News

The introduction of Delivery Sequencing in the USA: Job Loss and Injuries

UNI Post & Logistics’ affiliate in Canada, CUPW-STTP reports on the lessons learnt from the USA experience with Delivery Point Sequencing (DPS).

Please see article at:

http://www.uniglobalunion.org/UNIPostal.nsf/0/311008_EN_34



USA: DHL will cut 9.500 jobs

Deutsche Post World Net/DHL will focus its express business in the U.S. on its core international competencies and exit the domestic air and ground express service in the country by the end of January. This implies the closure of all ground hubs as well as the reduction of stations from 412 to 103. 9.500 jobs will be cut on top of the 5.400 that have already taken place earlier this year. The international express offering in the U.S. will be maintained on today’s levels and the region will remain an integral part of DHL’s global Express network.



More detailed information in the press release here below:

http://www.uniglobalunion.org/UNIPostal.nsf/0/121108_EN_07



Inauguration of new Sindetelco premises

On 11 October 2008, Sindetelco new premises were inaugurated. The new buildings, more modern and spacious are better equipped for the members of the union which has over 27 years of experience in the Portuguese labour movement.

The ceremony began at 11:30 with the symbolic cutting of the ribbon by UGT General Secretary Eng. João Proença with UGT President Dr. João Dias da Silva.

A guided tour of the 3 storey building followed at the Rua Conde de Redondo Nº 60 B e 60 1º, in Lisbon.



Austria: Postal workers take strike action against destruction of jobs

In mid-November, UNI affiliate in Austria, GPF took strike action to prevent further post office closures which they say are bad for the population and destroy jobs. They also protested against outsourcing and demanded that there be no further outsourcing of service and sorting.

GPF called for sufficient staff to meet the growing needs of the future operations of Austria Post. the fact that there are thousands of hours of overtime in all sectors proves that the Post AG already doesn't have enough staff presently, they said.



The union's demands are:

- to maintain the infrastructure and thereby securing of postal services on equal terms for the entire population.

- to amend the Postal Law

- to fix at least 1,300 post offices in the Postal Act .

- to create a legal framework to ensure a level playing field after the liberalization of the letter market (eg licensing procedures).



No Entry for UNI Post & Logistics at DHL Hong Kong

UNI Post & Logistics affiliate in Hong Kong, PEG (Postal & Express Workers General Union), have been organising workers in DHL Hong Kong into their union and have been seeking access to DHL workplaces so they can meet workers and discuss union membership and the issues they face as logistics workers. However DHL management have refused access to DHL workplaces to UNI and PEG claiming that this would favour one union over another. Seriously DHL, there are no unions in this company at present so favouritism is not the issue, an attitude of having no unions in your company and no proper independent representation for workers views is the more likely explanation!

Neil Anderson, Head of UNI Post & Logistics, recently met with Gordon Simpson, Senior Vice President Human Resources for DHL Logistics in Asia Pacific, to discuss his recent correspondence with UNI's office in Hong Kong where he said: "we do not support granting access to trade unions at our sites to organize workers". Following Neil Anderson's meeting with him in Singapore this attitude was reiterated with Mr Simpson saying it was: "confirmed that the DHL Express position on access to their premises to speak to employees had not changed."



So DHL, why no unions? How come a company that is a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact which allows fundamental workers rights including trade union rights, is so adamant that unions can't organise their workers?





Suisse: CarPostal Suisse SA - Salaries: social partners reach an agreement

The delegates from CarPostal Suisse SA, from the Syndicat de la Communication (UNI post & Logistics affiliate in Switzerland) and from the transfair union, who were in charge of wage bargaining for 2009 reached an agreement. A general wage increase of 3% was agreed upon for all the employees CarPostal who work under the collective contract agreement of companies that belong to the Post group.

CarPostal Suisse SA employs close to 1700 people. And the 220 entrepreneurs of Car Postal, employ 1370 drivers.



Spanish Government supports cheap secure money transfer for migrant workers using Post Offices in Central & Latin America

UNI Post & Logistics were invited to attend a meeting that the Spanish Government hosted to promote the better use of the money transfer system being developed by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) to help migrant workers cheaply and securely make fast transfers of money back to their families using the Post Office network. The meeting, jointly hosted by the Spanish Ministry of Development, the UPU and the Regional UPU body for Latin America, UPAEP, was attended by representatives of postal administrations from 18 Central and Latin American countries, the Organisation of American States, the Spanish Post Office and observers from La Poste.

Opening the meeting, the Vice Minister for Post José Maria Ramirez Lopez, pledged the support of the Spanish Government to ensure that the Spanish Post Office was able to successfully implement the UPU's IFS system in Central and Latin America. He said the Government recognised the need in this time of financial crisis to ensure there was an affordable, trusted and secure money transfer service. Sixto Heredia Herrera, President of the Spanish Post Office, said his company was committed to making the system widely available and connected to as many countries in the region as possible.

Neil Anderson, Head of UNI Post & Logistics said the project needed both financial and marketing support to ensure there was equipment in the remote locations to carry out the service and that it was properly marketed with migrant workers and he said UNI would be working to ensure this was the case.

At the meeting the Uruguay and Costa Rica governments signed a bilateral agreement to join the IFS system so money could be easily transferred by workers between those two countries. Already they are both part of the IFS network with Spain.



France: demonstration against the privatisation of La Poste

Postal workers of French trade unions affiliated to UNI Post & Logistics demonstrated on 22 November in Paris and other French cities, against the privatization project of La Poste. They were accompanied by politicians and users associations.

Unions fear the impact that the privatisation may have on employment and on services provided to the public. The announcement of the privatization project was made by Jean-Pail Bailly CEO of La Poste during the summer. Unions had thus organized a day of action on 23 September. In November, Henri Guiano, advisor to Nicolas Sarkozy, had said that the privatisation project was momentarily suspended, in view of the current economic crisis. However, later in the day he affirmed that the calendar of reforms would remain.



Nevertheless, in the context of the economic crisis it would be difficult to justify a privatisation plan.



Canada: Unjustified Attack on UPCE Conditions of Employment

UNI Post & Logistics Canadian affiliate, UPCE, is in a bitter strike. This dispute concerns Canada Post's attempt to stop administering sick leave and family leave and to have them replaced with an insurance scheme. More information on the dispute can be found on UPCE's web page at: www.psac.com

UNI's General Secretary, Philip Jennings and Neil Anderson, Head of UNI Post & Logistics sent a letter of protest in support of the UPCE to Ms Moya Greene at Canada Post) and has urged affiliates to do likewise.

The Postal unions from Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, and the Slovak Republic (who are members of UNI Post & Logistics Global Union) met in Berlin, Germany on 27 November and also sent a protest message to Ms Greene.

Geek postal Workers at their union conference being held on 28 November in Athens, passed unanimously a message of support to the Canadian Postal workers members of UPCE who are on strike.

The letter of protest may be found here:

http://www.uniglobalunion.org/UNIPostal.nsf/0/171108_EN_D2



Switzerland: The Federal Council must draw the consequences from the current economic crisis and abandon its liberalisation and privatisation projects

Drawing from the consequences of the failure of the neoliberal model that has led to the current global economic crisis, delegates from the Syndicat de la Communication, UNI Post & Logistics affiliate in Switzerland, have called for a complete change of direction of the Swiss Confederation’s polices in terms of liberalization and privatization in the postal and telecommunications sectors.

The Syndicat de la Communication says it will launch a far-reaching public debate on the role of the State and its public services enterprises. The union says that the thoughtless liberalization and privatization of public services have seen lowering of the quality of services, the degradation of working conditions for employees and price increases for the majority of users in order to finance presents given to very big consumers, such as the liberalization of the electricity market in Switzerland has recently proven.



The Syndicat de la Communication have demanded a radical change in the Confederations’ policies in the postal and telecommunications sector:

§ The Federal Council must withdraw its project to reduce the reserved area to 50g letters from July 2009 by a simple ruling.

§ The Parliament must push back as soon as possible any liberalization of the postal market.

§ The parliament must renounce to transform the Post into a private company.

§ The Federal Council must intervene with private actors of that market so that they bargain and sign sectoral collective contracts.



Morocco: UNI supports FNPT-UMT against privatisation of Post

UNI Post & Logistics supports its Moroccan affiliate, the FNPT-UMT, in its protest to the Moroccan government against the privatisation of the Moroccan post.

UNI addressed a letter (see link here below) to the Moroccan Prime Minister, Mr Abbas El Fassi, asking him to consult with the FNPT-UMT regarding the privatisation project of the Post.

http://www.uniglobalunion.org/UNIPostal.nsf/0/281108_EN_95



Greece: "No" to the sale of the Express Mail business

The Greek Postal Workers Union at their 31st conference taking place in Athens 27-29 November have sent an emphatic message to the Greek Government. They have said "NO" to the proposed sale of the Express Mail part of the Greek postal service. The delegates are totally opposed to the split up of the Postal Service into different parts and the partial privatisation of some of those parts.

The conference also came out strongly in favour of demanding the Government change their thinking on proposals to cut out a number of Post Offices. The delegates in a number of speeches supporting the unions initiatives to flight post office closures told of how the local post office is an integral part of Greece's small and widespread communities. In a time of great financial crisis they said it was crazy to close a vital part of these communities.

The financial crisis was also the subject of much debate with the conference calling upon the government to put the Greek Post Office on a sound financial footing to combat the affects of the worsening crisis.



UNI-ITF Organising workshop and DHL Campaign strategy meeting

On 17 and 19 November, UNI Post & Logistics and the ITF held a joint workshop in Luxembourg on organising a joint campaign around DHL. Affiliates from the ITF and UNI came from all around the world to meet in Luxembourg and shared what the situation is in their country regarding DHL. A campaign strategy was set up for the next months.

The meeting was followed by a workshop on organizing



UNI Post & Logistics Workshop on Liberalisation

On 26 November, UNI organised a workshop in Luxembourg on the liberalisation of the postal sector in Europe. The workshop was an opportunity to get some updates and information from a representative of the European Commission regarding the situation with the third postal directive.

Participants from UNI P&L affiliates also shared what their unions have been doing in dealing with the liberalisation of the postal sector in their country: union participation in the Public Consultation Process in Ireland, collective contract bargaining in the Netherlands, organising in new companies in Sweden and the issue of the minimum wage in Germany.

UNI Post & Logistics presented a strategy that could be organised in response to the impact of the 3^rd directive and asked feedback from participants.

The UNI Post & Logistics' policy was also shared with participants in order to get feedback.





Next meetings:

25-27 February 2009 Global Delivery annual meeting, London, UK

11-15 May 2009 UNI-Africa Post & Logistics Conference, Tunisia

18-22 May 2009 UNI-Americas Post & Logistics Conference, Mexico City, Mexico

7-8 September 2009 UNI-Europa Post & Logistics Conference, Dublin, Ireland