AIRC Hearing - 7 January

Postal Services Industry Award updateThe second hearing regarding the most recent log of claims from the CEPU was held at the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) in Melbourne on 7 January. POAAL attended the hearing in Melbourne, representing the vast majority of Licensees affected by this action.The purpose of the hearing was to finalise the list of Licensees against whom the CEPU sought a dispute finding. Following the previous AIRC hearing in November 2004 the CEPU was instructed to send further information to the small number of Licensees against whom they sought a dispute finding but who had not authorised POAAL to act for them or had not responded directly to the CEPU or AIRC.The Commission directed the CEPU to finalise the list of Licensees against whom they are seeking a dispute finding.The next step in this process will most likely be that the CEPU will seek to "rope in" those Licensees who have had a dispute found against their business. This means that those Licensees will be made respondent to the Postal Services Industry Award, and will be bound to pay their staff under the terms and conditions of the Award. Of course, Licensees always have the option of setting up AWAs for their employees.It should be noted that it is the Licensed Post Office that will be "bound" to the Award. If an LPO bound to the Award changes hands, staff at the LPO are still to be employed under the conditions of the Award.Any questions on this matter should be directed to the POAAL National Office or to Ian Bryant at the CEPU in Melbourne.