Thousands of Australia Post Christmas casual workers will go without pay this Christmas despite working hard in making sure the community receives their Christmas goodies via the mail system, the CEPU Postal Workers Union said today.
Australia Post today told the Fair Work Commission of its inability to pay thousands of Christmas casual workers their statutory pay entitlements on time despite workers being required to work up to Christmas Eve – and now without seeing one red cent of pay for their efforts.
Many casuals working are students and low-income earners and after today’s fiery hearing before the Fair Work Commission (FWC), will now have to wait up to four weeks before getting paid for their work by Australia Post, said CEPU NSW State Secretary Jim Metcher.
“Workers in this appalling situation of being without their statutory pay entitlements being paid on time, should have expected a bit more compassion from their ‘Independent Umpire’ in these circumstances,” said Mr Metcher.
“Rather than lecturing the Union over the timing of the hearing – despite the fact we only learnt of the non-payment yesterday – the FWC should be standing up for workers’ being paid on time.
“Australia Post’s claim it can’t pay their workers due to its inefficient and inferior payroll system before Christmas isn’t good enough.”
Given the circumstances confronted by the Union with the FWC and Australia Post, the CEPU NSW State Secretary Jim Metcher made a final plea before the FWC for Australia Post to at least attempt to make some sort of payment to their workers before Christmas that could be recovered from their pay stood over to January 2014.
Australia Post made no commitments to do this for their workers other than saying they will explore whether the Unions request can be achieved.
In the meantime the Union is obtaining legal advice on its option to commence proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia for the purpose of obtaining a conviction and penalty against Australia Post for failing to pay workers their statutory entitlements on time.
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