STREAMLINED CONTACTLESS DELIVERY, SIGNAGE IN POST OFFICES, SOCIAL DISTANCING RECOMMENDATIONS AND TEMPORARY CHANGES TO SOME BRANCH OPERATIONS
Dear Members,
Your Branch has continued to seek further protections for members as we navigate through the unprecedented situation in relation to the emerging worldwide Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. These conversations between your Branch and the employer groups who employ our members are ongoing.
NEW MEASURES FOR POST OFFICES
Following member feedback since the outbreak worsened, we have pushed for notices, reminding customers of good hygiene practices, to be displayed within post offices and we are pleased that Post has agreed to this.
From yesterday, posters will be displayed in Post Offices, requesting for customers who have symptoms of illness, not to enter the outlet. Post have also placed updated information on their coronavirus information page online – calling on customers to keep at least one metre from others and to practice good hygiene. The update can be found here: https://auspost.com.au/about-us/news-media/important-updates/coronavirus
NEW MEASURES FOR THE DELIVERY OF ARTICLES TO CUSTOMER PREMISES
Following feedback from members and ongoing dialogue, Australia Post have agreed to our requests for a streamlined ‘contactless delivery’ procedure.
Therefore, members delivering articles to customers will no longer be required to question whether a customer is suffering symptoms of illness, or in self-isolation related to COVID-19.
The new updated procedures now require members to remain at least 1.5 metres from all customers when delivering to their premises, confirm the customer’s name and inform them you are leaving the parcel for them without requiring any contact for the purpose of obtaining a signature.
MORE NEEDED ON SOCIAL DISTANCING
Whilst we welcome the initiatives, we continue our call for stronger social distancing measures in the workplace and a commitment to ‘special leave’ provisions for any employee who may require additional time off to recover from, or care for someone, if affected by the virus.
The Federal Government has issued a call for everybody to keep at least 1.5 metres away from each other and other employers, such as Telstra, who have gone so far as to cancel all in-person meetings involving 25 or more people and have introduced work-from-home arrangements across their entire office-based workforce some 20,000 employees
We believe Post should be introducing further flexibility to ensure effective social distancing at work – including the cancellation of meetings and working at home arrangements for those at risk or have genuine concerns .
UNION DIRECTIONS ON MEMBERS’ HEALTH AND SAFETY
Your branch is directing all members to take all steps you feel are reasonable and appropriate to protect your health and safety whilst at work.
Specifically, your branch feels it would not be unreasonable to refuse to participate in gatherings or formal meetings where members are required to remain in close proximity to others for an extended period, nor do we believe it would be unreasonable for members to refuse interactions with any customer who displays symptoms of illness.
Should you encounter any difficulty when attempting to invoke your rights to a safe workplace, please contact us immediately, for assistance.
TEMPORARY MEASURES TO REDUCE EXPOSURE AND SPREAD TO CWU OFFICIALS AND MEMBERS
Your branch is also an employer, and as an employer, we have had to take important decisions to implement temporary measures to reduce exposure to the virus to our employees – your Officials and Industrial officers .
Your Officials and Industrial Officers schedule visits to all workplaces across the state on a regular basis, in addition to the many close interactions we have, in person, with members daily.
In order to reduce the risk of exposing your Officials and our members and families to COVID-19, your Branch has taken measures to suspend certain workplace visits and meetings.
These measures are also an effort to eliminate the risk of an Official or Industrial Officer becoming infected themselves, and inadvertently exposing members to the virus in their workplaces and the wider community. We must err on the side of caution.
Officials in your State Branch remain contactable by telephone and all other Union services will continue as usual. Please contact us directly for any further information you require.
We are continuing to engage with employers at the most senior levels and will ensure you have access to relevant information as soon as practicable.
Above all stay safe and take all necessary precautions to ensure the welfare of yourselves, your families and loved ones, your workmates and the community in general during this difficult and challenging time.
Yours In Unity ,
Leroy Lazaro
BRANCH SECRETARY
Communication Workers Union
Postal & Telecommunications Branch Victoria
18 March 2020
Processing Leroy Lazaro 0422 546 814
Retail/Decipha/Customer Contact Centre Cindy Shelley 0407 334 397
Delivery Andy Howson 0400 322 573
Transport Brendan Henley 0400 071 716
Delivery/Industrial Officer Martin O’Nea 0407 409 770
