http://www.theage.com.au/national/postal-strike-brought-to-an-end-for-now-20091216-kxhr.htmlLEGAL challenges have halted nationwide industrial action at Australia Post that yesterday shut down Victoria's mail system with more than 4 million letters and parcels unable to be delivered.
Last night national workplace relations tribunal Fair Work Australia ruled in favour of an application by Australia Post that will suspend today's planned nationwide strike action, and separate legal action in the Federal Court saw the union agree to abandon pickets at sites in Victoria.
Communications Electrical Plumbing Union (CEPU) national president Ed Husic said the union had been ordered by Fair Work Australia to not proceed with a series of planned strikes for today through to Monday.
He said union members could still engage in work bans such as not checking mail for stamps. It is believed they would be unable to resume big strikes until at least next Tuesday.
Australia Post spokesman Alex Twomey said the main impact of yesterday's nationwide strike was felt in Victoria and there was only ''minimal impact'' in NSW and Queensland and no impact elsewhere.
Mr Husic said Post's claims were wrong and that mail had slowed to a trickle right along the eastern seaboard, with ''strong support'' to the union from Post employees.
Mr Twomey said Post was able to manage staff going on strike - he said fewer than a quarter of its 35,000 staff took industrial action yesterday - but the pickets in Victoria had stopped mail moving.
The threat of mail stopping for a second day in Victoria appeared to recede last night after an application to the Federal Court by Australia Post.
The CEPU agreed to not prevent access to postal sites and to notify its members at the picket lines.
Australia Post said a left-wing activist network, Union Solidarity, was involved in the Victorian pickets. Union Solidarity, which said it folded in February 2009, had played a big role in a number of industrial disputes when the Howard government was in power and was used to bypass tough anti-strike laws.
Mr Twomey said most of those on the picket lines were not its employees and some came from other unions. Reports last night indicated the picket lines were being dismantled, he said.
He was ''disappointed'' that Victoria Police had failed to remove the ''illegal pickets'' that were threatening an essential service. ''We've placed calls; they've said they had no real interest,'' he said. Victoria Police did not respond.
Yesterday's strike comes after long-running talks over a new enterprise agreement between the parties broke down over issues including safety, job security and take-home pay.
The union and Post expressed a willingness to talk to resolve the dispute but accused each other of acting in bad faith.
As well as claims that a senior Post manager was assaulted after driving a truck to a picket line, there were contested claims from the union that people on the pickets were nearly run over.
Communication Workers' Union branch secretary Joan Doyle said management had been ''provocative'' and there had been attempts to run over picketers. She said there were about 60 to 70 people at the Dandenong mail centre.
Ms Doyle said the industrial action was over Post's revenue and increasing of their costs.
Mr Twomey said if the pickets in Victoria were lifted, delays in the mail could be limited to only a day.
Australia Post was also attacked by the Major Mail Users of Australia chief executive, John Gilroy, who represents big business mail users, who yesterday accused Post of acting like a ''Big Brother monopoly'' and often acting arrogantly.
