It is with great disappointment
that I inform our members that Australia Post's
Chief Operating Officer Jim Marshall yesterday
rejected the Union’s offer to attend urgent EBA
talks involving himself and Managing Director Graeme
John to resolve outstanding issues preventing a new
EBA7 being reached.
This decision by Australia Post’s
most top paid executives was made following the
Union acting in good faith by withdrawing all active
protected industrial action bans currently in place.
Therefore, I must firstly inform
all members that protected industrial action of
any kind whatsoever is no longer in place effective
immediately up and until at least midnight, Tuesday
22 December 2009.
Secondly, due to Post’s decision
to reject the Union’s offer to hold talks, the CEPU
resolves that it is essential for all CEPU members
at Australia Post to be prepared to participate in a
nationwide 24 hour stoppage commencing on Tuesday 22
December 2009.
Thirdly, the CEPU is holding a
protest rally to be attended by as many members as
possible at 12 noon to 2pm, Tuesday 22 December
outside Australia Post headquarters, Prince Alfred
Park 219-241 Cleveland Street Strawberry Hills.
Finally, the CEPU will be seeking
instructions from members in attendance at this
protest rally to consider a further stoppage to
occur as from Wednesday 23 December and beyond.
Further confirmation and
information regarding the stoppage and the protest
rally will be forthcoming to all members employed in
all occupational areas of Australia Post shortly.
So please, I ask all members to
be vigilant in being alert and passing on all
communications to other members received from the
Union via SMS, e-bulletin and website at
www.cepu.org.
It is important that all members
do this given Union circulars by mail to workplaces
are being intercepted by the management in a lot of
areas.
Local workplace representatives
are currently being contacted by their Union
Officials for the potential organising of busses to
be hired to provide the ability of regional members
to be transported from reasonable country locations
to the protest rally.
I urge all ACT and regional NSW
local representatives to determine whether members
in their areas would consider making the trip to
Sydney and discuss their bus transport requirements
with their allocated CEPU official directly.
Can I take this opportunity to
acknowledge the sacrifices made by all CEPU members
who have participated in action and have been
prepared to give up their wages over the past week
in pursuit of a new Agreement that protects their
job security, safety and pay.
This includes the record number
of new CEPU members joining the Union in the past
two weeks who have made this decision in order to
participate in protected action side by side with
their workmates. A warm welcome to the Union to all
of you.
The choices for CEPU members are
clear, being either we collectively kick in to fight
for our rights or just give up and concede that
Australia Post’s anti-worker management regime can
continue to do whatever they please, whenever they
please - forever!
Members should also be assured,
your Union will not be canceling any further
protected action notices until an in-principle
agreement is reached with Australia Post that
provides for your security, safety and pay at work.
Again all members are asked to
share this information with those who may not
receive this email to ensure we are well organized
for maximizing the affect on Australia Post
commencing from Tuesday’s nationwide action.
For further information and the
latest news on your EBA7 campaign members they can
contact their Branch Official or watch for updates
on our website at
www.cepu.org.
SMS text messaging and
e-Bulletins will be the source of communications to
all members leading into the actions and events that
are to occur from next Tuesday.
As always, I encourage and
welcome all our members’ feedback, which can be sent
by emailing
feedback@cepu.org or simply replying to my
email.
Yours in Unity,
JIM
METCHER
BRANCH SECRETARY
