In October last year, we advised that the Federal Government had requested an operational review of Government Business Enterprises, including Australia Post.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland directed for the review at Australia Post to primarily examine the ongoing sustainability of Australia Post’s delivery model, in the face of letter volume reduction and, importantly, for this review to occur completely internally, in full consultation with the Union, free from interference from external consultants and the Federal Department of Communications.
When we wrote to you last, that review process had just commenced, with joint working parties established involving your CWU Officials and rank and file members, and your Union had rejected a number of earlier proposed delivery models which resembled the debacle which was the ADM.
Today however, we are pleased to report to you that the Union and Australia Post have agreed to trial a potential model that is aligned with the clear set of principles we have been guided by during this entire process: one postie, completing one round, delivering five days per week.
The trial will run from April to June at Hornsby Delivery Centre in NSW. Commercial UMS will be limited and walking rounds will be excluded from participation.
The proposed model will split the type of product over a single run and will be delivered, as follows:
- The first half of the round will be heavier and include regular letters, priority letters, express post, parcels and UMS. This will see posties delivering to more points, stopping frequently to deliver the larger volume.
- The second half of the round will be lighter as it excludes regular letters and UMS. This means posties will stop to deliver to less points, being only those with priority letters, express post and parcels, for the remainder of the round.
- These halves will swap over on the next day to ensure all product delivery meets service standards.
There will be an increase in delivery points allocated to each single run to ensure enough small letter volume is carried on either day to meet Australia Post’s current Customer Service Obligations. The number of additional points on each run will be depend on mode of delivery, terrain, density and volumes and will be overall subject to trial outcomes.
However, no round under this proposed model will exceed rostered hours – any overtime associated with this model will be offered on a voluntary basis only.
Critically, this trial will be guided by a local working group involving participating local posties and monitored closely by a CWU Official from each State Branch of the Union, to ensure health and safety is not impacted and to examine:
- Whether efficiency can be achieved through a balance of improved density through a heavier volume half and speed through a lighter volume half;
- Delivery points and run sizes; and
- Any changes required to supporting infrastructure.
This trial is limited to one trial site only and members should report any attempt to introduce anything that resembles this model outside of the trial site to us, immediately.
The trial will only be expanded if proven to be successful at the current trial site. Should that occur, consultation will occur with the Union and members locally to select an agreed trial site in each state.
As part of this trial, the Union has secured important job security commitments – ensuring that no job losses will occur.
This job security commitment extends not only to the trial, but beyond. Should the model prove to be successful and eventually introduced and any ordinary round is impacted by potential efficiency gains, members will be voluntarily redeployed to a permanent role based on parcel delivery duties.
Importantly, if the trial is not successful, this potential model will be set aside and discarded to allow for further genuine consultation to occur in an attempt to agree on an alternative.
These are the facts and members should immediately report any management misrepresentation of these facts, in your workplace.
We will keep members updated with the outcome of this trial. In the meantime, should you require any further information, please contact Assistant Secretaries Cameron Bird, Peter Chaloner or Nick Townsend, or Branch Officials Cade Anderson, Lisa Bahls, Nick Bentley, Chris Gleeson, Phil Kessey, TK Ly, Robbie McLauchlan, Liam Murphy, Peter O’Connell, Brett O’Neill, Giselle Saba, Dharmpal Singh, Kerry Turner or Dennis Williams on (02) 9893 7822 when calling from NSW or the ACT, (07) 3255 0440 from QLD or (08) 8443 7389 from SA or the NT.
Yours faithfully,
SHANE MURPHY
CENTRAL BRANCH SECRETARY
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