Australia Post and the CEPU are pleased to advise they signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to protect employee conditions under EBA2017 to help manage the ongoing uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic – providing security to more than 33,000 postal employees.
This MoU will protect jobs and take-home pay as Australia Post implements the Alternating Delivery Model (ADM) from next month in metropolitan areas. This will see letter delivery occur every second day with some Posties redeployed to deliver and process parcels.
No posties, or other employees directly impacted by this change, will be made involuntarily redundant during the period of the MoU, which expires on 9 August 2021.
There is also a commitment there will be no protected or unprotected industrial action during the period of the agreement.
Comment from Christine Holgate, Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Australia Post:
"We are pleased to reach this agreement with the union to provide certainty to our workers as we navigate the effects of COVID-19 on our business.
"No posties will be removed from the delivery service and we have been encouraged by the strong response from people wanting to move across to parcel delivery.
"We look forward to continue to collaborate with the union as we implement the alternating letter deliveries in metropolitan areas and we welcome the CEPU's recognition of the importance of this temporary change is to help Australia Post safeguard the business."
Comment from CEPU Communications Union National President Shane Murphy:
"This agreement will ensure no posties are removed from the delivery employment mix – something we have fought hard for – protecting jobs and improving parcel delivery services to our communities.
"We are also pleased to announce that our members employed in roles directly supporting the processing and transportation of that mail product in line with temporary delivery standards will also have their jobs protected.
"From our negotiations with Australia Post we've been able to secure this win for our members who have been on the frontline of this pandemic and putting their lives on the line for their local communities.
"Finally, frontline workers will be paid a thank you bonus – recognising the hard yards that postal workers have been putting in for many months now, by continuing to deliver for customers right when they need their postal service the most."
