NZ Post denies sexist job practices

New Zealand Post executives have denied the company has sexist employment practices, despite the fact nearly all its top managers are men.

The state-owned enterprise's website shows that 11 of 12 senior managers are men. In addition seven of its nine-member board are male.

National MP Katherine Rich yesterday questioned key executives over the issue when they appeared before Parliament's commerce select committee.

She said the numbers were extraordinary and suggested there could be a "glass ceiling" for women at NZ Post.

Chief executive John Allen admitted the numbers were a "stark picture", but said there was no glass ceiling at the company.

Top women staff had been asked if they believed the company had a stifling male-dominated culture, but apart from some concerns about "male oriented" language and other minor elements, there were no complaints.

Women had applied for top jobs, but had failed to win the positions, which were decided by selection panels comprising men and women, Mr Allen said.

"It is not that women have not applied - so that there is some sort of sense in the community that New Zealand Post is a male-dominated organisation and women cannot succeed.

"The reality is that women are the predominant percentage of our workforce, that we have women leaders in the operation and that we have women leaders ... in the tier below senior management."

NZ Post chairman Jim Bolger said the board was aware of the issue, but there was no obvious reason for the paucity of women in top roles.

"I get no sense that there is a glass ceiling."

He said board members were appointed by NZ Post's shareholding government ministers.

Mr Bolger and the executives, who appeared before the committee for the company's annual financial review, were also quizzed about its future business outlook.

Mr Allen said the company was heading towards a strong full-year financial performance that would outstrip last year's profit, once one-off items from that year such as the sale of Christchurch Mail and the partial sale of Express Couriers were excluded.

That profit would be achieved against a backdrop of declining residential and financial mail due to competition from email and e-billing.

However, traffic in parcels was up - due to the explosion in use of Trade Me - as was marketing material sent through the mail.

Mr Allen said NZ Post was successfully diversifying its operations through the strengthening of Express Couriers - through its joint venture with DHL - and the continued growth of Kiwibank, which now had 425,000 customers.

Its subsidiary Datamail was also doing well, despite hiccups with its handling of local election results in late 2004.

- NZPA