Postal workers strike over restructuring of services

During 2006, a wave of strikes has taken place among workers within the Belgian postal services. The discontent among staff was triggered by the implementation of a software programme, ‘Géoroute 2’, which is a new system for organising delivery rounds that aims to rationalise the distribution of mail. Implementation of the programme has led to redundancies and an increased workload for the postal delivery workers. At local level, trade unions are trying to enter into negotiations with the management of the Belgian Post Office in order to resolve problems brought about by introducing the new system.

Géoroute 1

The Belgian Post Office (La Poste/De Post) has been undergoing a major restructuring process since 2000. In order to deal with the progressive liberalisation of the EU postal sector, it has become necessary for the Belgian company to modernise its services. The company’s management has defined four objectives in order to survive in a competitive market: reduction of costs, improvement of quality, provision of a wider range of services to mail customers (mail delivery), and development of a robust retail network (post offices).

In this context, the management of La Poste/De Post introduced the Géoroute software in 2002. This Canadian programme aims to rationalise the distribution of mail by optimising delivery rounds. Through this rationalisation, a smaller number of employees are needed to deliver mail.

The implementation of Géoroute within the various post offices triggered a wave of strikes during 2003 and 2004 (BE0308303F, BE0409301N). The project led to a significant increase in the workload for postal delivery workers and also the loss of 2,500 jobs over the period.

Géoroute 2

At the end of 2005, La Poste/De Post launched the second stage of its technology upgrade initiative: Géoroute 2. The aim behind using this software programme is to save money because of the progressive decline in mail volumes, estimated at three percentage points every year and mainly due to the substantial increase in email use. According to the company’s management, it is vital to reorganise the postal delivery rounds so that they can be completed by fewer people. In total, about 1,000 further jobs will be cut as a result of the new technology.

Trade union reaction

The trade unions in the sector have reacted swiftly against this new restructuring process. The unions involved are: the General Confederation of Public Services (Centrale Générale des Services Publics/Algemene Centrale der Openbare Diensten, CGSP/ACOD), Transcom from the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (Confédération des Syndicats Chrétiens/Algemeen Christelijk Vakverbond, CSC/ACV), and the Free Trade Union of Civil Servants (Syndicat libre de la Fonction Publique/Vrij Syndicaat voor het Openbaar Ambt, SLFP/VSOA). These unions have underlined the heavy increase in the workload for postal delivery workers. According to a representative of CSC/ACV, ‘many delivery routes are impossible to complete in the time allotted and, despite the promises made, the imbalance between delivery services has still not been resolved’.

Another problem highlighted by the trade unions is the fact that the same productivity level is required for all delivery personnel, regardless of age. In this context, many older workers find it difficult to keep up with the new pace of work. Finally, the trade unions are unhappy about the further reduction in the labour force of about 1,000 employees. However, according to the company’s management, no compulsory redundancies will take place. Surplus staff will leave the company either by taking retirement or by resigning.

Strike action

As was the case with Géoroute, the implementation of Géoroute 2 has triggered a series of strikes within the country’s various post offices. However, these actions have been organised at local level and no national strike has been launched by the trade unions. In April 2006, strikes took place in several municipal areas, including Ixelles in the south of Brussels, Waremme, Herstal and Grâce-Hollogne in the eastern province of Liège, and Soignies in the southwestern province of Hainaut. During the summer of this year, there were strikes in the areas of La Louvière, Manage and Morlanwelz in Hainaut, Uccle in the Brussels region and Verviers in Liège. In September 2006, the Mons and Charleroi municipalities in Hainaut were also affected by disruptions of the mail service.

Discontent grew in various locations in September and October due to the election campaign for the 8 October 2006 local council elections, which considerably increased the volume of mail to deliver during this period, such as electoral pamphlets. Some post offices though decided not to go on strike and to strictly follow the Géoroute 2 rules in order to show to the management the system’s failures.

On 21 September 2006, Belgian newspapers (Les éditions du groupe Sud Presse) presented a report on the number of strikes that have taken place in the Belgian post offices. In total, workers at 50 post offices in Wallonia and Brussels have gone on strike since January 2005 in protest against the restructuring and modernisation of postal services.

Temporary staffing arrangements

In order to placate the striking workers, the management of post offices – where protests have occurred – generally agreed to enter into negotiations with the local trade union representatives. The company recognises the difficulty that its workers have to face in adapting to the new technology; however, the management refuses categorically to stop the modernisation process undertaken in 2000. Generally, the local management will agree to hire a number of temporary workers in order to help postal delivery staff to phase in the new system.

Delphine Rochet, Institut des sciences du travail (IST), Catholic University of Leuven