Postal workers not surprised at job losses

Postal workers not surprised at job losses

News that New Zealand Post is likely to shed some 550 jobs over the next five years is no real surprise to postal workers, says the union that represents 98 per cent of them.

Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little said that Wellington postal workers had been told of the probably down-sizing at a meeting at Trentham raceway today. Similar meetings will be held in other parts of the country.

Mr Little said that postal workers were well aware that modernisation of the postal system meant that job losses were highly likely.

“We’ve been talking to New Zealand Post about this for a long time, and our members have been heavily involved in the process,” he said.

“It’s vitally important that workers are aware of what’s happening in a company to allow them to plan for their futures,” he said.

Mr Little said that the union had negotiated the best possible terms for any redundancies.

“Voluntary redundancies will be taken where at all possible,” he said.

“Where that is not possible, the last-on, first-off principle will apply.”

The EPMU represents some 2500 workers at NZ Post.

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