Laila Harre MP Fri Aug 20 1999

The Alliance is calling on NZ post to keep workers on at least the same pay and conditions when it franchises the Tauranga post office on the 15th of October.

'New Zealand post should show the same loyalty to its staff that its staff have shown them,' Alliance Commerce spokesperson Laila Harré said.

'All 10 staff will lose their jobs and there is no guarantee that they will be re-employed at the same rates and conditions. Where this has happened in other post offices workers have been forced to take worse conditions for the same type of jobs, or they have lost their jobs.

'New Zealand has one of the best postal services in the world. This is because it has been a coherent unit where staff pay and conditions as well as postal services have been standardised across the country. Creating uncertainty and resentment in postal workers by making them reapply for the same jobs will eventually lead to a different level of service and patchy coverage across the country.

'The Alliance wants to keep NZ Post in public ownership and strengthen it.

'For example, a publicly-owned New Zealand bank would help to reduce branch closures and bank charges and provide more competition on interest rates. A new bank could be set up using the NZ Post network. It would provide more jobs, an improved base of services at NZ Post outlets and it would keep the profits here for the benefit of New Zealanders,' Laila Harré said.

ENDS

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