensioners, approval to pay the agreed increase of 2.1% effective from the 1st July 2025 was submitted to the Department on the 8th August 2025, with no response received. The process has already taken longer than the previous increase.
In An Post, following the pension agreement at the end of September 2025, the company sought payment in mid-October 2025.
The agreed increases provided for the following:
- Up to 6% effective from 1st January 2025
- 1% effective from 1st June 2025
There is also one outstanding issue from the pension agreement in 2022 which refers to the retrospection of ill-health retirement payments. While this affects a small number of pensioners, they are some of the more vulnerable pensioners who were forced to retire on the grounds of ill health. The cost of this to the pension fund would, in total, be less than €10,000 per annum. The refusal by the Government to authorise this is discriminatory, disgraceful and must be addressed
The Union has written to the Minister and subsequently the Taoiseach, seeking immediate payment of all increases referenced above. We conducted a postcard campaign by pensioners before Christmas to the Taoiseach which he has ignored.
All the above increases, once agreed between the Union and the Company, have gone through a vigorous process which involved examination by actuaries and the Company Boards. The increases will cost both companies nothing and is also at no cost to the exchequer.
The decision to pay pensioners the increases they deserve after a lifetime of service to the state is a government decision. It is necessary therefore that maximum pressure is brought to bear on Government to ensure that pensioners’ voices are heard clearly and publicly. As part of this escalation, we are asking members across the union to support pensioners by contacting their local constituency TDs and urging them to raise these concerns directly with Government.
Importantly, we will also hold a rally outside Dáil Éireann on Tuesday 10 February at 1pm. This rally will be a key moment in the campaign, demonstrating the unity and solidarity of union members — working and retired — standing together for justice.
We strongly encourage members who can do so, to attend and show visible support for our pensioner colleagues.
Please contact all retired members in your Branch and encourage them to attend the rally, as a strong showing will show the government that this issue needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.