Your EBA9 member survey has closed following a record return rate. Your Union would like to thank all members who participated in this important process – assisting us in advancing the issues members feel most strongly about in upcoming talks.
The survey results started to develop an interesting, trend very early on. And with 86% of respondents sharing some concern with the possibility of privatisation with an equal 86% also sharing some fear for their job security due to letter decline, members are worried.
Some of the strong feedback received in the comments section was sobering. Members conveyed feelings of betrayal, more than anything else. They say they’ve kept their end of the bargain, embraced change and cooperate through this transformation to a more sustainable Australia Post. But the almost unanimous view is that management have continued on business as usual — penny pinching on the things most important to workers like; superannuation, penalty rates, leave entitlements or even being paid correctly and on time — and demonstrating their absolute contempt for customers.
For instance, 93% of respondents believe the system failures highlighted by recent scathing media reports levelled against Australia Post’s service were the result of failed management decisions and interference in processes. Members, while doing their bit, know it is critical that the company wins back the trust of the Australian public to prevent them from looking to alternate service providers. However, while doing their bit, members think Post aren’t doing enough to deliver for customers. Only 2% of believe Post is doing enough to ensure customers are receiving the services they’re paying for.
There is a serious spanner in the works here. Workers are doing their bit, and to many it seems the messages being driven by the Executives and their spin-masters just aren’t cutting the mustard when it comes to reality. CEPU members are angry, they’re frustrated, they’re fed up. They want Post to thrive and prosper — so they can feel secure in their employment again. And they want to be rewarded for their efforts — not thanked with a slap in the face.
Announcing innovative new ideas to customers and staff, that sound good when spun in a media release or staff information bulletin, but fail on implementation won’t save Australia Post.
- Telling customers we’ll charge you more to deliver your letter slower, and then not even meeting the slower timetable is a failure.
- Telling customers we’ll deliver your Express Post on a Saturday, when we can’t even get it right on a week day is a failure.
- Telling customers we’ll deliver your parcels on Saturday leading up to Christmas, as long as it’s heavier than 2kg is a failure.
- Telling staff a “Post People First” process will ensure jobs are filled internally when they interfere with and manipulate the transfer process is a failure.
- Telling staff they care about health and safety but then allow ticking time-bombs like the Samsung Note 7 phone, banned from postal carriage in the UK, in to our postal system is a failure.
- Banning staff from taking leave in December and proposing to replace the authorised holiday with an additional ARL day when staff can’t get their ARL approved as it is now is a failure.
- Telling staff they will consult with your Union in good faith, while allowing other scab organisations, with no coverage of postal workers, in to some workplaces to purposely try to divide you and weaken you at the EBA bargaining table is a catastrophic failure.
Treating loyal, hard working employees with dignity and respect and allowing them to get on with the job of delivering the services customers are paying for, without management games and interference, is the only way Australia Post is going to become sustainable.
YOUR KEY RESPONSES
Occupational groups:
Delivery 41.41% Retail 19.28% Mail Processing 16.22%
Parcel Processing 6.04% Transport 9.58%
Technical 1.15% Admin / Corporate 4.32% Other 2%
Employment mode:
Permanent 95% Fixed-term 3% Casual 2% Other Less than 1%
Hours of engagement:
Full-time 81% Part-time 19%
Do you currently rely on weekend or shift penalty rates as a component of your take-home pay to meet your financial obligations?
Yes 67% No 33%
How important are the following key conditions to you?
| Issue | Very Important | Somewhat Important | Not Important |
| Annual pay increases | 84.96% | 14.41% | 0.64% |
| Job security | 93.64% | 5.3% | 1.06% |
| Safeguarding conditions and entitlements | 95.13% | 4.87% | 0% |
| Maximising full-time jobs | 73.79% | 20.97% | 4.2% |
| Access to additional earnings (overtime etc) | 63.77% | 28.39% | 7.84% |
| Training and career development / progression | 46.19% | 41.53% | 12.29% |
| Retraining, Redeployment, Redundancy (RRR) | 70.55% | 23.52% | 5.93% |
| Safeguarding superannuation benefits | 93.86% | 5.08% | 1.06% |
| Workplace health and safety | 80.51% | 17.58% | 1.91% |
| Transition to retirement arrangements | 63.77% | 27.33% | 8.9% |
| A fair national job transfer system | 56.14% | 35.17% | 8.69% |
| Access to domestic and family violence leave | 35.81% | 36.44% | 27.75% |
| Weekend & shift penalty rates | 80.3% | 13.14% | 6.57% |
| Addressing gender superannuation disadvantage | 47.88% | 36.65% | 15.47% |
| Genuine consultation processes | 69.7% | 27.33% | 2.97% |
| Strong dispute resolution process | 77.75% | 19.7% | 2.54% |
Which of the following would you prefer your Union prioritises in talks with Australia Post?
Advancing a fair claim while minimising job losses 88%
Advancing higher wage claims at the expense of job security 12%
If you, or a colleague at work, have made a workers’ compensation claim at any stage, do you feel that you, or your colleague, were treated with fairness, dignity and respect throughout the process?
Not applicable 36%
Yes 15%
Somewhat 28%
Not at all 21%
If your job was identified as surplus to requirements tomorrow, which of the following scenarios would you prefer?
To be retrained and/or redeployed to another job, regardless of location and workstream 64%
To be made redundant 36%
Comments are closed.
