Members' overwhelming endorsement of new EBA10

A co-ordinated CEPU/CWU campaign which has played out over the past 12 months in the public eye, in our Parliamentary chambers and, ultimately, at the bargaining table, has delivered an EBA10 that locks in all your existing conditions, continues to maximise full-time jobs, prevents members impacted by letter decline from being sacked, delivers pay equality to posties and increases wages at a rate exceeding current averages and Australian wage growth forecasts for the next three years.

Importantly, it seals the fate of the ADM – giving members real control of the modelling of their workplaces to restore the levels of service the public deserve and protect the quality of our members’ jobs.

It’s no wonder that members right across the country have endorsed the Agreement so strongly – delivering the highest ever level of return in an Australia Post EBA ballot.

It demonstrates just how important security and certainty is to CEPU/CWU members as we navigate through one of the worst health and economic disasters our country has ever faced.

The ballot was counted today, resulting in the following state-by-state breakdown:

New South Wales 98% YES
Australian Capital Territory 97% YES
South Australia 95% YES
Northern Territory 99% YES
Queensland 93% YES
Western Australia 94% YES
Tasmania 57% YES
Victoria 78% YES
NATIONAL YES VOTE: 90%

Not only is the number of returned votes the highest ever seen in an Australia Post EBA ballot, the national “YES” vote percentage is also a new record.

Members delivered this outcome

Your Union wishes to thank all members, particularly our local AURs and activists, for their hard work in holding Australia Post accountable over the past year.

All the lobbying of our politicians, your evidence, your photographs, your documented experiences of how the system was choking under the demand of processing and delivering mail under the ADM, from having to deal with irate customers in our post offices and call centres who were angry about how the ADM was disrupting their access to essential goods and their ability to keep their businesses open – each one of you have played a key role in defining this outcome.

And to those of you who encouraged members in your workplace to vote, and to vote yes – so resoundingly. You achieved this win, and it should be celebrated.

Australia Post will now lodge EBA10 with the Fair Work Commission (FWC) and your Union will be taking steps to ensure coverage.

Once the Agreement is approved by the FWC it will come into effect and replace EBA9. Members will receive their first 3% wage rise in the first full pay period of September.

Keeping our Union strong – to continue delivering the very best outcomes

Continuing to deliver the very best outcomes for our members is only achievable if we keep our Union strong. If your colleagues are not yet members of the CEPU, ask them to join today.

I also want to thank the many members in workplaces across the country who took advantage of the incentives offered during the EBA10 recruitment campaign – where over 300 new members joined the Union.

This was so important in ensuring we were stronger when we got to the bargaining table.

Each new member that joined during the period was assigned a number, with one from each participating Branch selected via a randomising system in our major prize draw.

Those who invited new members to join were also entered in to their own draw with winners selected randomly through the same process – the greater the number of new members invited to join, the greater the chance of winning the random draw.

We’re excited to announce the winners of the major prize draws across Branches participating in the campaign were:

New Members	Inviters
Phillip Eastwood, NSW/ACT	Kevin Backhouse, NSW/ACT
Gareth Muller, QLD	Marguerite O’Shea, QLD
Jane Cochrane, SA/NT	Jane Goodings, SA/NT
Phillip Morgan, WA	Lily Tan, WA