Couriers filmed kicking freight

THREE courier drivers are facing disciplinary action after a video showed staff kicking and throwing around parcels marked ‘‘fragile’’.

CourierPost is investigating the video, filmed in a Hamilton car park on Friday and published yesterday on social media.

At least three courier workers in uniform are shown kicking and passing boxed packages strewn outside three branded vans.

The video, shot by Hamilton man Anthony Arnell, has had more than 200,000 views.

It appears to have been shot by a hidden cameraman. One of two men behind the camera can be heard describing the parcels: ‘‘It’s got ‘Fragile’ and ‘This way up’, and they are still throwing them out of the van.’’

NZ Post, which owns CourierPost, was made aware of the video through social media yesterday afternoon.

Chief operating officer Paul Trotman said the men’s actions were not an acceptable way to treat freight.

‘‘CourierPost takes misconduct seriously and will be following up this incident, which I believe is isolated, with those involved,’’ Trotman said.

The company’s regional area manager would meet the drivers involved to begin the disciplinary process.

The three drivers, from two separate Waikato contractors, were moving packages from one van to another for delivery when the video was shot, by Hamilton man Anthony Arnell.

CourierPost acting chief operating officer Alan Court said the packages were an assortment of retail, business and personal couriered items, and any damage was not yet known.

‘‘Our team on the ground will have that level of detail. We are dealing with those contractors and others involved.

‘‘We are establishing what was going on, why freight was being handled in this way. It’s not acceptable to us, so we are looking at the mistreatment and mishandling.’’

Further investigation of packages was being made.

the