Employees and their Union were informed of Australia Post’s
decision to consolidate the National Customer Contact Centre
network from the current six (including Sydney) to two
locations in Brisbane and Melbourne.
Despite Australia Post’s obligations under EBA6 to consult
with the Union on any major change affecting employees
prior to any decisions being made, management
have blatantly ignored this obligation and continue to do so
by attempting to steam roll the process. A perfect example
of this inappropriate behaviour is the tight deadlines that
have been forced on employees to complete the recently
circulated “Expressions of Interest” packs – forcing staff
to quickly make huge, possibly life changing decisions, at a
time of severe financial uncertainty and insecurity.
The Union was only informed of this decision at 16:55 on
20 May 2009,
as staff were being informed, without being afforded any
opportunity to mitigate the effects on 181 employees with
their employment in Sydney alone.
Australia Post’s continued disregard for the current
enforceable EBA6 has turned the lives and financial security
of around 300 Australia Post working families upside down
despite harsh economic times.
Due to Australia Post’s continued display of arrogance
toward this issue, the CEPU yesterday lodged a dispute
notification with the Australian Industrial Relations
Commission (AIRC).
The AIRC has now listed the matter for urgent hearing on
this dispute at the request of the Union, which will take
place in
Melbourne
on Monday 15 June before Commissioner Smith.
Expressions of interest forms, where to from here? – Don’t
Complete EOI or Demand EOI be returned!
Customer Contact Centre employees are advised not to
complete any expression of interest documents despite the
inappropriate deadlines placed on these documents for return
by Management.
Customer Contact employees who have already submitted their
EOI documents to management are advised to approach
management for such EOI documents to be withdrawn and
returned to you.
Any employee pressured or threatened into completing the
documents should advise their direct superiors that they are
following Union instructions and should contact the CEPU as
soon as possible to report this inappropriate management
behaviour.
If you require any further information, please contact
Branch President Susan Sheather or Branch Official Nathan
Metcher on (02) 9893 7822.
