New Zealand Post has announced plans to cut 75 jobs from its call centres in Christchurch and Wellington as part of its five-year business plan.
Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson
A spokesperson said staff had today been told that the Christchurch call centre would be relocated to Auckland.
The proposal would see the loss of 71 jobs in Christchurch and four in Wellington, while 40 new jobs would be created in Auckland.
The spokesperson said the proposal to operate the call centre from Auckland would improve customer service and said the company was working closely with affected staff.
Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) postal industry organiser Joe Gallagher said the latest round of job losses was "really disappointing" and would be a blow to the Christchurch community.
He said in the past few years New Zealand Post had closed half of its distribution centres, made hundreds of people redundant, sent their financial service work to the Philippines and reduced deliveries, as part of cost-cutting measures.
"Because the Government is determined to get its surplus, Post is being pushed to return more and more profits to them," he said.
"What they should be doing is injecting more money to support Post as it continues to modernise and grow a New Zealand-owned bank."
New Zealand Post confirmed in February that about 400 posties would lose their jobs over the next few years, with standard mail delivery to be cut to every second day in urban centres.