NSW: Posties protest planned as strike is on

AAP General News (Australia)
12-22-2009
NSW: Posties protest planned as strike is on

SYDNEY, Dec 22 AAP - Postal workers plan to rally outside Australia Post's Sydney headquarters
on Tuesday after a last minute deal to avert strikes failed to materialise late on Monday
night.

Communication, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) workers were scheduled to walk
off the job at midnight (AEDT), beginning industrial action which could last until Christmas
Day and potentially cause significant delays in the postal system.

The union's NSW secretary Jim Metcher told AAP on Monday night there had been no last
minute negotiations between his organisation and Australia Post management and he expected
a big turnout at the protest rally in Cleveland Street at noon (AEDT).

"We've had record numbers of postal workers joining the union in recent weeks and in
the last few days because they are planning, they want to strike," he said.

"We expect a lot to strike and we expect a very big turnout at the protest."

The union says the dispute is about service and job security.

Mr Metcher said Australia Post had cut hundreds of jobs in the past three months and
full-time workers had been replaced with casuals and part-timers.

The replacement workers had been unable to cope with the volume of work and in some
cases had failed to deliver mail or even dumped it, he said.

Mr Metcher also dismissed claims by Australia Post on Monday that the union reneged
on a deal agreed upon more than two years ago.

An Australia Post spokesman told AAP that a deal had been agreed in 2007 and that the
union put out a directive saying they would put it to their members.

But the deal had not been put to the members and the union had begun making extra claims,
the Australia Post spokesman said.

Mr Metcher dismissed the claim, saying no deal had been struck.

"There was never an agreement. If there was it would've been put to the members," he told AAP.

"Australia Post could have put any such deal to the workers as well, those who are
not union members, but they didn't."

Australia Post says it will draft in casual workers to help ease any delays in the postal system.

It says around three quarters of the workforce may still work on Tuesday - a figure
disputed by CEPU.

AAP mdg/cdh

KEYWORD: POSTIES AM UPDATE

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