Sue Bolton, Melbourne
Australia Post's mail service in Victoria was seriously disrupted on January 29 when 250 postal workers took action against their relocation to the new Ardeer parcel facility in West Sunshine.
The dispute arose when Australia Post told the workers that previous agreements over working conditions, pay rates and job security would not be recognised at the new facility.
Members of the postal and telecommunications section of the Communication Workers Union (CWU P&T) and their supporters held a peaceful protest outside the new facility from January 23 to 28. Workers affected by the relocation struck for 24 hours on January 29.
Victorian secretary of the CWU (P&T) Joan Doyle told 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly: "The effect of the relocation ban and the peaceful protest at Ardeer ... was simply amazing. The [Australia Post] network was falling apart ... They were desperate to get the peaceful protest lifted.
"The 24-hour strike was also effective. We only had 250 people on strike and the whole system was delayed. None of the Australia Post standards were met... There were lots of mis-sorts in the system because the managers were sorting badly. The scab network couldn't handle the work."
The overwhelming majority of interstate drivers refused to drive through the protest. Some were stood down during the dispute. Australia Post then tried to bypass the protest and strike by setting up alternative networks to sort the mail. It reopened the old Melbourne city mail centre and the old western mail centre and hired a private factory.
Doyle believes Australia Post used the dispute to "test the strength of the union and trial the scab networks".
"Australia Post got their managers and heaps of casuals from Ready Workforce to sort the mail. Australia Post is so dishonest. They hired lots of young kids who were only 15 or 16 and had no idea why they were being hired. It is totally outrageous bringing young kids into a dispute."
According to Doyle, Australia Post breached a number of occupational health and safety procedures, road laws and its own standards during the dispute.
"Production was all and safety was nil. Australia Post had one well-known scab driving a one-seater van with someone crouching down in the back. You're not allowed to do that and you usually get disciplined very severely if you do it. There were people on forklifts speeding madly. The managers were driving through the peaceful protests very fast. There were several accidents. One manager was driving a truck at the state mail centre and pranged into a van and a pole."
Doyle praised the workers involved in the dispute: "They've been scared and bullied and harassed for a long time, and yet they were really brave. They know they're going to get payback from the managers but they were prepared to do that because of the principles and issues that we were fighting for."
The action was supported by workers from all 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ of Australia Post, including transport workers, mail officers, retail staff and even some supervisory staff. This indicates an awareness that the outcome of this dispute will have a flow-on effect. It also reflects the activist culture which is being developed by the more militant leadership of the Victorian branch, which was elected in July.
Australia Post is already threatening retribution against workers who took protected industrial action. Prior to the strike, some workers were told that if they attended the peaceful protest on their rostered day off, they would be denied overtime or promotions.
Despite Australia Post's refusal to negotiate over the key issues in the dispute, the federal divisional executive of the union has lifted the ban on further relocation. Industrial action ceased and workers relocated to the Ardeer parcel facility from the first shift on January 30. Despite this, Australia Post is pursuing legal action against the union and Doyle in the supreme court.
The Victorian branch of the union is still fighting against cuts to working conditions and pay at the new facility, using non-industrial tactics for the time being. If the issue isn't resolved by the time negotiations for the next enterprise agreement begin on February 20, there could be more industrial bans.
The outcome of the dispute in Victoria is important for Australia Post workers nationally because Australia Post is already trying similar tactics by opening up new parcel facilities in Chullora, Sydney, and Underwood, Brisbane. Postal workers in Sydney have taken industrial action against the move to Chullora.
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, February 4, 2004.
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