French Postal Workers to Stage Sorting Strike

Employees of the 130 mail-sorting centers of the French post office, La Poste, have been urged by their unions to stop work today in protest against the organization’s plans to restructure its mail-sorting operations. The overhaul, which is intended to prepare La Poste for the liberalization of the European postal sector in five years’ time, threatens 80 sorting centers and 20 per cent of the group’s 30,000 mail-sorting jobs, say the unions. La Poste management dismisses those figures but has declined to comment further on the issue until after its talks with unions finish in July. Outbreaks of industrial action on the issue are expected to continue up until the French postal services reform bill is presented to France’s national assembly for a second reading on May 27. In the meantime, postal unions are also attempting to win the support of local councilors in small towns and rural areas in their battle against the reforms.