The German postal union, Verdi, is opposing Deutsche Post’s plans to cut mail costs by delaying apay rise, extending working hours and paying lower basic wages, and is warning of possible strike
action if no agreement is reached.CEO Frank Appel has said the German postal operator needs to combat the current and expectedfuture slump in mail volumes by reducing costs now while the mail business is still profitable andthus avoiding compulsory redundancies. The company wants to delay the agreed 3% pay rise due inDecember, extend weekly working hours from 38.5 to 40, and wants to pay new employees lower basicsalaries than current staff.
But Andrea Kocsis, Verdi deputy chairwoman and head of its postal and logistics section,yesterday rejected the saving plans. “Deutsche Post is not a restructuring case,” she declared.Management warnings that the mail division could be insolvent in four years’ time “have absolutelyno factual basis”, she said. “The Post board is pushing forward the global economic crisis orwell-known structural problems in order to blast a general attack on the working and pay conditionsof the employees,” she declared.
Kocsis called on Deutsche Post to keep to the contract agreed in April 2008 for 130,000postal workers. Running until June 2010, this included a 4% pay rise in November 2008 and a further3% increase in December 2009, as well as a 38.5 hour week for the 130,000 employees and 50,000civil servants in Deutsche Post’s mail division. The deal also included a commitment to nocompulsory redundancies before June 2011.
Moreover, Verdi wanted to extend beyond the end of this year an agreement preventing DeutschePost from outsourcing mail deliveries or more than 880 parcel delivery districts, she said.
After initial talks with Deutsche Post this week, Verdi will draw up its demands in earlyOctober and then quickly seek a negotiated settlement. At the same time, the union has terminated a‘rationalisation protection agreement’ as of November 6 and is ready for conflict thereafter ifnecessary, she said. “Deliveries are core business and we will fight if necessary to protect ourmembers from the threat of outsourcing.”
Separately, Deutsche Post announced that 93% of customers are satisfied with the postaloperator’s services, based on an independent survey of 29 different sectors conducted between Marchand August 2009. This is an increase on previous satisfaction levels.
* Juergen Gerdes has been re-appointed CEO Mail at Deutsche Post DHL for another three years.Gerdes, a board member since 2007, is responsible for national and international mail, DHL ParcelGermany and retail outlets.
