Netherlands: strike at TNT Post to reduce the number of job cuts

A first in the Netherlands: the main opposition party, lead by Labor Party member Job Cohen, declared, on Monday, November 15th, support to the strike organized by TNT Post’s three unions.  Post Abvakabo (FNV), Publieke Zaak (CNV) and the postal workers’ union (Bond voor de Post Personeel, BVPP, independent) presented TNT Post with an ultimatum on October 28th: appeal to strike, quite rare in the Netherlands, if the number of jobs to cut by 2012 isn’t significantly reduced.  Out of the 23,000 workers, TNT Post wants to cut 11,000 by the end of 2012 and generalize part-time (see our dispatch No. 100655).  The number of layoffs already went from 4,500 down to 3,100 on October 20th following a first strike threat.  But unions say this isn’t enough: alternatives need to be found to avoid layoffs and prevent mailmen from “suffering from fierce competition” on a liberalized postal market.
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part-time (see our dispatch No. 100655). The number of layoffs already went from 4,500 down to 3,100 on October 20th following a first strike threat. But unions say this isn’t enough: alternatives need to be found to avoid layoffs and prevent mailmen from “suffering from fierce competition” on a liberalized postal market.

Mariëtte Hamer and Roos Vermeij, leaders of the labor Parliamentary group will hand out chocolates to the strikers today in front of the headquarters of TNT Post in The Hague

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