In Brief: Steinke looks to resolve concerns

HOME delivery agents are confident of resolving their fight against WA Newspapers Holdings Ltd after their concerns were addressed at length at the company’s recent extraordinary general meeting. Australian Newsagents Federation WA branch manager Neville Roediger said the Kerry Stokes bid for two WAN board seats had further highlighted the dispute between WAN and its distribution agents over the terms of their contracts, including delivery demands and pay rates. Delivery agents pleaded their case at WAN’s AGM late last year and at least one has since taken legal action against the state’s publishing giant. In recent weeks, the issue gained prominence again when former Busselton delivery agent Sharon Armour ran an unsuccessful campaign for a board seat. Mr Roediger said there were positive comments made by WAN CEO Ken Steinke at the EGM and he expected a resolution could be found after the intense spotlight was put on the company’s operations. “I would not want to be on the board and go to an AGM in six months and go through all the same issues,” he said. Mr Steinke said there was a major review of bulk delivery operations under way and that the company was also reviewing its payments to distributors.