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Norwegian union says Norway Post management are “Bay City Cheerleaders” for liberalisation



PostKom, UNI Post & Logistics Norwegian affiliate, says postal workers are angry that the management of Norway Post are trying to play down the consequences of the EU's third postal directive. – the union says; “We fear that the Post's management are saying they want liberalisation and to accept the EU Directive as an excuse to then push for less favourable terms and conditions for postal workers and to downsize the number of employees. The Norway Post management appear as the “Bay City Cheerleaders” for an extreme market liberalism," said Postkom President Odd Christian Øverland,



Post's management knows very well that postal directive will change the postal market in Norway significantly. Their own estimates show that Norway Post will lose 40% of business if a full liberalisation of letter post market goes ahead.



“We are therefore surprised that Norway Post “belittle” the consequences of the postal directive. It is only logical that they want to use the liberalisation as leverage to further downsize and give less salary for employees of the Post. We fear that management will increase the number of temporary employees, and the proportion of hired labour," says Postkom



Postkom believes that the government, owners of Norway Post, should react to the management now behaving as a political actor. Management belittle an EU Directive that will lead to poorer and more expensive postal services for people and businesses, especially in rural areas. The management claims that this won’t necessarily be the outcome, but then forgets to tell people that it requires government support of several billion per year to ensure a proper universal postal service for all of Norway.



“For us it is not an option with a tax paid liberalisation, so that competitors in Norway can "skim the cream" of the market in the Oslo area. The management of the Post Office appears to be cheerleaders for such a policy which is totally unacceptable and the government as owner should respond, "said Overland