Belgium: social agreement on the introduction of assistants in the Post

“Low cost.” On Tuesday, February 9, the Belgian post revealed to its employees its objectives for 2010, the transition year before the complete liberalization of the postal sector in 2011. After several months of conflict last year, the management and the social partners signed, on January 21, a social agreement providing for the creation of a new job: auxiliary agents. These “low cost” workers, as unions call them, caused ire among the latter because the management provided 9,000 such part-time jobs to assist in collecting, sorting and delivering mail. The company wanted to save money this way to replace about 4,000 workers who will retire within a few years. When the postal market is open to competition, the Post wants to save €30 million and cut the number of post offices from 500 currently down to 120 or 130.
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and delivering mail. The company wanted to save money this way to replace about 4,000 workers who will retire within a few years. When the postal market is open to competition, the Post wants to save €30 million and cut the number of post offices from 500 currently down to 120 or 130.

Agreement. The agreement signed last month finally reduces the number of auxiliary agents to 3,000 full time and 1,000 part-time. It also provides that they will first be awarded to temporary workers who will then

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