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The Norwegian postal workers union, Postkom, is gearing up for another big fight against the imposition of the third European postal Directive in Norway. This week in Oslo, Postkom held an event for political leaders and the press, warning about the potential impacts the Directive could have on service quality, the USO and in cost to the government. UNI Post & Logistics head Stephen DeMatteo joined Postkom at the event, telling participants that postal liberalisation in Europe has disastrous effects for national postal operators, small postal customers and postal workers alike.

Postkom successfully campaigned to defeat liberalisation in 2009, when a previous government considered adopting the EU postal law. As a member of the European Economic Area, Norway generally adopts EU economic policy. The refusal to adopt the postal law in 2009 was the government's first such snub to Brussels, and the union's campaign captured the public attention in Norway, spawning scores of press reports and even a book and award-winning play. The current government, in place since 2013, has pushed to move the Directive to a vote for a second time in 2015. 

Oslo Economics, an economic and policy analysis firm, has conducted a study on the potential impacts of postal liberalisation.  "A full liberalization is believed to lead to increased competition for postal services in profitable areas, ie for selected customer groups in the central regions of the country. Here, prices will go down, while most will have to adhere to the maximum price the government sets. The price differences in the market will therefore probably increase," said Ove Skaug Halsos, economist and partner in Oslo Economics.

Postkom also presented public polling on the Directive, which clearly shows the public oppose the law. "If Parliament were to enforce new postal regulations shall know that it is against the will of the people. Opposition to this policy is also high among the governmental parties voters. Our aim is that popular involvement and good arguments to get parliamentary majority to change," said Postkom President Odd Christian Overland.

In his presentation, DeMatteo warned of the real negative effects the law has had so far in Europe: "The Directive has had real human impacts and real service impacts across Europe. To the political class in Norway, you have a choice - try to fix something that isn't broken and discover in 10 years that you've broken it yourself, or take proactive measures now to invest in a postal service that works for all Norwegians in the 21st Century."