Australia Post defends current pay offer
Australia Post says its 12 per cent pay offer to postal workers is generous, rejecting unions claims that it fails to keep up with CPI.
Australia Post said it was offering a 12 per cent pay increase over two and a half years, plus a one-off USD 500 performance bonus to workers under a new enterprise bargaining agreement.
Australia Post spokesman Rod McDonald said the agreement also locked in all existing award entitlements and conditions.
“In fact, since we first began enterprise bargaining agreements way back in 1992, the pay offer and bonus has always outstripped CPI.
“Our current pay offer will continue to provide increases well in excess of CPI.”
The Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) has rejected Australia Post’s offer and lodged an official application with the Australian Industrial Commission (AIRC) in Sydney for a secret ballot of members on an industrial campaign in support of more pay.
CEPU federal secretary Ed Husic said the AIRC would on Thursday hold a hearing to process the application for a secret ballot.
Mr Husic said the ballot, if approved, would be conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission with union members voting via a postal ballot.
Mr McDonald said Australia Post didn’t understand “the unions’ intransigence”.
“We have had more than 40 meetings with them since negotiations began almost 12 months ago,” he said.
“During that time, we have compromised on a range of issues to try and get an agreement.
Australia Post said that it would encourage staff to vote against strike action if such a ballot took place.
