Tag: Australia Post

Australia Post has rejected TWU calls for a separate enterprise agreement covering its growing transport and logistics arms, saying one agreement is enough. TWU Qld sec Hughie Williams told Workforce there were “several hundred” workers in Brisbane doing “exactly transport work” carting general freight for Post and for Post–Qantas joint ventures Star Track Express and Australian Air Express. “They are even calling themselves a transport logistics company,” he said. Some 210 of Brisbane’s 270 drivers have joined the TWU, but “Australia Post doesn’t want anything to do with the TWU”, Williams said. Post spokesperson Elizabeth Rich said the TWU is neither a respondent nor a party to any of its awards or agreements and Post will not negotiate a separate agreement covering transport workers. “Australia Post currently has in-principle support from relevant unions for its sixth enterprise agreement.

Labor today promised that Australia Post would remain in full public ownership, while guaranteeing the price of a 50 cent stamp would not rise in its first term of office. Opposition communications spokesman Lindsay Tanner said Labor would retain Australia Post’s Community Service Obligations in full to ensure that all customers continued to receive a standard letter service at the same price. “A Labor government will retain Australia Post in full public ownership so it can continue to deliver decent postal services to all Australians,” he said.

A planned strike by Australia Post staff tomorrow has been delayed in hope an 11th-hour agreement can be reached. A negotiator from the ACTU will hold meetings with Australia Post Wednesday(18th) and Thursday(19th). Communications, Electrical and Plumbers Union Cairns spokesman Mark Wilson said the members were hopeful the ACTU negotiator could help get a sound outcome without a walkout. “That would be great. We would prefer that to striking,” Mr Wilson said. The planned industrial action was to be the second strike since May in a bid for more pay and better working conditions.

Mail services in Queensland will be disrupted this week if planned industrial action by Australia Post staff goes ahead.

The stoppages would hit Queensland and NSW sites for between four and 24 hours on Wednesday.

Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union state secretary Cameron Thiele said the 92 per cent of Australia Post staff who were also union members could also stop work on Thursday if desired revisions to a new enterprise bargaining agreement were not met.

“Our members don’t accept the terms of the pay rise and they also want the agreement shortened to 24 months,” he said.