July 10, 2009

Media Release

NZ Post redundancies last resort - EPMU

New Zealand’s largest postal union, the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union, has negotiated substantial protections for its members at New Zealand Post as the State Owned Enterprise rolls out job cuts.

The measures include a four day week option in which members lose no income and a series of initiatives above the standard union redundancy package, including an $800 training allowance and a recruitment scheme in call centres that focuses on placing redundant members into other jobs at Post or outside of the company.

EPMU postal and logistics national organiser Anna Kenny says the EPMU has been working to limit redundancies and ensure the best possible outcomes for members who do lose their jobs.

“EPMU officials and members have been in constant consultation with New Zealand Post and have had an independent analyst look at Post’s books to ensure that cuts are only made where they can be justified by falling mail volumes.

“International mail volumes are collapsing and we can’t control that. It means some of our members are losing their jobs but what we can do is make sure that job losses are minimised and that the focus of the redundancy process is getting the best deal possible for the worker involved.

“With this in mind we negotiated a four day week scheme several months ago that is already saving jobs and has not affected the income of our members.

“For those who do lose their jobs or have hours cut we’ve negotiated a series of conditions including clauses that give most long service workers priority ranking if they opt for voluntary redundancy, an eight hundred dollar retraining and job placement payment for workers who lose their jobs and a six month wage maintenance period with a special one-off payment for members who lose significant core earnings of three percent or more through major roster changes.

“Our members have fought hard over a long time for these protections and conditions and now, unfortunately, some of them are going to have to use them.”

The EPMU is the largest union representing New Zealand Post workers, with 5000 members working at the SOE and its subsidiaries.

ENDS

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