From the moment WorkChoices was introduced, Australia Post has tried everything it can to take away your conditions and entitlements.

Today, they were able to temporarily stop you from accessing another right: your democratic right to vote in a protected action ballot.  Why?

• Because senior management is scared their employees will support industrial action.

Post spent a truckload of dollars on lawyers to manufacture legal obstacles to overturn a decision that gave us the green light to carry out a protected action ballot of our members.  There were a number of reasons we had to apply for a ballot, mainly:

• Post stonewalled for most of 2008 refusing to negotiate improvements to their EBA offer, when they knew the then proposed new laws would let them.

• After talks recommenced in December 2008, Post didn’t waste much time telling us they still wouldn’t move on important issues affecting your security, safety and pay.

With no other options left, we applied for a protected action ballot.  When we were successful, Post thought up legal moves to stop you having your democratic say.

Typical Australia Post: they won’t let anyone stand up to them or tell them to give their employees a better deal.  Instead, they want to tell you what you should accept and if you don't like it you have to live with it.  Shoddy uniforms, cuts to penalty rates, loss of take home pay, full time jobs cuts, unsafe work practices, poor treatment against sick and injured workers involving FNDs - you're just supposed to cop all of this - without protest.

It’s worth pointing out that despite the fact we flagged the objections with their EBA offer, no-one in Post management bothered to re-open talks – they just put out spin that they were “surprised” at the union’s position without lifting a finger to reach a new EBA7.

You deserve better. Post knows their EBA offer is unacceptable to their employees - which is why they never put their poor offer to the workforce.  They know members can tell that the current offer poses a genuine threat to job security, safety and take home pay.

Post had a short term win today.  But longer term, by sticking together, the commitment of members to fight for a better deal will beat the legal tricks of this employer.

The CEPU and its members will do whatever we can to get a better EBA offer.

We will assess all legal options to achieve this and we will release details of this approach within the week.

Rest assured you will have your say on getting an improved offer very, very soon.