Tag: New Zealand

New Zealand Post plans to lay off about 80 head-office workers in Wellington and Auckland as it strives to cut costs in its struggling postal business. Spokeswoman Suzanne Carter said the state-owned enterprise faced continuing pressure in the domestic letters business, competition from electronic mail and the economic slowdown. “We are operating in a different environment than we used to. The economic slowdown is beginning to bite.” The 650 affected staff, mainly in Wellington and the rest in Auckland, were told of the proposed changes last Thursday and Friday. Details will be made public on May 3, when a final decision is due. While about 80 staff would lose their jobs, other jobs would be changed and there would be new positions, Ms Carter said. The changes would result in head-office support staff for mail processing and delivery being consolidated.

New Zealand Post‘s electronic payment service eBill will be withdrawn from 24 July 2006. The last date users will be able to receive new electronic bills via eBill will be 12 June 2006 and the last date to make any payments via eBill is 10 July 2006. The relevant organisation(s) that send electronic bills and receive payments via eBill will be in contact with users directly to advise what other payment options they offer.

Mail deliveries in New Zealand could be cut to a Monday to Friday service if postal workers are successful in their bid to have their six-day working week reduced. The Postal Workers Federation is seeking a five-day delivery week, with no pay cuts, as part of its 2006 collective agreement negotiations. Union organiser John Gardner said negotiations were a couple of months away and the topic had not been raised yet. Mr Gardner said the idea of a five-day week was regularly raised in discussions; he had heard it suggested 20 years ago. New Zealand Post has said there is “no prospect” of such a change.