Postal reform and media speculation of 1,900 job cuts

Branch Secretary Jim Metcher addressing media

Today’s reports in the media of 1,900 job cuts in Australia Post summons the beginning of a two speed postal service.

CEPU NSW Secretary Jim Metcher addressed media today explaining that under these changes the community and postal users will have a stark choice between paying significantly more for obtaining the present level of postal services or being forced to wait for periods up to a week to receive mail items.

“With these changes, courier pigeons will provide a speedier and more reliable service than the low ball Australia Post service,” Mr Metcher said.

“Today’s announcement leaves workers anxious and unclear about where, how and when the cuts will be introduced.

“A round of voluntary redundancies of this magnitude does not just impact on the workers affected, but will have a flow on effect to every Australia Post worker, their families and the wider community.

“Australia Post must be clear with their workforce and the Australian public about how they will continue to maintain a quality mail delivery service with a reduced workforce.”

Mr Metcher called on the community of postal users and in particular older Australians and those from regional areas to speak up against the cuts before their postal service is irreparably damaged.

For media comment please contact Jim Metcher 0418 656 262 or Jemma Williams 0409 510 879

Consultation process must continue its focus on workforce commitments

CEPU State Secretaries from around the country are scheduled to meet with Australia Post Executives on 1 July in Sydney – to gather further clarity on the detail of  today’s announcement and its implications for postal workers where Australia Post needs to provide their position on a number of important matters that the Union has sought a commitment from Australia Post on should the reforms proceed in their present form.

We wrote to all of you earlier outlining these commitments but provide them again below for your convenience:

• Support from Australia Post for further consideration to the regulatory letter service change announced by the GovernmentPriority letter service:
  We are of the view that the postage price for the priority letter service should be capped at no more than 25% of the postage price setting of the regular letter service and be subjected to the ACCC process for setting postage price increases – not treated as an unregulated commercial product.Regular letter service:
  We are of the view that the regular service should be subject to the same universal speed of service of up to three days across all regions regardless of location of posting and destination, apart from the small existing remote and rural locations who presently do not receive a daily letter delivery service.
• No reduction of the present number of corporate retail outlets;
• No closure of present regional sorting and/or delivery facilities;
• No forced retrenchments
• Voluntary redundancy offers to include no reduction to present redundancy benefits
• Salary maintenance of nominal salary and shift penalty rates regardless of retraining and a redeployment to a suitable position at a lower placement levels of an excess employee;
• Exemption of APSS AWOTE to employees who are at the minimum retirement age if an employee is subject to retraining and redeployment at a lower level;
• Funds to be made available and strictly invested in to quality reskilling and development programs for existing employees with priority for employees being placed in to suitable and meaningful employment roles under retraining and redeployment process and/or for employees who seek a voluntary transfer in to stable, growth or new employment opportunities within other existing and new business of Australia Post;
• Development of an agreed special employment program for existing employees who are at the minimum retirement age to be provided with an opportunity to participate in a transition to retirement employment arrangement and access to their APSS superannuation benefit subject to superannuation regulatory provisions;
• Maintaining the present APSS fund and defined benefit without change;
• Ending mail delivery contract employment arrangements with mail work offering undertaken by corporate employees with contractor employees being provided with a corporate employment opportunity;
• Work offering to be maximised by secure permanent full time job design with access to additional earnings within workplace resourcing modeling against overall work offering;
• Permanent part-time employees followed by fixed term employees to be given priority for placement in to full-time employment based on service seniority before any external recruitment is considered or occurs;
• Workplace resourcing to be maximised with reasonable additional overtime earnings prior to fixed term or casual engagement at all times;
• Management and supervisory structures to be reviewed and developed with consistency in terms of levels and roles and supported by appropriate administration support roles with quality training and development programs to be available to enable the existing management / supervisory / administration group to have certainty and stability in their roles and to enable other employees who have career aspirations to progress;
• Revisit the Workers Compensation, Rehabilitation and Safety Department structures and resourcing in terms of their overlapping roles with the aim to provide quality support for injured workers with their claims and for receiving their entitlements along with a safe return to work in a safe workplace;
• Address the payroll and management systems contributing to long standing payroll irregularities to enable the workforce to have access to quality payslip information with wage earnings and for the workforce to have certainty in having access to payslips and correct wage earnings provided for on time;
• Employee access to digital communication facilities for supporting employee needs and for being provided with an opportunity of embracing new skills as important ambassadors for Australia Post products and service offerings to the community as an investment towards an expanded employee role making a valued contribution towards the future sustainability of Australia Post.

Keeping up to date – your feedback is important

As this important process continues, we will keep members progressively informed of any outcomes.

I would like to thank each member who have provided their feedback on the commitments sought by your Union so far.

If you haven’t already had your say, we encourage you to write to us by emailing: feedback@cepu.org , faxing us on (02) 9893 7396 or posting your feedback to: PO Box 250 Parramatta NSW 2124.

As always, you can 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.