I was told about this site lately and when browsing through it I came across your fantastic series of articles with reports and pictures of the long strike of 1979. I must congratulate the site for the in depth coverage of the events of 1979.

The articles stirred up a lot of memories of that distant era. For members in the Dublin District Offices the strike was over a longer period than the 19 week national strike. We in the Districts had been in dispute with the Department of P/T from early in the beginning of that year of 1979. So the total of our dispute was much nearer 21 weeks. We had only returned to work for about a month before the national strike began. People often inquire how we managed to get through such a long and bitter period in our relationship with our employer the Government of this state.

I have thought long and hard about this and looking back we were not very well prepared for what was to become a long and acrimonious dispute. The Union leadership seemed rudderless and even strike pay was a major issue after a very short period. Some of the people who were on strike had worked in the Department of Post and Telegraphs since they were teenagers and were unaware what they were entitled to from the state agencies for not only themselves but also for their partners and children.

The people who stepped into the breach were our own local Branch Secretaries and Local Reps.The main burden fell on these individuals and they to all intents and purposes took over the running of the strike Information as to people’s entitlements under the Social Welfare Acts was sourced and given to members to aid them in the quest for these entitlements.

Secondary picketing was also arranged and rostered. Union headquarters and our full time paid officers were all at sea and way out of their depth in what was to be one of the longest and major disputes in this state. Our dispute was a just one and the reason action had to be taken was that our pay had fallen well behind others in similar employment over the previous decade .In 1970 we had received a substantial increase in basic pay but over the period between that and the strike it had been gradually eroded.

One of the reasons the strike dragged on so long was that any increase that we received would reverberate through the Civil Service. During the strike I had occasion to collar a Government Minster later to become taoiseach Charlie Haughey who was part of a group having a church gate collection for Fianna Fail. He agreed that we had fallen behind but the reason that the state could not concede our claim was that it would spread through the Civil Service.

In one of the pictures which are on the Irish Postal Worker Site the images of the people who were in my opinion the true leaders are framed. Most have now having a well earned retirement and unfortunately one is deceased. Names that stick out are people like the late Mick Ryan from Do7 his colleague Austin Mcevoy George Crowther from DO 3 Brendan O brien from D 0 11 Jimmy [fiddler ]Kelly and Des Kennedy from D O 5 Ned Burke and Jimmy Kavanagh from D O 13 and of course Tom Mc Donagh from D O 9. There were countless others not only on the north side of Dublin City but also in every town and village in the country who gave leadership and direction to their colleagues when it was needed most. To all those men and women who gave leadership and support when it was most needed on behalf of the strike survivors’ and their families I would like to say a heartfelt thanks.

“What does’nt kill you makes you stronger”