An Post pensioners have held nationwide protests against a cap on their pensions that was previously imposed in 2013 – calling for restrictions to be lifted in line with the cost of living and “severe financial hardships.”
Retired workers across the country have hit out at what they describe as the imposition of an indefinite cap – arguing that the 2 per cent cap, in place since 2013, is in breach of their pension rights.
An Post pensioners who gathered outside post offices across the country on Friday said that they are fighting against delays in removing the cap from their pension, which prevents it from being increased to match the rising cost of living. They argue that their legal pension rights are not being respected.
Up to 20,000 retired postal workers are said to be affected by delays in the payment of pension increases – including around 7,000 from An Post.
Retired workers from both An Post and Eir previously protested outside Leinster House in February, seeking to have increases to their pensions, agreed in 2025, approved by the Government.
A 7 per cent increase was agreed last year in a deal between unions, An Post, and Government officials – a one-off break with the cap on increases – for An Post workers, with Eir retirees waiting to see a smaller increase of 2.1 per cent. However, the deal has not yet come into effect.
The Post Office Pensioners Union (POPU) – the volunteer led group behind the peaceful protests – says that retirees are struggling with the delay to the seven per cent. Retired workers say they continue to wait on the increase, while the cost of living and bills has climbed dramatically.
Pensioners are calling on Ministerial action, hitting out at a lack of ministerial correspondence. Engagement, they say, is needed between the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, An Post, and unions, in order to complete the necessary approvals and ensure the payment of the backdated increase and the subsequent agreed pay rise.
One of the main organisers of the protests, Paul Moreland, said the purpose of the action was to highlight the “injustice, unfair terms and severe financial hardships” that the delay in pension increases is causing.
“Pensioners are suffering,” he said, hitting out at An Post pension restrictions.
POPU says the Accord, originally introduced as a ten-year agreement designed to restore the An Post Pension Fund to surplus, has now achieved its stated objective. Despite this, the Accord remains in place, with An Post and the unions continuing to permit restrictions on pension increases while also allowing the company to significantly reduce its contributions to the fund.
Mr Moreland, spokesman for POPU, said many pensioners are deeply angered that pensions legally protected under the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983 are effectively being capped while the pension fund is now in surplus and company contributions have been reduced.
“Retired An Post workers, who gave decades of loyal service, are seeing the real value of their pensions eroded year after year. Pensioners cannot understand why restrictions continue when the fund has returned to surplus and An Post has reduced its payments into the scheme,” he said.
“Shame on An Post,” protestors chanted as they gathered at the General Post Office (GPO) in Dublin on Friday. “What do we want? Pension rights. When do we want it? Now,” a crowd chanted on the streets outside the historic building.
Pensioners who worked for the national postal service say that their pension rights must be restored, describing themselves as a “united” movement seeking to end unjust pension accords.
Protests also took place on Friday in Thurles, Castlebar, Westport, Ballina, Sligo, Cork, Mullingar, and Longford.
In Longford, pensioners held signs which called for the abolition of the 2 per cent cap on pensions.
“An Post failed delivery. Your pension deserves better,” one sign read.
In Cork, protestors called on the Government not to leave behind “the less well off” pensioners, as they accused An Post of “propping up the company from the pension fund.”
“Stop the robbery of An Post pensioners,” read one sign held by a former An Post worker in Co. Mayo.
Renewed protests come ahead of an appearance next week by all parties involved before the Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport.