Save post offices rally in Square fizzes

Press, 21 November 1987, Page 8

Save post offices rally in Square fizzes

DAVID CLARKSON

By

Hopes of sending a strong message to the Government against the planned post office closings slumped with an unimpressive turnout at lunchtime yesterday for the Save the Post Office rally in Christchurch’s Cathedral Square.

Opinions differed widely on the size of the crowd, but even the Post Office Union, which organised the rally, said it was "very disappointed.” The union’s regional organiser, Mr Trevor Young, said it had hoped for a crowd of 4000 to 5000, but four separate headcounts put the attendance at only 1400 to 1500. New Zealand Post’s district manager, Mr Pat Nicholas, who watched the rally, believed only about 400 people were present, and a "Press” reporter estimated thecrowd at only slightly larger. “If the public want the service, they will have to wake their ideas up, and do something positive, or else they will be walked over by this Government,” said Mr Young.

New Zealand Post said the stop-work meeting by staff forced the closing of 15 Post Office branches in the three Christchurch districts. Six of them were in the metropolitan area. But according to figures given to Mr Nicholas, only 144 staff left work intending to go to the rally, a turnout of only 12 per cent of the 1200 district employees. Most of those were from the Postal Centre building in Hereford Street. The offices in the Christchurch area that closed for a period were Addington, Barrington, Beckenham, Christchurch Railway, Halswell and Lyttelton. In the country districts, the stop-work rally closed offices at Hawarden, Waikari, Akaroa, Darfield, Hororata, Kirwee, Leeston, Sheffield and South-

bridge. Most offices were staffed and reopened by 2 p.m., Mr Nicholas said. He described the effect on customers as “minimal.” It was not clear yesterday whether New Zealand Post would carry out its intention in a circular to offices that staff would “have their salary deducted for the period of their absence.” The union was concerned that workers might be docked for time that would normally be their lunch hour, and threatened to take New Zealand Post to the Labour Court if this was done. The rally lasted just over 30 minutes with the dispersed crowd gathered in a semi-circle to hear speakers on a stage set up

on the steps in front of the Cathedral. A spokesman for the Christchurch Unemployed Rights Centre, Mr Peter Elliott, said beneficiaries had been having difficulty opening accounts to receive payments through Postßank. The regional secretary of the Public Service Association, Mr John McKenzie, said the Government must be told enough was enough with corporatisation. The Opposition spokesman on State-owned enterprises, Mr Roger Maxwell, the M.P. for Taranaki, said pressure should be brought to bear quickly on the Government. “If we wait until Christmas, it will be too late,” he said. He said pressure had

brought reassessment of some decisions to close offices or cut services in the North Island. The Government M.P. for Sydenham, Mr Jim Anderton, was obviously disappointed with the rally attendance. “Unless more people are prepared to express their concerns about the closing of post offices, than are here today, there will be very little impact.”

The union’s national secretary, Mr Ron Burgess, said there were hidden costs in the February 5 closing of more than 400 post offices because people would have to make bus or car journeys to reach the remaining offices.

Many of those at the rally carried placards protesting about the closing of offices.