An Post has been slammed for its decision to shut a letter sorting centre in Little Island in Co Cork with the loss of 216 jobs.
The company said the decision was taken to move in line with “global industry trends” with the Cork plant operating at below 25% capacity as letter volumes decline at about 7% per year due to customers moving to emails and parcels.
But Solidarity and Socialist Party TD for Cork, Mick Barry, rubbished those claims, saying it didn’t make sense to close the centre with An Post parcel volumes up by 60% in two years.
“An Post made a very poor decision by getting out of the parcel delivery business back in the noughties when it shut down SDS [its former parcel delivery service]. That kind of shortsighted approach should not be replicated here.
“There is an opportunity here to diversify and to grow this business and to seize the opportunities that are coming our way.
“It would be better to shelve this plan and open negotiations between the company and workers’ representatives to explore the possibility of diversifying, growing the business and preventing job losses,” Mr Barry added.
Fianna Fail leader, Michael Martin, who is also a Cork South Central TD, described the move as a “retrograde and strategic mistake”.
“This closure is announced against the background of Cork being expected to double its population over the next few decades and it is a key strategic growth centre in the National Planning Framework,” Mt Martin said.
The Communications Workers’ Union says it’s extremely disappointed with the decision, saying it’s devastating news for staff.
The closure will be phased between September and March next year with staff set to be offered re-deployment within Cork’s other networks or an exit package.
The company said the €11 million in annual savings from the plant closure will enable it to invest more in its parcels infrastructure nationally, locally, and in the automation of parcel sorting.
