PostNL and Swiss Post have both reached labour agreements with their respective postal unions onsalary increases and pension schemes.
As the result of PostNL’s negotiations with the trade unions Abvakabo FNV, BVPP, CNV PubliekeZaak and VPP, salaries’ of the postal workers will increase 1.1% as of 1 December 2012, followed byan increase of 0.6% as of 1 January 2013.
In addition, the parties are due to start talks with the pension fund on a new pensionarrangement with the current social plan being extended until 1 January 2014. In addition to the1.7% salary increase, 0.4% will be added with retroactive effect as from 1 January 2013 after afinal agreement on the sustainable pension arrangement.
PostNL explained that the changes in the pension arrangement will result in reduced pensioncosts and reduce the risk of top- up payments. The implementation and feasibility will be tested bythe pension fund in the coming months. After that, the unions will present the proposal to theirmembers for approval.
Current employees will pay a pension contribution of 2% as of 1 January 2013 while a new pensioncontribution of 6% will be introduced for new employees from January next year. As for the profitsharing plan, PostNL will pay an allowance of 2% for 2011.
Separately, Swiss Post has reached an agreement with the trade unions syndicom and transfair inwage negotiations for 2013. As part of the deal, all employees subject to the Swiss Post collectiveemployment contract (CEC) will get a 0.2% salary increase while the employer contributions to theSwiss Post pension fund are being increased by 1%.
In addition, employees subject to the Swiss Post CEC will receive a one-off payment of CHF 500while 0.8% of the total salary sum will be allocated to individual performance-relatedremuneration.
These measures concern around 34,000 employees who are subject to the Swiss Post CEC. Theagreement is subject to approval by the decision-making bodies at Swiss Post and the trade unions.At Swiss Post, this is the Board of Directors, at syndicom the industry committee for thepostal/logistics sector and at transfair the industry plenum.
