By Anne-Marie Walsh

Copyright independent

A Communications Workers Union spokesperson said an agreement has been reached between the Group of Unions and An Post.

He said a “gap” between pensionable pay, which is used to calculate the value of pensions, and non-pensionable pay has been eliminated.

Talks followed a review by actuaries of the An Post Pension scheme up to December 31 last year, which found the fund was in surplus.

Pensioners will get a 7pc increase this year.

A total of 6pc of this will be backdated from January 1 this year, and the other 1pc from June 1.

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There has been a total 22pc increase in pensionable pay in a period of just over three years, according to the union.

CWU general secretary Seán McDonagh said the union had succeeded in fully eliminating a gap between pensionable and non-pensionable pay.

He said this means the full amount of pay rises secured for staff over the last three and a half years will be fully reflected as pensionable pay for An Post workers.

“We have secured an accumulated 22pc increase in pensionable pay, resulting in An Post pensioners seeing an additional 7pc increase to pensions in 2025,” he said.

He said the latest round of negotiations resulted in increases of 8pc between January 1 last year and December 31 this year.

“At the time these increases were agreed, we informed the company and the trustees of the scheme that we would be seeking to close the gap that had emerged between pensionable and non-pensionable pay, and secure increases in pensions paid to An Post pensioners,” he said.

“We agreed to wait until the outcome of the latest actuarial review of the An Post Pension Scheme as the long-term sustainability of the scheme for the benefit of its members is critical. “

An An Post spokesperson declined to comment.