Mirroring many of the problems and issues encountered by Royal Mail before it reduced its headcount here, Australia Post is understood to be in consultation with its 32,000 employees over possible redundancies. Like Royal Mail and other postal service providers around the world, Australia Post has seen a significant reduction in letter post volume and is mooting a move to less frequent deliveries for standard priced mail in order to stay in profit. As in the UK, Australia Post is seeing an increase in parcel volumes driven by online shopping, but is also facing competition on this and for the more lucrative bulk mailing requirements of mailers with significant volumes for major cities and suburban zones. It is the maintenance of reliable services for the, often remote, rural communities, which are unattractive propositions for private carriers, that will fall to Australia Post. Most of the jobs at risk are likely to be in Melbourne and Sydney and although there are rumblings about a potential privatisation, there has been no official denial or confirmation that a sell-off is being considered.
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