In a 2011 tender, the price difference between the PostAuto offer and the competing company was just over 2%. To win the tender PostAuto cut on labour costs by worsening working conditions. Apparently PostAuto management stated to the employees that its businesses in Liechtenstein and France could only be sustained with money from the Swiss parent PostAuto Schweiz. Personnel was told they also had to make a contribution. According to a former bus driver of the company, management shortened the entry and exit times of chauffeurs leading to up to 20 minutes unpaid working time at the expense of the driver. At the same time, the pause rules had been deleted in the employment contracts and the individual working shifts have been shortened meaning that for a 6-day week of 42 hours drivers have to be present 60 to 65 hours.
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For more information, please contact the editor Jan Cremers or Sanne van der Gaag, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS) cbn-aias@uva.nl or the Head of communications at the ETUI, Willy De Backer wdebacker@etui.org © ETUI