In November 1998, after months of negotiations, a procedure was initiated to make redundant 758 workers at the Italian operations of the Postalmarket mail-order company. However, a mobilisation by workers contributed to a suspension of the procedure and attempts to find an alternative to the company's closure.
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In November 1998, after months of negotiations, a procedure was initiated to make redundant 758 workers at the Italian operations of the Postalmarket mail-order company. However, a mobilisation by workers contributed to a suspension of the procedure and attempts to find an alternative to the company's closure.
Late 1998 brought bleak news for 758 workers employed by Postalmarket, a company which sells products by mail order, owned by the German multinational Otto Versand. A decision was taken by the company's executive board on 12 November 1998 to make redundant the employees - mostly women aged over 40 - of its production units at Peschiera Borromeo and Bollate (Milan) and Casaletto Vaprio (Cremona).
The company took the decision suddenly. Negotiations among the social partners had been going on at the Ministry of Labour for months in order to try to solve the situation positively. Recently, trade unions had been analysing a proposal made by a group of companies willing to buy the Postalmarket trademark and the Italian plants. The difficulties of Postalmarket started in 1993 when the company was bought by Otto Versand. From the start, the German multinational announced its intention to close down all the company's activities in Italy.
When Otto Versand first announced its intention to close the Italian plants permanently, the Postalmarket workers started a long period of mobilisation against the closures, involving harsh forms of conflict - which resulted in charges against 11 trade unionists and workers for blocking traffic. Despite the difficulties in finding a positive solution, trade unions and workers committed themselves to "doing everything possible to save jobs", declared Angelo Tognoli of Fisascat-Cisl, the commerce, services and tourism workers' union affiliated to the Cisl confederation.
It appears that the mobilisation of the Postalmarket workers was not in vain. The company has changed owner, with a contract of sale being signed on 19 December 1998 at the Ministry of Labour. From 1 January 1999, the shareholders are Cx and Fifth Capital Corporation. The effectiveness of the agreement depends now on a clause in the contract which provides that, before 23 December 1998, the company has to reach an agreement with the trade unions on the number of workers to retain at the company. The "mobility" procedures (IT9802319F) for the 758 workers involved - 350 of whom risk being made redundant - have been suspended.
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (1998), 758 dismissals suspended at Postalmarket, article.
