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Australia Post is facing the prospect of pulping millions of dollars worth of new uniforms over staff safety concerns just weeks into the unveiling of its new corporate look.
Hi-vis polo shirts that were supposed to be worn by tens of thousands of posties and outdoor staff are so thin that workers wearing them say they have been badly sunburnt, forcing Australia Post to delay the rollout of a central piece of its new uniform.
After an 18-month trial of its new uniform, Australia Post in January began phasing in a new range of 80 garments across its 60,000-strong workforce, with the rollout to be completed by March.
But just weeks into the multimillion-dollar national rollout, it has ordered a safety review of the polo shirt and its SPF 50-rating after a flood of complaints from workers who say they are not only suffering sunburn, but have their bras and tattoos on public display through the thin material.
Details of the new uniform contract – including the garment supplier and cost – remain confidential.
But Communication Workers Union Victorian branch secretary Troy McGuinness said the shirt bungle had the potential to cost Australia Post tens of millions of dollars, as well as risking the safety of posties.
“If they thought this was going to save them $5 million, this stuff up is going to cost them $25-$30 million,” McGuinness said.
After a February 6 meeting between the union and Australia Post management, it was agreed posties and subcontractors could continue to wear their old uniforms until at least March 30 while the garments were reviewed, and further details of the sun protection were sought from the manufacturer.
McGuinness said many workers had been ordered to hand in or destroy their old uniforms before the recall, and in some cases team leaders were buying non-branded sun-safe hi-vis shirts for their staff.
He said issues about the sun protection, quality, durability, fit and functionality of various garments in the new uniform range were raised by staff during months of testing, however the rollout began in January regardless.
“They were see-through, people got sunburnt, and they shrank in the wash,” McGuinness said.
“We had reports of posties getting sunburn through the shirts. We had posties coming back with sunburn on their backs and on their upper arms.
“Throughout the 18-month trial period these issues were reported to them, and they ignored them.”
Australia Post confirmed to this masthead that it had paused the uniform rollout while a formal review of the polo shirt’s sun protection qualities was done.
“The safety of our team is our number one priority, and some concerns have been raised with a SPF 50 graded polo shirt, one garment out of a new 80-item uniform range,” an Australia Post spokesperson said.
“We have advised team members to continue wearing their old uniform until the new polo shirt is determined safe, suitable, and meets our quality expectations.
“Valuable insight from over 2500 uniformed team members was incorporated into the final design.”
Strict uniform standards are mandatory in Australia for high-risk industries including construction, mining and logistics, and uniforms are considered as personal protective equipment for factors including sun protection for outdoor workers.
Australia Post has one of the nation’s largest workforces, with more than 34,000 direct employees and about 30,000 contractors. The problematic hi-vis shirts were supposed to routinely worn by posties, delivery staff, van drivers and other outdoor workers.
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