I want all members to understand, clearly – Australia Post have a legislative obligation to make a profit and return a dividend to the Government. In reality, significant losses are engulfing the letters business which employs the vast majority of Australia Post’s workforce – our delivery members. That is a serious problem.
Whether it be through the introduction of new technology and trialing new equipment, altering transport routes or even reviewing employment arrangements – Australia Post have a legitimate prerogative to modernise their operating environment as they look for solutions to offset their losses, whether we like it or not, and whether we agree with it or not.
When management approach your Union to discuss matters that involve significant change to your work (as your EBA9 obligates them to), as your representatives, we have two choices in how we react, within the confines of the law. The first is to beat our chests and yell loudly – with the eventual outcome of watching on from the sidelines as management implement their changes anyway, and without the involvement of your Officials and your local AURs.
Or we can take the responsibility we have to our members and their families seriously, and work our guts out to not only mitigate against any negative impacts to your employment, including job losses, but to also identify positive outcome opportunities – and then to maximise them. This is something this Branch of your Union has an incredibly long and proud history of excelling at. It is a direct result of your NSW/ACT Branch consistently approaching change in this manner that we have managed to prevent mass sackings, like those that have occurred at so many other iconic Australian companies in recent times, from occurring at Australia Post.
And under my leadership, that attitude has remained. That’s why, together with National Divisional Secretary Greg Rayner and my Branch Assistant Secretary Peter Chaloner, we have spearheaded your Union’s efforts in confining Post’s proposed changes to a trial, rather than a blanket implementation, but also in securing each and every opportunity for potential positive outcomes for our members.
We have taken the bull by the horns to ensure that members and their reps in workplaces participating in the One Network Trial, through their local working group committees, have real input that shapes the progression of the trial as it continues to evolve – with real control over the modelling of their local work offering.
At the higher levels, it has at times been a grueling exercise to get management to see eye to eye with us on a number of outcomes we have fought for, and won. And we have many to be proud of, such as returning contract work to corporate posties, increasing the overall number of full-time jobs and pretty much rendering dedicated delivery rounds extinct.
But my proudest achievement throughout the process has been the opportunity to finally deliver equal pay for our posties.
Our goal from the outset has been to ensure the trial is ultimately a successful one that delivers on key outcomes management have set out to achieve. Because we know, by achieving this, we can Change The Rules and end pay disparity, once and for all, amongst our delivery membership.
I’d like to thank each and every one of our reps and members who have participated in the trial so far. I know there have been some aspects of the trial you haven’t liked, but I know I can count on you to continue to embrace reasonable change and engage with your AURs and local committee members to ensure we land on a model that we can live with, and delivers what so many of our members and their families have been waiting a very long time for.
As Stage One of the trial comes to an end, discussions are underway between your Union and management to implement Stage Two and we are pushing hard for the trial to expand to more workplaces across the country – delivering pay equity to more of our members.
I will keep you up to date as these talks, and the trial, progresses. In the meantime, should you require any further information or advice, please contact Branch Assistant Secretary Peter Chaloner or Branch Officials Gil Enzon, Elly Huttly, Phil Kessey, TK Ly, Peter O’Connell, James Perkins or Dennis Williams on (02) 9893 7822.
Yours faithfully,
SHANE MURPHY
BRANCH SECRETARY
Comments are closed.
