New CLA negotiations for PostNL and Saturday deliverers kick off
The Hague, the Netherlands, 22 May 2024 – On May 21, PostNL and members of trade unions BVPP, CNV and FNV were meeting for the first time to discuss new CLAs for PostNL employees and for Saturday deliverers. The new CLAs will govern some 16,500 employees. Mail deliverers have their own separate CLA, which was recently signed.
CLA opening positions
The new CLAs set down agreements that reflect the interests of all employees, such as pay, duration of the agreement, sustainable employability, benefits, employment conditions and pensions. PostNL has sent a letter to the unions specifying its opening position in the negotiations.
HR Director Jeroen Veldstra said: “Our aim is to reach robust and appropriate agreements with unions BVPP, CNV and FNV that reflect our appreciation for our mail deliverers and are financially viable for PostNL, keeping us attractive as an employer for the long haul as well. At the same time, we must keep in mind the tough situation that PostNL finds itself in. We are pleased to engage with the trade unions and are looking for a solid outcome.”
Trends facing mail and parcel markets
For many years now, PostNL has been facing variable growth in parcel volumes and declining mail volumes. Volumes of parcels from international customers, in particular, have been on the up and are causing lower average returns per parcel. This shift is expected to continue to cause margin pressures.
PostNL’s mail business is facing persistent declines in postal volumes and a steep rise in costs. PostNL recently announced it is looking to change its postal service to delivery within two days and later also within three days – a change required to adapt its network further and keep the postal service future-proof and financially healthy. The new set-up would also better reflect customer and consumer expectations as well as today’s labour market.
Current CLA to remain in force
Until a new CLA is adopted, agreements in the current CLA – which officially ended earlier this year, on 31 March – will remain in force.
About PostNL
We are PostNL, here for everyone, bringing it all together for 225 years. With an extensive network of nearly 5,800 PostNL points, 11,000 letterboxes, and over 900 automated, also open to various carriers, along with millions of users of the PostNL app, we're always close by. We aim to be everyone's favourite deliverer by making it as easy as possible to send and receive parcels and mail. With nearly 34,000 colleagues working with us, we are part of society. We offer a range of services, including mail and parcel delivery, logistic e-commerce solutions, and cross-border solutions. On an average weekday in the Benelux, we deliver 1.1 million parcels and 6.9 million letters. We are commitment to customer satisfaction, providing opportunities for our employees, and generating value for our stakeholders through growth, digitalisation, and sustainability.
We optimise and support our physical networks through the use of smart digital solutions and introduce new propositions that add value for our customers. And aim for sustainable employment relationships by being a good employer to all people working with and for us. We focus on sustainability, making many journeys on foot and by bicycle, increasingly using cleaner fuels and electric vehicles, and offering innovative city logistics. PostNL N.V. is a publicly traded company with a turnover of €3.2 billion in 2023, 62% of which e-commerce related.