Big business salivates greedily as Joe Hockey and Tony Abbott plot the sell-off of Australia Post. Some, like billionaire MP Clive Palmer (who has strong regional backing), oppose the sale because they argue that country services will be cut.

This is already happening. Australia Post confirmed on 20 February that, by March, next-day mail delivery will be scrapped for regional centres. The Communications Workers Union (CWU) in Victoria will work to minimise resulting job losses in Ballarat, Bendigo, Seymour and Gippsland

Among the cheerleaders for privatisation is National Online Retailers Association chairman Paul Greenberg. Speaking to an online business forum, he said, “Every instinct in my body says privatisation will lead to a better outcome.” No doubt Greenberg and other commercial interests aim to tailor Australia Post to suit their profits, to the detriment of Australia Post workers and service to the public.

The Business Council of Australia is also backing privatisation, saying that government ownership of the service is squandering taxpayer dollars. This is despite Post returning more than $310 million profit, after tax, to the government in 2013.

There has been some testing of the waters about the public attitude to change. Suggestions have been made that some Centrelink services could be taken on by Australia Post. Relevant unions and social services lobby groups would strongly oppose any move that would slash jobs, worsen conditions and deplete services even further.

This is already happening. Australia Post has been contracting out work for years. This has been a disaster for workers. According to the CWU, contracting has led to delivery drivers working for less than the minimum wage provided under the Road Transport and Distribution Award and missing out on superannuation payments. Sixty workers were affected when one contractor went into liquidation during the Christmas peak. The union has fought for back pay for members impacted.

For more than 200 years the government has run a postal service in Australia. A communication lifeline for everyone, it is an essential service. Australia Post employs more than 35,000 people and has more than 4400 outlets, with more than half of these in rural and regional areas. Job losses and service cuts will hit hard.

More information about the union’s campaign to keep Australia Post in public hands can be found at handsoffaussiepost.org.au.