Change to Christmas postal delivery

Cabinet has agreed to a change to the postal deed so that postal workers can have a four day Christmas break each year and have Easter Saturday off.

The Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Steven Joyce, says the variation will formalise the current practice of no postal delivery on public holidays and Easter Saturday so that hard-working postal delivery workers can take a holiday break. 

"Public holidays are times of year when many other workers are taking holiday breaks and postal volumes are not high.

"The variation will mean that postal delivery workers will be able to enjoy a four-day holiday break over the upcoming 2010/11 Christmas and New Year periods where the statutory days fall on the weekend and are observed on the Monday and Tuesday following." 

The new arrangement requires a variation to clause 4 of the 1998 Deed of Understanding (‘the Deed') between the Government and New Zealand Post to formalise a holiday exemption in the Deed's postal delivery requirements. 

The Ministry of Economic Development consulted on the change in October this year and the reaction from submitters was positive.  

The Ministry also consulted on a proposed change to clarify clause 17 of the Deed concerning the terms and conditions of access by other postal operators to New Zealand Post's postal network.  This change is still under consideration.

More information on the clause 4 variation and the submissions received is available on the Ministry of Ministry of Economic Development's website at http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/ContentTopicSummary____45418.aspx.