The Communications Workers Union, which covers only some of the affected workers, but has substantial membership in other parts of Telstra, is working to ensure there is no organised opposition to the latest round of job cuts.
Australia Post workers condemn secret union-management negotiations for new enterprise agreement
The Communication Electrical and Plumbers Union (CEPU) advised its members at Australia Post (AP) that it began backroom negotiations with management this week for a new workplace Enterprise Agreement (EA) at the state-owned postal facility.
In an email yesterday, the union complained that management had rejected its proposals for a return to regular start times, which have been substantially altered with the rollout over the past year of an Alternative Delivery Model (ADM). The CEPU touted a recent trial of previous start times, declaring that it had improved “productivity, attendance hours, overtime hours and cost per article.”
The CEPU’s Senate inquiry submission reveals months of backroom talks between the union and Australia Post chiefs on how to suppress workers’ opposition to the ADM or a new version of it.
Australia Post restructure driven by gig-economy overhaul of logistics and delivery
Late last month, Australia Post, the state-owned postal service, announced a 15.5 percent year on year jump in revenue to $4.3 billion for the first half of the 2020-21 financial year. This was mostly on the back of a 25.9 percent increase in parcel revenue to $3.4 billion.
While takings from letter mail again declined, from $1.1 billion to $900 million, cost-cutting under the Alternative Delivery Model (ADM) meant losses in that section fell from $87 million to $74.2 million. Parcel delivery produced a $240.8 million profit, yielding an overall after tax return of $166.6 million for the six-month period.