Strike by posties continues

Press, 23 July 1986, Page 11

Strike by posties continues

By

GLENN HASZARD

A strike by postmen and postwomen in the Aranui postal area is in its third day today, with no sign of a solution to the dispute over staff levels. Seventeen full-time and one part-time postmen and postwomen cover an area which includes Bromley, Burwood, Aranui, and Woolston. Two representatives of the Aranui postal workers’ committee said yesterday that they were seeking one more full-time postie to cover a round which had already been worked out and which would relieve two rounds which they considered had excessive wprkloads. They said that they had been trying to get an extra full-time postie for more than a year. Meanwhile, the average number of postal items

handled a round had increased from 700 a day in 1984 to 900 this year, largely because of more circulars.

Posties work six days a week and average about $15,200 a year in basic pay. They get penal pay for working on a Saturday. They work from 7 a.m. to 1.20 p.m. If they work past 1.30 p.m. they go on to overtime rates. “On a postie’s wage we can ill afford to take this action but we feel that our ability to provide an adequate standard of service to the public is being severely jeopardised,” said the posties. The representatives said that the posties had voted by secret ballot for the strike and the vote was unanimous.

‘We have always been aware of the special responsibilities attached to our work and our decision

was not taken lightly,” they said. The strike is not affecting private postal box deliveries, large parcels, telegrams, or collection from street boxes.

The Deputy Chief Postmaster in Christchurch, Mr Pat Nicholas, said that in October last year checkers had recommended an extra postie for the Aranui area, but a subsequent comprehensive check had shown no need. What was probably needed was a reshuffling of workloads among the 17 rounds. Factors which had to be taken into account included mileage, volume of mail, and the number of letterboxes.

Mr Nicholas said that checks had shown that the lowest volume of postal articles on the Aranui rounds was 535 and the highest, 1220.