The PIAA is not taking Australia Post’s massive 48 per cent bulk mail price hike lying down, launching an all-out lobbying blitz to force the government to act.
The campaign, ironically involving a mass mail out to MPs, has been in planning for some time but the unprecedented price hike revealed by ProPrint this week means now is the time to act.
[Related: More Australia Post news]
PIAA chief executive Jason Allen says the monopoly mail carrier is showing ‘total disregard’ for its stakeholders and has ignored Senate inquiry recommendations to have the ACCC review business mail increases.
“The price increase issues are a major concern and they are the tip of an iceberg threatening the future viability of the entire mailing industry and all the associated sectors whose economic livelihoods are under threat by Post’s blindsiding tactics,” he says.
“Post has consistently failed to consult and to make an economic and social business case substantiating its actions.
“It has failed to highlight any improvements and benefits that businesses would be expected to provide their clients with accompanying any price increase.”
MPs will this week be sent copies of the association’s Economic Contribution of the Australian Mailing Industry report, along with a plea to ‘pull this monopolistic, national service provider into line and into compliance’.
“Printing Industries along with key industry stakeholders, has commissioned the research, done the homework and prepared the math that politicians around the country need to see to understand what has been going on and to expose the erroneous pathway that Post is on,” he says.
“Members of Parliament need to understand the consequences of Posts actions on the employment of as many as 150,000 people who contribute $14.1bn in gross value added to the Australian economy – not just the 30,000 people Australia Post employs.”
[Related: More PIAA news]
Allen says Post has failed to meet the criteria of the Australian Government’s Cost Benefit Analysis and it is the duty of the Parliament to hold Post to account and the campaign is geared to achieve that.
“It has avoided quantifying the impacts of its actions across the community and failed to provide economic and social evaluation in monetary terms of its proposed actions,” he says.
“No decision has been made on pricing by the ACCC, but this time they will have a substantial amount of new information and a very large and very angry industry demanding compliance, transparency and consultation before any decisions on Post’s submissions are made.
“The mailing industry understands the challenges it faces by the rise of the digital economy. These challenges must be dealt with by all stakeholders working collaboratively and will not be effectively met by repeated prices increases from Australia Post.
“We call on the government to urgently implement all of the Senate Committees’ recommendations not just those related to Licenced Post Offices.”
Allen says the PIAA will meet with mailhouse representatives next week in Sydney and Melbourne as part of the ‘call to action’ encouraging the industry lobby every politician to support the campaign.
It will also prepare a ‘significant submission’ when the ACCC calls for feedback on the proposals, which ProPrint understand will be up on the ACCC Billboard for six weeks.
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