Postal workers in Portugal today launched two weeks of local strike action in protest at wagecuts, including a nationwide one-day strike tomorrow (April 27).
The postal union SNTCT said it is planning a series of rolling one-day or two-day strikes atlocal postal sorting centres across the country between today and May 7, culminating in strikes atall Lisbon distribution centres between May 4-7.
The union leadership said the strikes are in protest at changes in working hours due to movingsome sorting and delivery work to a subsidiary, which will result in lower pay levels for postalworkers.
In addition, there will be a one-day general strike on April 27 and a large demonstration inLisbon in protest at government plans for a three-year pay freeze at CTT and potentialprivatisation of the company by 2013.
In response, CTT Correios de Portugal claimed that the sorting centre strikes will only have “aminimal impact on customer service”, and will affect only 35 of 356 sorting centres, handling about15% of postal volumes. It defended the changes to working hours as part of the ongoingmodernisation of the operator, including the introduction of more automated sorting technology.
CTT Correios recently announced a double-digit drop in profits for 2009 as mail volumesdeclined. Its operating profit (EBIT) declined by 14% to €66 million and net profits dropped 13% to€50.6 million. Turnover fell by 4.3% to €820 million. The dominant mail business had a 5.2% fall inrevenues to €597 million, largely due to a 5.5% drop in mail volumes.
