DELIVERY SHOP-STEWARDS & MEMBERS BULLETIN

Meeting on EAMBs – 13 July 2018

The union (Joan Doyle, Martin O’Nea (Delivery Organisers), Mark Hennessy (the union’s OHS Advisor) & three shop-stewards – Enzo Mannuzza (Templestowe DC), Diana Grey (Mornington DC) and Rob Critch (Airport West DC) met with Australia Post (Vance Duke – State Manager, Tracey Smith, Michael Otteraa, Stephen Hehir (Enterprise Safety), Jamie Hamilton-Cox (Assets Manager), Monique Kokich (HR) to talk about the implementation of round conversions to EAMBs (electric bikes).

A written agreement is still to be provided but the union wants to consult delivery delegates about this agreement.  Many issues were canvassed but the main issues were as follows:

1.Working Party to be Set Up

Management agreed to establish a working party of posties with special skills and interest in electric bikes.This group will be tasked with making suggestions of how to make the electric bikes ‘fit for purpose” and with making suggestions about PPE and uniform for push-bike posties.

IF YOU HAVE ANYONE AT YOUR DC WHO WOULD BE GOOD ON THIS GROUP PLEASE FORWARD THEIR NAMES TO JOAN OR MARTIN OR THE UNION OFFICE ASAP.

2.Assessment of Rounds

Where there is disagreement with management or the local National Delivery Modelling Tool meeting’s assessment of which rounds are suitable for conversion or with for example, the length of the EAMB round, posties can appeal the Decision to a Review Panel made up of management and the union.

3.Genuine reasons

Management agreed that if individual posties had ‘genuine’ reasons not to convert to an EAMB round that they would not be coerced to convert to an EAMB.These may be medical reasons or may relate to exposure risks or other practical reasons.Again, an appeal right would exist to the Review Panel.

4.Reverting to your motor-bike mode of delivery if you give the EAMB a try and don’t want to proceed.

Management said it was current practice to allow posties to change-over in an eight week period i.e. posties can use their motor-bikes if they are sore or it is a heavy day until the posties are ‘work-hardened.’ The union asked that posties be allowed to remain on their motor-bikes if they have tried the EAMB and couldn’t get comfortable using it.The union started off suggesting a 2 week trial period while management wanted to have an 8 week trial period.WE WOULD LIKE YOUR VIEWS ON WHAT WOULD BE A REASONABLE TRIAL PERIOD.

5.Upgrades to existing EAMBs

If posties are on older models of the EAMBs and need to upgrade for some reason, they need to provide their names to the union office with an explanation of why they need an upgrade.

Authorised: Leroy Lazaro Branch Secretary
For further information ring the union office: 9387 0189
Joan Doyle: 0419 345 134; Martin O’Nea: 0437 409 770