Government owned Post Offices are closed today. Customers at Forest Hill this morning were angry and came into our newsagency venting. The closure is odd given Australia Post’s community service obligation; requirement to operate on a commercial basis and that it justifies the sale of stuffed bears, calendars, greeting cards and the like on the need to subsidise its mail service. Maybe if it opened on usual commercial days it could better cover its costs.
The closure today is proof of benefits Australia Post it receives through Government ownership. They access trading and lease terms unavailable to small business. They abuse their customers by closing on a regular trading day. They hurt small businesses around them by turning off traffic.
If other businesses had full access to the Australia Post exclusive range, Australia Post would not close today.
9 responses so far ↓
1 Thomas // Dec 29, 2006 at 11:31 AM
The day off is apart of their EBA because of the extra hours worked up to Christmas
2 mark fletcher // Dec 29, 2006 at 11:35 AM
Australia Post should be able to roster to cope with this. Businesses need to operate. Australia Post has an obligation to the community.
3 Clem // Dec 29, 2006 at 2:15 PM
Crap! Extra hours are paid in overtime. This is an outdated practice and it is arranged by the children running the lollie shop. You have the bosses negotiating with the workers for them all to have a holiday!
You local LPO (not run by the government, but by small business owners) is told by their AP manager that they have to open, so there are around 3000+ post offices open and only 865 (whatever) that are closed around Australia.
I believe the ground swell of disapproval is reaching mainstream media and that is why the LPOs are told to open, and the corporates will probably loose this entitlement in the near future. They are talking on their new EBA now, so stay tuned!
Happy New Year to all :o)
4 Leigh // Jan 3, 2007 at 7:47 PM
Australia Post is expected to work around the clock right up until Christmas. Majority of Australia Post Staff are also unable to take holidays over Christmas.
If you tried working for Australia Post over Christmas you wouldn’t know what hit you!!
Whether it’s in a Post Office, Delivering Parcels,clearing Street Posting Boxes or in the Customer Care Centre, no one gets a chance to breathe - even top management come down to help the frontline staff!
Majority of Outlets may have closed for the day, however there were more than enough open to cater for everyone. The extra day off was such a relief for staff and their families and was greatly appreciated!
Think of how many private Businesses are closed for a week or 2 over Christmas/New Years!
Australia Post took 1 day off, I don’t think it was unreasonable considering the hard work they put in over Christmas.
5 mark fletcher // Jan 3, 2007 at 7:54 PM
Leigh, If the staff don’t like it they can work elsewhere. Newsagents are open 365 days a year. They work 16 to 18 hour days. Most newsagencies open no later than 7 and close usually by 6pm. Many are open much longer hours. And newsagents do this for an average annual salary of $40,000. Yeah, Aussie Post staff have nothing to complain about. All the best, Mark
6 CJW // Jul 26, 2007 at 9:56 PM
Mark, concentrate on running your small business, rather then whinging about what is ouside your area of control or change, If you do not like it, life is to short, get out and enjoy something you do!
7 mark fletcher // Jul 26, 2007 at 10:04 PM
CJW, Thanks for the advice. What I can try and change is the government use of the monopoly it created to compete unfairly with my newsagency and others like mine. I owe my employees and other stakeholders that. Mark
8 brett woods // Dec 24, 2007 at 12:39 PM
that is pretty poor form australian post xmas eve not on
9 Ben // Dec 27, 2007 at 8:41 AM
Mark,
Or perhaps you could increase your sales by having a ‘post-Christmas sale’ on the day that Australia Post closes (once again, one day every year).
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