The Dutch union Abvakabo FNV announced the approval by its members of the deal with TNT Postwhich limits the number of compulsory redundancies as part of long-term cost savings measures.
The agreement between TNT Post and the Dutch unions Abvakabo FNV, CNV Publieke Zaak and BVPP wasalready reached in December last year but still needed to be formally voted on by unionmembers.
The agreement in principle ended the three-day strike action when workers at TNT Post took tothe streets in the long-running dispute with TNT over the number of planned job cuts. The companywants to downsize the workforce by 11,000 jobs, mostly through natural attrition, fluctuations,non-replacement, early retirements and similar measures.
Under the agreement, the figure of 4,500 redundancies will be reduced to 2,800 by retaining1,700 jobs through the “Auto Unit” at TNT Post’s Parcel Service and elsewhere in the company.Moreover, TNT Post has promised to study possible ways of keeping an additional 200 jobs at the “Auto Unit” during future organisational changes, and will be offering 300 employees temporaryemployment up to the end of 2013.
Abvakabo said that only 57% of its members had voted in favour of the deal. Abvakabo spokesmanPeter Wiechmann expected the vote to be close. “The enormous discontent at the workplace plays abig role. People are under high pressure intimidated by the executives and the carelessness withovertime and sick leave. I think that is more than understandable but I am pleased that theagreement has yet been adopted.”
Although the agreement has been adopted, Wiechmann stressed that the work is not finished yet.“It just started. Let it be clear: we have never agreed to redundancies and we will fight for everyjob.”
The parties also agreed to increase the involvement of assisted reemployment agency TNTMobility, with the aim of decreasing the number of employees who need to claim unemployment benefitby an additional 500. TNT and the unions will also study the ways in which employees in jobs thatare scheduled to be shed can be assisted in finding work elsewhere through a secondment company tobe set up by an external party.
The second trade union CNV Publieke Zaak will vote on the agreement by the end of January,Reuters reported.
