New Zealand Post plans to lay off 700 postal staff in the next five years, in favour of using contractors in vans. 

Postal Workers Union Co-National President John Maynard tells Mike Hosking contractors don’t have the same employment rights and employers will use contractors to avoid paying benefits such as annual holidays. The union believes a suitable alternative to the cuts is to maintain postal delivery on footpaths with smaller numbers. 

The union believe this plan is a more efficient proposition to continue delivering letters than what NZ Post are currently planning. 

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