Posties Stand their Ground on Health and Safety

Vanguard October 2011 p. 5
Alice M.

Postal workers around Australia and their union, the Communication Workers Union (Postal Division) have drawn the line in the sand in a fight for health and safety at work.

In a nationwide campaign 44 posties from two Mail Delivery Centres in Melbourne have been stood down because they had the courage to refuse to deliver mail in a new, unsafe delivery system called Separate Bundle Delivery.

The new mail delivery system forces posties to sort and merge more mail outdoors on their motor-bikes and push bikes, whilst making deliveries. Posties know from their own experience that the new delivery system is an immediate threat to their health and safety.

The new delivery system is designed solely to intensify the exploitation of posties’ labour power, cut posties’ times in sorting and delivering mail, make posties work harder and faster in unsafe outdoor conditions, pave the way for cuts to full time penalty shift jobs, more contractors and casuals and slash Australia Post Corporation’s wages bill. It is part of a worldwide drive by global imperialist capital to extract more profit out of workers’ labour power and open up more public assets and infrastructure for plunder by monopoly capital.

Australia Post rejects safety trial

Australia Post has declared that workers refusing to do the unsafe delivery part of their work are taking illegal industrial action and have been stood down.

The stood down posties are not refusing to do their normal method of mail delivery that has been done for many years before the introduction of Separate Bundle Delivery. The 44 posties are reporting for work every morning to do their deliveries in the normal Single Bundle Delivery.

The union and Australia Post are in dispute over the safety, but Post continues to roll out the new unsafe delivery. The union took the matter to the Federal Court and to Fair Work where Justice Kirby in mediating the matter recommended status quo of normal Single Bundle delivery whilst a two month proper trial is conducted.

Post rejected the union’s and Justice Kirby’s proposals.

Whilst 44 workers have been stood down for refusing to do unsafe work and continue to defy the bullying, threats and intimidation by the bosses, nationally other posties are reporting daily injuries resulting from the new delivery system. Even Australia Post’s own designated doctors are certifying the new injuries as directly related to the new unsafe mode of delivery.

Comcare (Commonwealth Government Health and Safety Authority) approved the new unsafe delivery system without even sending their own inspectors and risk assessors into the field to observe the new system in action.

Comcare approval is based on Australia Post’s computer presentation of the new Separate Bundle Delivery. This is in spite of Australia Post‘s long record of vast numbers of reported work injuries and workers compensation claims.

In contrast, the union commissioned a comprehensive investigation and detailed report by independent experts and ergonomists that unequivocally condemned the new delivery system as unsafe for workers.

Union and community campaign

In Victoria the first stage of the new outdoor sorting and delivery system is being introduced at Airport West and Mt Waverley Delivery Centres and preparations are underway to roll it out to other centres.

Posties in these centres have warned management they will stand up for their safety rights and refuse to work in unsafe conditions.

Unity and solidarity amongst posties and between different centres is growing.

Many workers are rallying around the stood down posties and continue to raise funds to help stood down workers pay their living expenses. Some centres have placed a regular levy towards the welfare fund.

A wider public campaign is underway with community being asked to support the posties by sending cards to Australia Post’s new Managing Director, Ahmed Farouk (an ex banker and ex NBA CEO) and sending messages of support to the union and their posties.

Public rallies are being held outside Australia Post’s head office and Stephen Conroy’s offices (Minister for Communication).

The struggle for health and safety is uniting posties and strengthening the union.

Many understand that collective action locally in their workplaces and communities is the only way their conditions can be protected and improved.

The experience with Comcare and Fair Work Australia exposed the state as no more than a tool for big business.

The unity and struggle of postal workers augurs well for the coming battles of the working class, as economic crisis really starts to bite.