The Union is pleased to report to all Delivery members that agreement has been reached with Australia Post for SBD across the nation to be immediately suspended indefinitely. 

Further SBD talks were held with senior Australia Post officials last Wednesday 30 November 2011, involving the National Delivery Committee representatives and all State Secretaries. As a result of these talks, Australia Post responded to the Union at the end of last week by entering into an agreement for SBD to be suspended indefinitely.

We had reported previously to members that three Working Groups were convened to conduct exercises involving Union representatives at all levels covering the following SBD associated matters:

1. Front Letter Carrier (FLC)
2. Safety
3. SBD/Single Bundle Delivery comparison time trials/audits.

Whilst the FLC and safety issues associated with SBD were of significant importance, Australia Post were also unable to rectify the serious level of missort mail items emanating from machine sequenced mail along with the excessive level of additional outdoor time to perform the same work under the SBD method.

MISSORT MAIL ITEMS AND INEFFICIENT COSTLY OUTDOOR WORK PRACTICE – A KILLER FOR MAINTAINING SBD

The SBD/Single bundle delivery comparison time trials and audits were carried out in NSW delivery sites (Alexandria and Leightonfield) involving National, State and local union representatives. The time trials and audits demonstrated SBD was creating a poor quality mail delivery service given the levels of missorted mail items along with being an inefficient costly work practice, due to the increase in time taken to complete outdoor mail delivery duties. The continued rollout of SBD could therefore no longer be justified or sustained.

The Union’s position from the outset had always been that single bundle delivery was safer and more efficient compared to SBD and by sorting machine sequenced and residue mail into the V-Sort frame, would automatically eliminate the level of missort mail items. By adopting the Union position, Australia Post would then be upholding long standing legislative commitments with maintaining an affordable, efficient and quality mail delivery service to the Australian community.

INDICATIVE SORT RATE FOR SORTING SEQUENCED AND RESIDUE MAIL INTO V-SORT FRAME

As a result of the limited time trials conducted as a limited sample across delivery facilities in each State (Nepean and Leightonfield in NSW/ACT) , Australia Post has asserted that a 35 per minute national indicative sort rate was reasonably achievable for sorting  sequenced mail only into the v-sort frame.

This indicative sort rate is however subject to the V-Sort frame being set up appropriately and supported by an ideal work environment, being a clear frame to commence sorting sequenced mail first, followed by the sorting of

residue mail in this order. Otherwise variable sort rates will apply where the work environment or circumstances are not ideal.

Agreement has been reached for extended studies and assessments to now be undertaken from hereon into the New Year involving Union representatives to determine the long term indicative sort rate for performing sequenced mail sorting into the V-Sort frame

So in the interim, the 35 per minute sequenced mail sort rate shall apply for determining staffing levels and for managing productivity levels within reason.

IMPORTANT RECOGNITION TO THE UNION LAWYERS, OH&S CONSULTANTS, UNION REPRESENTATIVES AND MEMBERS INVOLVED IN RESOLVING THIS COMPLEX SBD DISPUTE

The Union acknowledges once again all delivery members who performed SBD under sufferance. But by doing so, have significantly contributed to the important factual information gathered by the union to demonstrate SBD is an inefficient, costly and unsafe work practice.

The Working Groups and information gathering exercises could not have happened if it wasn’t for the hard work put in by the National, State and Local Union Representatives who got involved in the work group exercises with gathering the important information that has sensibly caused this nationwide SBD dispute to be resolved in the future interests of Australia Post, their employees and the community who rely on having access to an affordable, efficient and reliable mail delivery service.

Further, it is also important to recognize both the Seven Hills and Lakemba Delivery groups who were initially involved in the SBD motorcycle trials under the co-coordination of both local union representative Tony McCallum and Branch Organiser Peter Chaloner.  In addition, let us not forget the members who reluctantly had to perform SBD on the 38 walking rounds located at French’s Forest, Alexandria, Leightonfield and St Leonard’s Delivery Facilities for the past 12 months – longer than any other delivery employee across the nation caught up in the SBD dispute.

Finally, our appreciation should also go to the Union lawyers and OH&S consultants for their professional expertise and advice in assisting the Union and its delivery membership with resolving this complex SBD dispute.

A list of frequently asked questions and answers regarding the resolution to the dispute are listed at the bottom of this update.

If members have any concerns or further enquiries in relation to this SBD dispute then that are encouraged to contact their Branch Official accordingly.

FAQs

Q1. Does this indefinite suspension of SBD apply also to SBD walking rounds?

A1. Yes. Irrespective of mode of delivery, SBD is suspended across all delivery sections nationwide – indefinitely.

Q2.  Management say I can’t convert back to single bundle delivery until my motorcycle is fitted with a single bundle letter carrier.

A2. Changes to letter carrier equipment will need to occur to allow for conversion back to single bundle delivery. If management is not managing this situation in a timely fashion then members are urged to report instances to the Union office.

Q3. Can my manager make me perform work under the SBD method?

A3. NO. Unless management (at National Level in consultation with Union) can demonstrate that no missort mail items remain within sequenced mail and the outdoor time does not exceed time taken compared with single bundle delivery outdoor time together with time taken to perform the sequenced mail sorting process.

Q4. Management are harassing me to meet the 35 per minute sort rate for sequenced mail items but my sequenced mail comes to me late and my V-Sort Frame is not set up properly?

A4. The 35 per minute sort rate is an indicative sort rate determined by Australia Post arising from the work site time trials undertaken to date where data from the trial sites demonstrates this sort rate is reasonably achievable where the V-Sort frame is set up properly and sequenced mail is sorted into an empty V-Sort frame first followed by residue mail then being sorted.

The Union and delivery members consistently argued throughout the SBD dispute and where the time trials have vindicated such an argument, whereby indoor merging and single bundle delivery is a safer and a more efficient quality work practice as compared to SBD. 

The 35 per minute sequenced mail sort rate only shall apply for staffing and productivity management under the abovementioned ideal work environment conditions only. Otherwise such sort rates will vary. Further examination and assessments are being conducted involving the union to determine a long term indicative sequence mail sort rate.

Any harassment against delivery members by management for not reaching unachievable MOS targets should be reported to the Union office

Q5. Management is harassing me for not meeting my MOS times but I know I am achieving the sequenced mail sort rate of 35 per minute.

A5. There are State level agreed processes in place for all NSW/ACT delivery members who claim they are not receiving proper MOS times. These agreed processes are available for local union representatives to assist any member to examine all components of indoor work for adjusting improper MOS target time assessments.