By CASEY NEILL
JOBS at the Dandenong South letter sorting centre hang in the balance, with Australia Post forecasting a $500 million loss.
But the situation is not as dire as Australia Post managing director and group CEO Ahmed Fahour is making out, according to the Communication Workers Union.
Mr Fahour said a significant and ongoing decline in physical mail meant there was less work in the mail service.
“We forecast in the next three years there will be a gradual reduction in jobs across the mail network because of this dramatic shift in consumer behaviour,” he said.
“I have made a commitment that there will be no forced redundancy of staff impacted directly by changes in our mail service and who are actively seeking jobs in other parts of the business.”
But Communication Workers Union Victorian secretary Joan Doyle said Mr Fahour made the announcement to try to push changes through parliament.
“He wants to put up the prices of stamps and to reduce the service,” she said.
“This is his way of lobbying by media release.
“He’s trying to create a crisis.
“There’s actually no new announcement about cuts or anything new that’s happening.
“That’s not to say that there won’t be some job losses.”
Ms Doyle said the union had agreed to 25 voluntary redundancies this year, and Australia Post had recently bought new letters sorting equipment.
“That will probably mean a few more jobs go, but nothing like he’s trying to say,” she said.
“We think one job would do.
“We want Ahmed Fahour to go.
“He doesn’t understand postal administration and he just wants to make a big profit.”
Ms Doyle said Postal Act regulations required Australia Post to provide mail the next day in metropolitan areas.
She said Mr Fahour wanted to make next-day delivery a new service and charge $1.50 for a priority stamp.
“This is his way of saying ‘Australia Post are going broke, I really need this, let me have my way’,” she said.
“Since Mr Fahour has been in charge, Australia Post have increased their revenue by $1.5 billion a year.
“Money that they make from the parcels and from identity services and retail stores outweighs any loss they make in letters.
“The parcels in Victoria have increased by 20 per cent
“The same retail shops are involved in both letters and parcels, the same trucks, the same drivers, processing centres.
“To have this artificial divide between small addressed letters is really silly.”
