FNV considers actions at PostNL after ‘tragically low' collective labor agreement

Trade union FNV is considering actions at PostNL because the postal company has made a low wage offer for the new collective labor agreement. FNV considers that offer "tragically low" and therefore decided not to make a counter offer. Only when PostNL comes up with a "serious wage offer" will the union talk further.

PostNL's collective labor agreement expired on April 1 of this year. The corporation offered two 4 percent pay increases for employees in the lowest three pay scales in 24 months. The employees in the three scales above this can count on respectively two 3.5 percent increases, two 3 percent increases and two 2.5 percent increases on their wages in the proposal. Everyone in a higher scale gets an extra 2 percent twice. In addition, PostNL wants to increase the pension premium.

FNV is demanding a wage increase with which employees are compensated for the increased cost of living. The union also wants the minimum wage to go to 14 euros and youth wages to be abolished. "The offer that is now available does not even come close to the current inflation rate of more than 10 percent," said FNV director Mariska Exalto. The association is now discussing the next steps with the members.

About 19,000 people are covered by the PostNL collective labor agreement. These are not all employees of the postal company, because the approximately 16,000 postal deliverers have their own collective labor agreement.