LABOR AND UNIONS SECURE VICTORY FOR AUSTRALIA POST WORKERS, WHILE SERVICE REDUCTIONS REMAIN

TONY BURKE MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
MANAGER OF OPPOSITION BUSINESS
MEMBER FOR WATSON
 
MICHELLE ROWLAND MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS
MEMBER FOR GREENWAY
 

Labor welcomes today’s surrender by the Morrison Government on the jobs and wages of Australia Post workers, only a day before a Senate Inquiry was due to commence.

This follows the united opposition of workers, unions, and Labor, which has forced Australia Post to make significant concessions, despite previously rejecting several of the same proposals.
 
While Labor welcomes today’s victory, the fact remains mail delivery frequency to seven million Australian households is still being cut at a time when revenues are increasing.
 
Labor will use tomorrow’s Senate Inquiry to scrutinise the impact of these changes on letter and parcel services.
 
Under the Memorandum of Understanding announced today between Australia Post and the CEPU, Australia Post will:

  1. Commit to not cutting the jobs of one in four posties whose positions were removed in the planned alternate day delivery model;

  2. Commit to not cutting the jobs of employees in processing and transport indirectly impacted by the halving of last-mile delivery frequency; 

  3. Commit to not cutting the take home pay of postal workers and shift loading that was under threat from the planned restructuring; and 

  4. Extend shift loading to workers who have been denied it because they joined Australia Post after 2005.

This is a significant win for workers, which has been the core objective of Labor’s opposition to the Morrison Government’s regulatory changes.
 
Minister Fletcher thought he could use COVID-19 as a backdoor excuse to cut jobs and reduce take home pay at Australia Post, and this agreement confirms the Liberals were up to no good.
 
Australians are fed up with the Morrison Government’s tricky behaviour, and their contempt for Australian jobs.
 
The Labor Party will always stand with working people, and we will act responsibility and forcefully to protect jobs and wages when they come under unfair attack.
 
The workers of Australia Post are essential to our communities and to them we say thank you.
  
Today’s eleventh hour capitulation is an embarrassment for the untrustworthy duo of Scott Morrison and Minister Fletcher, who continue to attack jobs left right and centre despite the fact Australia is in economic recession.
 
TUESDAY, 8 JULY 2020

Tony Burke