Trouble in parcel-land
There are problems in parcel-land at MPF and SPF with the new automated parcel sorting equipment not doing what it was said it would do. The new equipment is not achieving anywhere near the parcels per hour through put that was expected. There are problems with the software not working so that new enhanced software has had to be installed. There are problems with the inverters that are supposed to tip the parcels automatically into the sorter not working. Parcels have to be manually inducted into the sorter but even when they are sorted to the correct chute the scanner is unable to read the barcode and the parcels are being sent to miss-sort area!
Parcel workers are doing a great job sorting parcels manually. But the manual handling risks are potentially greatly increased with the requirement to handle so many parcels manually.
These problems are costing Post millions of dollars. They also mean that the tight timelines for Phase2 of the MPF and SPF expansions just got a whole lot tighter as the planned removal of the old large parcel sorting machine on 26 December 2014 has not commenced to date.
Workers at MPF and SPF are saying that the real problem is that Post rushed into production on this equipment in order to please Post boss, Ahmed Fahour, who they say had sold parcel contracts worth millions of dollars on the basis of the new equipment being in operation by Xmas last year.
The CWU National Office has requested a meeting with Post to discuss the problems at MPF and SPF. The National Office and CWU representatives from Vic and NSW State branches expect to meet Post later this week.
