The long-lasting conflict between TNT Post and the trade unions concerning the dismissal of full-time delivery workers (“postbodes” in Dutch) and their replacement by part-time, lower paid distributing clerks (“postbezorgers”) is moving towards a climax. The three unions involved, FNV Abvakabo, CNV Publieke Zaak and BVPP have posed TNT an ultimatum to diminish the number of forced dismissals to under 3,100; if not, a 24-hours’ strike will be held in the second week of November. Although the unions earlier succeeded to bring down forced job losses from 4,500 to 3,100, they argue that the speed of restructuring is still too high, with the workload in the TNT distribution centres growing to unacceptable levels. As a number of wildcat strikes has already shown, a new efficiency regime in these centres is said to have spoiled shop-floor relations totally. By contrast, a TNT spokesman argued, “It is inevitable that such things are happening” (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 3 June 2010).
Dutch: http://www.fd.nl/artikel/20593311/donderdag-ultimatum-vakbonden-tnt; NRC-Handelsblad, October 27, 2010.
For more information, please contact the editor Maarten van Klaveren, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS) M.vanKlaveren@uva.nl. You may find further information on the ETUI atwww.etui.org, and on the AIAS at www.uva-aias.net. © ETUI aisbl, Brussels 2009.