Australia Post workers threaten strike

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx ... 79&rss=yes

Australia Post workers threaten strike
Tuesday Aug 28 14:29 AEST

Australia Post workers across the country will go on strike if they do not get pay increases and improvements to working conditions, their union says.

In the biggest test yet of the federal government's industrial relations changes, Australia Post workers applied to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission for permission to strike in support of their pay claim.

The improvements they want include a real rise in wages and fairer conditions, in a proposed enterprise bargaining agreement supported by the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU).

Elizabeth Lam, a mother of two young children, says she can no longer make ends meet on her annual wage of $37,000 (about $712 a week) as a parcel sorter.

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Ms Lam, who lives with her husband in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith, says she doesn't believe the government's claim that Australian families are better off under Work Choices.

"I pay a lot into my mortgage, as well put my kids through childcare, groceries and other accessories. At the end of that I get $200 left and I have to stretch that to next fortnight's pay," she told reporters.

"We just cannot survive out of what we actually earn."

Under Work Choices she was worse off than before the changes were introduced last year, she said.

"How is Australia Post expecting us to survive to live off that four per cent (pay rise) that they are giving us when the inflation rate and everything is going up?"

Preparing her fortnightly budget was stressful, she said.

"The minute your bills come in you're going, 'My God, I have to put aside this amount and try to make it stretch till next pay'."

CEPU federal secretary Ed Husic said Australia Post's offer of a four per cent rise was not enough to help make ends meet.

"They're telling us four per cent is a great deal when they (Australia Post management) are awarding themselves 20 per cent in one year, which doesn't sit well with our members," he told reporters.

Mr Husic said Australia Post managers were deliberately starting early shifts half an hour later to reduce the penalty pay workers relied on.

Talks between Australia Post and the union have been going on for 11 months.

©AAP 2007

Does this sound familar or what (At least we know what Croziers doing the other 5 days of the week) . Go on Aussie Posties you have my support.

[theflyingpostman]

...............Australia Post workers applied to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission for permission to strike..........................

They have to ask for permission! How does that work then?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

WorkChoices, or the Workplace Relations Act 1996 as amended by the Workplace Relations Amendment (Workchoices) Act 2005, came into effect in March 2006. The legislation is the most comprehensive reform to industrial relations in Australia for almost a century. Although the new laws are supported by employer groups such as the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, they are opposed by the Australian labour movement principally through the Australian Labor Party and the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

WorkChoices changes

* the formation of a single national industrial system to replace the separate state and federal systems for constitutional corporations;

* the establishment of a body to be known as the Australian Fair Pay Commission to replace National Wage Cases at the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC);

* the streamlining of Certified Agreement and Australian Workplace Agreement making, including increasing the maximum agreement life from three years to five years;

* a reduction in allowable award matters;

* the creation of legislation for five minimum workplace conditions;

* the exemption of companies with fewer than 101 employees from unfair dismissal laws;

* the exemption of all companies from unfair dismissal laws where a dismissal is for a bona fide operational reason;

* increased restrictions on allowable industrial action;

* mandating secret ballots for industrial action;

* discouraging pattern bargaining and industry-wide industrial action.

Wow are the Aussie Government anti union or what.