Talks aimed at averting a strike at An Post have been adjourned and are due to resume in the morning.
Management and the Communications Workers' Union have been in dispute over the company's refusal to grant overdue national pay increases without cost-cutting reforms by postal workers.
The National Implementation Body, which has been mediating in the dispute, has set a deadline of next Tuesday for this latest attempt to broker a solution.
Two years ago, workers and management started talking about cutting costs at An Post; they still have not reached agreement.
Workers went on a short strike in recent weeks and could stop work again in the run-up to Christmas.
The industrial relations watchdog, the NIB, stepped in which led to the row being referred to the Labour Court.
Grant Thornton accountants have been looking at the proposed cost cuts and their assessment will be part of today's talks.
