NOTE: This is the pre ballot version - version 6 Sept 2004

9. JOB DESIGN

9.1 It is agreed that the objective is to make jobs as fulfilling as practicable whilst meeting Australia Post's business needs. It is desirable to ensure job design and content can adapt quickly to different business challenges and new ways of working.

9.2 It is agreed that job levels and work classification standards will not be altered without consultation with the relevant union and that any issues relating to changes will be subject to resolution through the dispute settlement procedure (clause 12.1), including reference to work value principles.

9.3 The Mail Officer, Parcel Post Officer, Postal Delivery Officer and Technical Officer work levels and pay rates are based on multi-functional award classification levels. Australia Post provides an assurance that it will not take action to split these classification/pay levels.

Retail Network and Retail Outlet Review

9.4 The parties acknowledge that the conversion of corporate retail outlets will have a significant impact on the employer-employee relationship and therefore the parties will abide by the principles and commitments set out below in clauses 9.5 to 9.15.

9.5 The parties to the Agreement are committed to the long-term viability of Australia Post's Retail Network. It is jointly acknowledged that Australia Post's Retail Network is currently, and will continue to be, a mix of corporately operated outlets, as well as privately operated outlets under one of a number of arrangements.

9.6 Australia Post acknowledges the key role of corporately operated outlets and commits to ensuring their long term position as the `flagship' form of Australia Post Retail outlets.

9.7 Australia Post acknowledges that the conversion of corporately operated outlets in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement will not have a significant impact on the current overall mix of corporately operated outlets and privately operated outlets.

9.8 The parties to the Agreement commit to work co-operatively to improve the viability of under performing corporately operated outlets with the primary / preferred objective of them remaining corporately operated.

9.9 The parties to the Agreement commit to jointly evaluate the effectiveness of the initiatives in this clause six (6) months prior to the expiry of the Agreement.

9.10 The parties commit during the first six (6) months of the life of the Agreement to jointly examine factors affecting retail outlet performance and profitability, including:

(a) practicable and commercially viable interventions to optimise retail outlet performance and profitability;

(b) actions to strengthen the selling skills and entrepreneurial culture of the work force; and

(c) the parties agree to jointly review the relevance of and amend as agreed the existing retail outlet conversion policy.

9.11 On the basis of 9.10 being undertaken, Australia Post commits to continue to apply the provisions of the existing retail outlet conversion policy. Such provisions will continue to apply for the life of the Agreement unless a change occurs in accordance with the provisions of 9.10.

9.12 The provisions of the existing retail outlet conversion policy will not be used to convert an existing corporate outlet to a franchise.

9.13 Notwithstanding and separate to the provisions of sub-clauses 9.8, 9.9, 9.10, 9.11 and 9.12 a maximum of 20 corporately operated outlets will be converted to franchised outlets during the life of the Agreement in accordance with the following guidelines/principles:

(a) outlets where the average customer count is between 400 and 800 per day;

(b) outlets that under-perform economically, ie:
(i) where the projected economics under franchised conditions forecasts a Return on Revenue improvement of at least 10% (percentage points) compared to the 2003/04 economic performance of the comparative corporate outlet; and
(ii) where the economic under-performance of the outlet for 2003/04 produced a Return on Revenue of less than 5%;

(c) outlets located in capital and major provincial cities with an initial focus on metropolitan areas;

(d) in a manner that is as least disruptive as practicable and where the change process is communicated clearly to affected staff;

(e) that meets Australia Post's obligations under the RRR Agreement.

9.14 Establishment of a franchised outlet in a new location will not be used to impact on business performance on any adjacent corporate outlet so as to make it vulnerable to conversion.

9.15 The parties recognise that the determination of outlets to be converted to a franchise will be a progressive process during the term of the Agreement. As part of consultation on this matter Australia Post undertakes to provide CEPU with at least 3 months notice in writing prior to a conversion taking effect. This notice will include customer count data for the outlet to be converted, a summary of the 2003/04 trading performance of the corporate outlet concerned and the return on revenue projection for the proposed franchised PostShop.

Team Based Work Mail and Parcel Processing

9.16 It is recognised that the roll-out of team based work in Mail and Parcel Processing has been a long and complex exercise (as it has in many organisations which have gone down similar paths).

9.17 It is agreed that this process will be given new emphasis during the life of the Agreement, with a view to:
(a) continuing the progressive roll out of the team based work model, and the team skills loading for Mail Officers, Parcel Post Officers and technical staff (where applicable), into agreed mail and parcel processing facilities;
(b) this roll out will be completed during the life of the Agreement; and
(c) further development of effective team-working at existing facilities with team arrangements in place including consultation and staff involvement in relation to any changes in accordance with clause 3 of the Agreement.

Establishment of Teams at a Facility

9.18 The team based work concept will be developed in an environment where:
(a) staff are involved in the initial development of the appropriate team based work structure for their workplace and have the opportunity to commit to its implementation;
(b) the structure of teams may vary from site to site depending on local circumstances and operational requirements;
(c) teams are encouraged to take responsibility for the management of the team and to be responsible and accountable for the performance of the work;
(d) teams are encouraged to build knowledge, make decisions, improve performance and have a sense of ownership and involvement; and
(e) staff understand the processes which will be followed to make changes over time to the initial facility team design.

Team Working Review

9.19 The parties will consult further on enhancement of the team based working concept. This will include the parties undertaking a joint best practice examination of external experience, current trends and the implications for Teams in Australia Post. The review will commence within one month of certification of the Agreement and be completed within six (6) months. The review will examine, but not be limited to, the following:
(a) The overall framework of team based work in best practice organisations;
(b) The experience of team based structures in Australia Post to date;
(c) Implementation lessons and strategies including consultative, involvement processes;
(d) A specific focus on how best practice organisations;
(i) Promote efficiency and meaningful and rewarding jobs through team based work;
(ii) How best practice organisations sustain the process and enable teams to evolve and grow into wider roles;
(e) The implications for the teams in Australia Post; and
(f) Recommend actions prior to April 2005.

9.20 These actions and a timetable for implementation of the actions will be agreed between the parties by August 2005.

Technical Structure

9.21 The Australia Post Technical Award has been varied to provide a new Technical Structure as follows:
(a) a new nine level PTO classification structure;
(b) the phased introduction of a competency based qualification framework; and
(c) new associated salary rates.

9.22 Incremental advancement will be in accordance with traditional arrangements with the following exceptions:
(a) for existing PTO1 staff (old classification and on the 3rd salary point), advancement to the 4th salary point of the new PTO4 will be subject to their active participation in the competency assessment process. Advancement to the 5th, 6th and 7th salary points will be subject to the attainment of an appropriate Certificate IV qualification. Advancement to the 8th salary point will be subject to attainment of the appropriate Diploma qualification;
(b) for existing PTO2 staff (old classification on the 4th salary point), advancement to the new 8th salary point of the PTO4 will be subject to their active participation in the competency assessment process; and
(c) for other staff advancement from the 3rd to the 4th salary point will be subject to attainment of the appropriate Certificate IV qualifications and advancement to the 8th salary point will be subject to attainment of the appropriate Diploma qualification.

9.23 The relevant parties agree to continue to examine the potential for technical staff to enhance their skills and training in diagnostic, analytical and predictive maintenance techniques and to undertake new higher levels tasks aimed at optimising overall equipment effectiveness and developing the leadership and management potential of the technical group.

Technical Maintenance

9.24 There is a shared commitment to pro-actively maximise the efficiency, reliability and cost effectiveness of all equipment and as such consistently ensure peak operational outcomes. In recognition of, and subject to such commitment, it is agreed that:
(a) Australia Post technical staff will continue to undertake the maintenance of core mail processing equipment in the network (aside from TMS); and
(b) non-core, first in maintenance requiring minor fault rectification, will continue to be provided by Australia Post technicians at retained facilities on a site basis subject to Australia Post's right to extend the single building services maintenance contract arrangements at Strathfield and Dandenong to other facilities. Any such extensions would be subject to practical and efficiency considerations and involve detailed consultation with employees and the relevant union.

Review of Transport Structure

9.25 Australia Post and the CEPU agree to a joint review of the Transport Classification Structure. The review will examine three (3) key areas:
(a) Current work level standards for transport and hubs
(i) This will include an analysis of the current functions and roles against existing work level standards to identify areas where the current work level standards are inadequate. This will also involve consideration of work level standards aligned to AQF levels and the Transport Competency Standards.
(b) Current classification structure
(i) This will identify functions and roles being undertaken in general transport and hubs and look at the adequacy of the existing classification structure having particular regard to:

• number of levels, particularly in the supervisory grades
• size of depots/hubs
• numbers of staff
• types of functions being undertaken
• types of skills required

9.26 Overall the review will develop and finalise a new transport classification structure supported by agreed work level standards or their equivalent for endorsement by employees. The review will be finalised no later than 12 months from the date of certification of the Agreement.

Delivery Operations

9.27 The parties are committed to a review which identifies and examines delivery issues in the context of:
(a) the future needs of the business;
(b) viable and effective operations, work design and employment arrangements; and
(c) the expected future environment and customer requirements.

9.28 The parties agree that the review referred to in clause 9.27 will be finalised within six (6) months of certification of the Agreement.

9.29 It is agreed that further trials of Full Time Dedicated delivery arrangements will only take place with the agreement of both Australia Post and the CEPU at the National and State levels.

9.30 Australia Post will not employ more than 2.8% of Postal Delivery Officer FTE's on part-time dedicated delivery. The provisions of clause 9.30 will operate for the Term of the Agreement.

9.31 The employee consultation and dispute settlement provisions apply to part-time dedicated delivery in accordance with the Agreement.