AUSTRALIA Post have docked a half a days pay from employees who had a safety meeting that went too long.

About 30 Rockdale Mail Centre staff are protesting outside the workplace after being told they would lose half a day’s wages because the meeting, scheduled during a meal break, ran over into working hours.

Under the new IR laws it was considered an illegal stop-work meeting, allowing Australia Post to dock half a day’s wages.

Australia Post spokeswoman Sheridan Beattie said the Communications Union, which arranged the meeting to discuss the dangers of a new bundling system being trialled at the centre, was fully aware of its legal obligation.

“The action resulted from staff being directed to return to work, when a meeting organised by their union representatives during their meal break ran over time by over 30 minutes, due to the union representatives arriving with only 12 minutes left of the staff’s meal break,” Ms Beattie said.

“The union is fully aware of both their and Australia Post’s legal requirements, and it is unfortunate they still encouraged their members to take this action today.”

She said contingencies were in place to ensure mail was delivered to Rockdale residents and businesses today.

Union state secretary Jim Metcher said the heavy-handed move was evidence of the ridiculousness of the federal Government’s WorkChoices laws.

“We have a group of 30 workers who want to go back to work, but are being told they will not be paid if they do so,” Mr Metcher said.

“We have management saying that under WorkChoices, even 15 minutes to be briefed on the safe operation of new equipment amounts to industrial action that draws punitive measures.”