no more Fat Posties...on bikes?
Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2006 4:41 pm
Union objects to 90kg weight limit for posties
Tuesday, 20 June, 2006
By Xavier La Canna
The battle of the bulge has a new frontier - Australia's mail delivery.
Australia Post has drawn the ire of the Communications Workers Union (CWU) after its policy of only hiring people under 90 kilograms to deliver mail became known. According to the organisation, any heavier and the staff are too big to safely operate the motorbikes most posties use to deliver the mail.
But the union today hit back, drawing on well-known footballers who tipped the scales above the limit to highlight what they say is an arbitrary weight limit.
"Nathan Buckley (91kg), Matthew Lloyd (92kg) and Nick Riewoldt (92kg) would automatically fail despite their obvious fitness and athleticism, exposing Australia Post's claims for the nonsense that they are," said CWU secretary Joan Doyle.
Ms Doyle said no current workers she was aware of had been affected by the move but the union would fight any decision to sack an existing worker who lost their job after breaching the weight limit.
New staff wanting to be posties should be offered bigger motorcycles and more flexibility in mail delivery, Ms Doyle said.
Australia Post is not taking the allegations lightly. Spokeswoman Lea Jaensch denied it was discriminating against hefty Australians.
She said the organisation was constrained by laws that meant postal workers could only travel on footpaths to deliver mail using motorbikes if the vehicles were a maximum 110cc capacity.
These motorcycles can only carry 130kgs safely, and with extra safety machinery and the mail itself weighing 40kgs, 90kgs is the largest people could be, she said.
She said if existing staff went over the limit they would be offered jobs elsewhere in the organisation. "We need to ensure that when we hire people they can utilise the equipment," Ms Doyle said.
AAP
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is this the end of the ubiquitous postie bike?
keep watching for the next amazing episode
Tuesday, 20 June, 2006
By Xavier La Canna
The battle of the bulge has a new frontier - Australia's mail delivery.
Australia Post has drawn the ire of the Communications Workers Union (CWU) after its policy of only hiring people under 90 kilograms to deliver mail became known. According to the organisation, any heavier and the staff are too big to safely operate the motorbikes most posties use to deliver the mail.
But the union today hit back, drawing on well-known footballers who tipped the scales above the limit to highlight what they say is an arbitrary weight limit.
"Nathan Buckley (91kg), Matthew Lloyd (92kg) and Nick Riewoldt (92kg) would automatically fail despite their obvious fitness and athleticism, exposing Australia Post's claims for the nonsense that they are," said CWU secretary Joan Doyle.
Ms Doyle said no current workers she was aware of had been affected by the move but the union would fight any decision to sack an existing worker who lost their job after breaching the weight limit.
New staff wanting to be posties should be offered bigger motorcycles and more flexibility in mail delivery, Ms Doyle said.
Australia Post is not taking the allegations lightly. Spokeswoman Lea Jaensch denied it was discriminating against hefty Australians.
She said the organisation was constrained by laws that meant postal workers could only travel on footpaths to deliver mail using motorbikes if the vehicles were a maximum 110cc capacity.
These motorcycles can only carry 130kgs safely, and with extra safety machinery and the mail itself weighing 40kgs, 90kgs is the largest people could be, she said.
She said if existing staff went over the limit they would be offered jobs elsewhere in the organisation. "We need to ensure that when we hire people they can utilise the equipment," Ms Doyle said.
AAP
------------------------------------------------
is this the end of the ubiquitous postie bike?
keep watching for the next amazing episode
Ive seen our regular postie at the start of his run & there is mail oozing out of every bag on his bike 
