Strikes and protests today disrupted postal, parcel and express deliveries in Europe as workerstook to the streets to demonstrate against hard-hitting austerity measures.
Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, France and Belgium were impacted by general strikes andstoppages as unions called out workers to protest against government austerity measures that areblamed for worsening the countries’ already weak economies. The protests were part of a ‘EuropeanDay of Action and Solidarity’.
TNT Express warned customers that its operations would be significantly impacted in thesecountries with unavoidable delays, and its air hub at Liege (Belgium) would not be able to worknormally. “A delay of up to 24 hours in delivery may be expected on Express, Premium and someEconomy Express services (from ROW to Europe). TNT Express will add extra capacity to its roadnetwork. Alternatively, customers can choose for tailored delivery options for urgent deliveries,”the company told customers.
In Spain, about 92 per cent of the country’s postal workers took part in the strike,according to the UGT union. DHL Express and parcels firm Seur both warned customers thatcollections and deliveries could be impacted by the strike.
In Portugal, postal services were reduced to a minimum with nearly 70 per cent of workersjoining the strike, according to the SNTCT union.
In Italy, express courier SDA, a subsidiary of Poste Italiane, warned customers ofoperational difficulties in various parts of the country, including Roma and Bologna as well asdelays to shipments for Spain and Portugal due to the strikes there.
UNI Europa Post & Logistics, the umbrella federation of postal and logistics unions inEurope, declared: “A vibrant postal sector, as part of the essential public services in Europe, isthe backbone of prosperity and growth. Postal workers deliver mail and parcels, every day all overEurope and enable communication and commerce. Small and medium sized enterprises depend on stabledelivery services to produce their goods and ship them to potential customers. More than this, thepostal network, a network built of humans for humans, plays an important social role. Every citizenin Europe has an address and can get reached by mail every day. To cut this service means also tocut communication and economy in times of crisis.”
The organisation said it would fight against any saving measures in the postal sector,adding: “The postal sector should provide good stable and long-term employment and as such be partof a growing, secure future.”
