Unions angered over suggestion to reduce daily mail deliveries

Unions have reacted angrily to suggestions Australia's daily postal services will be slashed and Australia Post privatised.

australia_post

(AAP)

Questions have been raised about the future of daily mail deliveries to households and businesses.

Australia Post recently conducted a survey asking customers if they would prefer to have their mail deliveries three times a week or pay an annual $30 fee for daily delivery..

In a statement, Australia Post denies it is planning to scale back daily door-to-door deliveries.

This comes as Australia Post lost a record $187 million on its traditional mail business last year.

A spokeswoman for Australia Post said it was important to give the community a say in the direction of Australia Post and its services.

"The survey is in no way an indication of what may or may not beimplemented in the future," Australia Post communications manager Michelle Skehan said.

But the union representing Australia's 40,000 postal workers has slammed evn the suggestion of reduced services.

"It's totally unnecessary. Australia Post made $320 million profit last year $244 million went back to the government," CWU Victorian secretary Joan Doyle told SBS.

But Professor of Economics at Monash University Stephen King says the evolution of the NBN makes Australia Post's privatisation inevitable.

"We don't need Australia Post to be a universal service provider and if we remove it's universal service provision Australia Post is just a parcel company," Professor King said. "It's just a courier company and it makes no sense to remain in government hand."

Despite delivery of standard letters decreasing by one billion over the past five years, the union says Australia Post should be retained in its existing form    

"The CEO's getting $4.75million - they don't need to do it - the parcels are substituting the small decline in small letters as generations change their habits," Joan Doyle said.

Elsewhere, postal services are undergoing considerable changes.

Unions in the United States are critical of a new mini-post offices which won't be staffed by trained postal workers.

Government owned Canadian Post is about to stop home deliveries .. and the UK Post is facing partial privatisation.

Have your say in the comment sections below: What are your thoughts on a $30-fee for daily delivery from Australia Post?


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Source: SBS


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