All Australian communities, including those in regional areas, deserve access to a local, reliable post office and service and Australia Post must take steps to ensure those services remain, postal workers say.
Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate said yesterday that the increase in the cost of postage stamps is one way of ensuring Post’s ability to continue providing services in local communities – a move which the union representing postal workers, the CEPU, accepts as necessary.
“If it takes a small bump in the cost of a stamp to ensure every Australian has access to the postal and other vital services they need and deserve, then that’s a small price to pay,” CEPU National President Shane Murphy said.
“Our banks are already deserting our regional and remote communities in droves – Australia Post must remain as an important service provider, and job provider, in local communities.
“It’s not good enough – as many of the big banks have – to simply throw up your hands and say that it’s too hard to service local communities in regional and remote areas.
“Without sustainable funding, we risk seeing post offices shut, and rural and remote communities left in the lurch. Thousands of workers could lose their jobs; communities could be left without vital postal services; small business owners in licensed post offices would be at risk of losing their business. No one across our great nation wants to see this occur.
“While the volume of letters that our posties are delivering is falling the growth in parcels has seen our posties delivering more of this product, with population growth across the country Australia Post have had to add two new post codes recently which means our posties are required to travel further and further to deliver.
“This price increase is reasonable and responsible to help keep Australia Post sustainable for all communities.”
The union notes that the 60 cent price of concession stamps would be protected and available to 5.7 million Australians, including pensioners and veterans, and the 65 cent seasonal greeting card stamps will stay the same.
Media contact: Amelia Brock 0430 187 161
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