66/ 051
FOR PRESS P. M. No. 35/ 1966
POSTAL DISPUTE
Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr. Harold Holt
A Committee of Cabinet has discussed further today
the situation arising from the Australia-wide stoppage last
Friday in the Mail Exchange Branches of the Post Office organised
by the Australian Postal Workers' Union, and the further
industrial action since taken in the capital city exchanges at
the instigation of the A. P. W. U. The Union has taken its action
to try to secure its demands regarding the manning of the
mechanical letter sorting equi ment being installed by the Post
Office, capable of performing the task of letter sorting very
much more speedily and efficiently than the existing manual
methods. These actions by the Union are in gross and flagrant
breach of the undertaking given by its representatives as a
vital condition of the terms of settlement on 8th April, 1964
of the Sydney Mail Office dispute of that time. The President
of the Mr. Monk the Federal President of the A. P. W. U.,
Mr. F. Waters and the Federal Secretary of the A. P. VW. U., Mr.
G. Slater, all personally signed that agreement. The undertaking
given was in the following terms
" For their part, the A. C. T. U. and the A. P. W. U.
will not support any stoppage of work on any
industrial issue in future but will negotiate
and failing agreement, will go to Arbitration.
In the event of the men stopping work the
A. C. T. U. and the A. P. W. U. agree that the
prescribed penalty provisions of the Act will
e appropriately applied."
Mr. Monk has referred to the action of the A. P. W. U.
as a repudiation of this agreement. As a signatory to the
agreement, he has refused to associate himself with the breaches
of an undertaking so clearly given.
The Commonwealth Government takes a most serious view,
both of the Union's action in disrupting an essential public
service and in violating its undertaking.
Inconvenience and hardship and economic loss are being
caused to the public by the bank-up of millions of letters.
There are serious delays in the handling of all mails, whether
commercial or private, including delays both ways in overseas
mails, and interruptions affecting letters to and from servicemen
at home and overseas. These all result from the course of action
which the Union is pursuing in breach of its pledged word.
Mr. Calwell has stated quite falsely that there has
been a continued refusal by the Postmaster-General, Mr. Hulme,
to have adequate consultations. There has been no refusal, or
failure, or reluctance on the part of Mr. Hulme to confer with
the A. C. T. U. and representatives of the A. P. W. U. on matters in
dispute. He has already talked with Mr. Monk and the officers
of the A. P. W. U. As recently as 29th March, I wrote a personal / 2
-2-
letter to Mr. Monk telling him that in the spirit of the 1964
agreement, Mr. Hulme would again confer with Mr. Monk and with
the General President Mr. ' aters, and the General Secretary
Mr. Slater, of the A. P. v. U. " to discuss the extent to which the
present staff should be employed on the letter sorting machines
and related matters." The Union rejected this offer. Without
regard to the public convenience or to its own written undertaking,
it chose direct action instead.
Following persistent attempts to secure areement by
negotiation, the Pub hc Service Board and the Post Office have,
in a further attempt to remedy the situation invoked the
Arbitration process contemplated under the 1964 agreement.
Application has been made to the Public Service Arbitrator,
Mr. E. A. Chambers. Mr. Chambers has written to the A. P. W. U.,
the Federated Public Service Assistants' Association the
Director-General of Posts and Telegraphs, and the Public Serviee
Board, referring to the great public importance of maintaining
the normal flow of the mails, and also to the specific agreement
by the Amalgamated Postal Workers' Union and the A. C. T. U. to
have recourse to arbitration. He is convening a conference
for 5 p. m. on Wednesday, 6th April, to resolve outstanding
issues raised by the applications.
The Government looks to all participating in the
conference with Mr. Chambers to produce a basis for an immediate
resumption of normal operations. There is a duty to all
sections of the community to achieve this. Quite patently, no
responsible government can tolerate continuing interference
with the effective performance of the postal service.
CANBERRA, April, 1966.