6 August 2015

NZ Post job cuts in Christchurch another symptom of short-term thinking

Workers at New Zealand Post’s call centre in Christchurch have been told today that their jobs are being moved to Auckland, as the company seeks to cut costs and deliver a higher dividend to the government.

“This is a really disappointing announcement,” says Joe Gallagher, EPMU organiser for the postal industry.

“Seventy jobs are being lost in Christchurch. Only about forty will be created in Auckland as Post centralise their services.

“It’s a blow to the Christchurch community with the loss of skilled jobs from the region.

In the past few years, New Zealand Post has closed half of its distribution centres, made hundreds of people redundant, sent their financial service work to the Philippines, reduced deliveries to three days a week and made moves to turn their employees into contractors.

“Because the government is determined to get its surplus, Post is being pushed to return more and more profits to them,” says Joe Gallagher.

“This has led to cost-cutting. The government is driving short-term thinking instead of allowing Post to invest in a secure network of the future. What they should be doing is injecting more money to support Post as it continues to modernise and grow a New Zealand-owned bank.

“They don’t have a plan for fostering good jobs in the regions, and these redundancies are another sad example of that.”

ENDS

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