TECHNICAL AND SERVICES BRANCH WEEKLY BULLETIN 2023
Number
03
05 February 2023
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO MEMBERS
With the amalgamation of the NSW and Vic T&S Branches, we have centralised our membership fee processing. While little will change, one change you will notice is the date that automatic deductions occur. From 1st April 2023, deductions will be made on the first day of the month. This will affect monthly and quarterly deductions only. More next week.
TELSTRA GAT DISPUTE
The Government Assurance Team (Syd and Cba) is disputing a significant change in their roster. The matter was conciliated before the FWC last week. The outcome is that Telstra will consider any roster proposed by us, provided that it can meet certain criteria. This is being done now.
POST AIR CONDITIONING KEMPS CREEK
We have written to Post as follows:
Re our Branch FWC application in this matter and the agreed outcomes.
We are seeking the logging of temperature and humidity at Kemps Creek. The facility is not air conditioned (if you are a floor worker).
The logging devices should be in place as soon as possible at (at least) 3 specific locations (to be agreed) at Kemps Creek. The locations generally are 1. on the first floor, 2 on the ground floor and 3 Outside.
The logging should monitor summer temperatures until end of March. Similar logging will be needed in mid winter.
Would you kindly advise the steps being taken to implement this.
POST RESTRUCTURE
We have written to Post as follows:
Re the structures at SWLF and SPF. Our members are concerned at the delay in these matters.
The new structures which Post insists underlies the upgrades have already been implemented.
At SWLF it appears that implementation action has progressed, but is still not resolved or anticipated soon.
SPF is hardly moving with no clear pathway proposed.
We seek details and timetables for the upgrades.
Further, as indicated in earlier correspondence, we require back payment to the staff undertaking these higher functions.
AUS POST PERFORMANCE
The rumours are there - that Post will announce a significant loss for the past 6 months ending December. The pay increase late last year will not have impacted the bottom line greatly, so the (rumoured) losses would arise from other factors. It will be interesting to see the explanation of the cause of the loss. Of particular interest will be the change in provisions for leave and DB super. This current second 6 months of the financial year will have the full pay increase factored in. It will also have a federal election and referendum mail out spikes.
AUS POST DELIVERY CHANGES FLAGGED
(This is an extract from an online web page. CWU HQ has not advised of any proposals as yet. We will need to assess any impact on technical staff.)
On January 24, Australia Post workers at the Kingsgrove depot in inner-west Sydney were called in to a facility-wide meeting at which sweeping changes to delivery operations at the government-owned postal service were flagged.
While this was a company meeting at which state and depot managers were present, they did not speak except to introduce Shane Murphy, the national president of the CWU.
Murphy (CWU) outlined planned changes to the delivery model that will drastically increase the workload of postal workers and slash hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs.
The restructuring is necessary, Murphy declared, because the company confronts significant economic "headwinds" in the coming period.
Murphy explained that "beats" (delivery routes) served by Electric Delivery Vehicles (EDVs), motorbikes and pushbikes will be recast and expanded by up to 50 percent. Ordinary letters and junk mail will be delivered to half the beat on alternate days, while parcels, large letters and priority mail will continue to be delivered each day.
While Murphy claimed walking beats would not be affected, his only reason was that some such routes could not practically be delivered by any other means. This leaves the door wide open for the vast majority of walking postal workers, whose routes do not preclude the use of EDVs, to be told "re-train or leave."
Underscoring the trend towards elimination of walking beats, Murphy told workers that AP is testing new four-wheel EDVs with larger carrying capacity.
According to Murphy, the new measures will be trialled for 8 weeks at a single Sydney facility.
Authorised by Dan Dwyer NSW Secretary, Sue Riley Vic Secretary
- CWU Telecommunications & Services Branches.