File photo. Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
The Postal Workers Union is slamming NZ Post for its failure to remove Hawke's Bay post-boxes that have been sitting dormant for months.
Hawke's Bay Today reported on six NZ Post boxes across Hastings and Havelock North that are slated for removal, but are poorly sign-posted, with the public continuing to post mail for collection.
It reported on one woman who had just completed a free bowel screening test provided by Health NZ, and posted it in one of these boxes.
Two weeks later she saw the post box was overflowing and realised her test had never been sent.
Co-president of the Postal Workers Union of Aotearoa John Maynard told Nine to Noon it was alarming to hear of people waiting on bowel screening results that would never arrive.
He said NZ Post should have consulted with the community before shutting the boxes, and it's failure to do so "was a serious violation of their obligation to have regard for the interests of the community".
Maynard said ideally no road-side post boxes would be abandoned but if they had to go, they should be clearly marked as 'closed' and removed swiftly.
"There's much more efficient ways than just sticking a piece of paper on there - and taking nine months, I mean a lot of them they whip them out very quickly."
NZ Post apologised for the confusion and said signs on a Hastings post box - that has been closed for nine months - were ripped off multiple times.
It said the box should have been removed sooner, although it is unclear why it is taking so long for the boxes to be removed.
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