The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has called for Australia Post (AP) CEO Ahmed Fahour to be sacked over his plans for 1900 job losses from the government-owned postal service. The call follows Fahour's statement on June 26 that AP would spend up to $190 million slashing employment in the agency in response to a declining volume of letter deliveries.
AP employs 36,000 staff, with about 23,000 working in the mail service. Fahour claims the cuts follow losses in the mail delivery section totalling more than $1.5 billion in the last five years.
According to the CWU, the Fahour plan would eventually include: "Doubling the price of a stamp; slashing 4400 jobs in postal delivery; slowing down the delivery of mail; closing regional sorting centres and moving that work to the cities; and removing ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) oversight on the price of a first class stamp."
"Australia Post doesn't have the staff to deliver the mail consistently on time now; this plan will make every letter later," Martin O'Nea, CWU assistant national secretary, said on June 26.
"The Australian economy relies on a fast, cheap postal service to move the cheques, documents and parcels to keep business working. Mr Fahour plans to cut thousands of posties and double the price of a stamp. Mr Fahour and his crazy plan must go."
"This is a bad plan for a real problem. Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull should step in and protect Australia's economy from this vandalism."
Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union NSW secretary Jim Metcher said on June 26: "With these changes, courier pigeons will provide a speedier and more reliable service than the low ball Australia Post service. Today's announcement leaves workers anxious and unclear about where, how and when the cuts will be introduced.
"A round of voluntary redundancies of this magnitude does not just impact on the workers affected, but will have a flow-on effect to every Australia Post worker, their families and the wider community.
"Australia Post must be clear with their workforce and the Australian public about how they will continue to maintain a quality mail service with a reduced workforce."
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