Earlier this month NSW State Secretary Jim Metcher held separate talks with Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. Labor’s Shadow Communications Minister Jason Clare accompanied Mr Metcher during these talks to ensure the Australia Post workforce had a voice in any contemplated reforms, subsequently announced by the Government.
An agreed outcome of the meeting held between Mr Metcher and Minister Turnbull, was for a consultative framework with all key stakeholders to be undertaken to allow open and frank talks to occur initially between Australia Post and the relevant Unions. These talks commenced on Wednesday involving senior Union leadership, CEO Ahmed Fahour and members of his senior executive group.
Following Union representations during Wednesday’s talks, Mr Fahour provided the following three commitments:
- Australia Post will not involuntarily retrench any employee who may be directly affected by reform as it is implemented in the near future
- Posties will continue to deliver mail five days per week
- The current network of more than 4000 post office outlets will be maintained
CEPU State Secretaries welcome initial commitments, but safeguards need to go further
Although we welcome the initial commitments above that will undoubtedly bring a little ease to our members’ minds, we have a lot further to go in terms of securing the necessary safeguards for the workforce if the framework of consultation is considered to be genuine, fair and ultimately successful as a result of Postal reforms being introduced in their current form.
NSW State Secretary Jim Metcher together with the other State Secretaries (apart from Victoria who was noticeably absent) are pressing for, amongst other things, the following additional safeguards as being essential to be secured for the needs of the workforce by the CEO prior to any Postal reform implementation;
- No reduction in the current level of Corporate Retail Post Office Outlets;
- Preservation of penalty rates and ARL arrangements for all affected workers;
- APSS defined benefit superannuation scheme to be maintained for all present members thereof;
- Total work offering to be maximised with a fulltime permanent workforce with no permanent job cuts to occur at the expense of mail delivery contractor, fixed term and casual employment categories being maintained;
- Post Office employee transfer registers to be reintroduced;
- Workers compensation claims process and support for injured workers to be addressed;
- An end to pay roll irregularity and;
- It would be nice if employees could receive a pay slip they can actually understand, and on time.
Sustainability concerns with uncertainty remain
Despite the undertakings of no forced redundancies, your Union still holds grave concerns as to how volume mail users will react to the introduction of Post’s pricing proposal in its current form.
Your Union is concerned that asking volume mail users to pay more than the current standard postage rate for a slower letter service speed may encourage them to prematurely migrate to digital communication alternatives, causing letter volume decline to accelerate at a faster speed than current trends and forecasts predict. This important issue needs to be considered in the context of ramifications to the future sustainability of Australia Post and the consequences that could be felt by the workforce as a result of the present reform proposal being introduced.
As we continue to engage with Post through this consultative framework process we will continue to meet with the Government and Labor Opposition along with cross bench Senators where we will be outlining our concerns with the two speed pricing structure currently proposed.
Metcher attacks $25million hand-out to private LPO operators
During Wednesday’s talks, Mr Metcher with support of the other State Secretaries (again, apart from Victoria), led an attack on the $25million hand-out to private LPO operators announced by the Government as part of the reform package.
This hand-out was not only pushed for, but welcomed, by a political lobbying “alliance group” made up of CWUnion National Official Martin O’Nea, a handful of LPO operators and a printing industry representative.
State Secretary Jim Metcher said, “a $25million hand-out to LPO operators funded by making key volume mail users pay more than the current standard postage rate for a slower letter service will be a detriment to Australia Post’s reputation with its customers and employees.”
He continued, “we are not opposed to more business support being provided to the post office network to remain viable and for reasonable access by the community, however a $20,000 per annum hand-out from Australia Post to each individual LPO operator as part of the Postal reform package is nothing more than a contribution to a private small business bottom line.
“We fear this cash handout will come at the expense of 800 Corporate Retail Outlets remaining open and many jobs being cut as a consequence in addition to a more expensive, slower letter service offering.”
Martin O’Nea departing the meeting room during this exchange did not go unnoticed by meeting participants. Also not surprising was the silence by Mr O’Nea prior to his departure along with his colleague CWUnion Divisional Secretary Dan Dwyer who had nothing to say on the proposed reforms or nothing to say in the interests of the Australia Post workforce.
Consultative framework to continue between Australia Post and Unions
Further talks between Australia Post and the Unions are being programmed. The next round of talks shall encompass operational and workplace changes being contemplated by Post as a consequence of reform, including details of job impacts if the reforms are introduced by the Government in its current form.
Members will be kept informed of the outcome of these ongoing talks as they occur.
We want to hear from you
Members are encouraged to share their views with their Union on this most important matter. You can send us your feedback by sending an email to: feedback@cepu.org
Alternatively, contact Branch Assistant Secretary Shane Murphy or Branch Officials Peter Chaloner, Gil Enzon, TK Ly, Nathan Metcher, Peter O’Connell, Greg Rayner or Aaron Stockdale on (02) 9893 7822.
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