It has been a massive week. A Senate disallowance vote, the tabling of the inquiry report and a profit announcement off the back of record revenue growth.
On Monday, we witnessed 27 Senators representing the Liberal Party, Centre Alliance and Jaqui Lambie Network team up to back-in Australia Post’s Alternate Delivery Model – voting against Labor and the Greens’ co-sponsored motion to disallow the regulatory changes.
This result means, unless another motion to disallow the changes is moved and passed by October 6, this model that cuts services to our communities will be here to stay until at least June 2021, when that temporary regulation change is currently set to expire.
Labor Senator for NSW Jenny McAllister gave a fantastic speech in the Senate as part of debate leading in to the vote – video of that speech can be viewed by clicking here.
Given this vote has taken place, the MOU entered in to by the Union becomes all the more crucial to ensure that jobs are not lost through the impacts of these changes.
On Tuesday evening, the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee released its inquiry report in to The Future of Australia Post’s Service Delivery.
The Federal Government, who controls the report through its Chair position, rejected 29 of Labor’s 32 proposed amendments – including a simple, non-controversial statement acknowledging the fact that posties already deliver parcels – and have done so for years.
A copy of the Liberal controlled report can be viewed by clicking here.
The fireworks really start flying in the dissenting report written by Labor Senators who participated in the Inquiry – which can be viewed by clicking here.
The dissenting report by Greens Senators can be viewed by clicking here.
Members can download a copy of the Union’s submission to the Inquiry by clicking here.
Our submission’s accompanying report, The Future of Australia Post, can be viewed by clicking here.
If you haven’t already, you can watch a recording of the public hearing proceedings by clicking here. Australia Post’s appearance is first. Skip ahead 2 hours and 25 minutes in for the Union’s appearance.
Then on Thursday, the day everybody has been waiting for had arrived – Australia Post’s annual results announcement.
Headlining the $53.6 million profit announcement was a record jump in revenue, off the back of an accelerated e-commerce boom caused by COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions.
We welcome this announcement – we will always welcome a successful outcome for Australia Post. A profitable Australia Post, is a sustainable Australia Post. And a sustainable Australia Post should continue to provide a market-leading service to our communities, and access to quality, meaningful jobs for Australians at the farthest reaches of our nation.
However, this result comes off the back of the most severe cuts to the community’s service offerings in 200 years which Australia Post and the government justified by claiming a significant hit on revenue.
The reality is, revenue from parcels jumped by $729 million, and revenue loss in letters dropped by just 10% – up by just one per cent from last year.
Post’s continued changes to manage the impacts of COVID has resulted in a significant loss in take-home pay and leave components for members across van operations, processing, delivery and admin and an impact to members’ abilities to meet their personal family obligations outside of work.
The bottom line is, the Australia Post workforce has diligently served the community, and the company, through a once in 100 year pandemic – despite putting themselves and their families in harm’s way by doing so.
Members have put up with a lot through this trying period and off the back of such a significant revenue and profit outcome, members deserve to share in that profit.
That’s why we wrote to CEO Christine Holgate this week, calling for further financial recognition of your efforts in this financial year.
A copy of that letter can be viewed by clicking here.
We will, as always, keep members posted on developments.
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