Swiss Post subsidiary Epsilon accepts fine from Postal Services Commission
The Swiss Post subsidiary Epsilon has acknowledged and accepted a fine from the Federal Postal Services Commission (PostCom).
Epsilon partly failed to observe minimum wage requirements for its employees. Swiss Post has been systematically examining the incident since December 2018. It expects its subsidiaries to observe all cantonal and national regulations.
In the course of a supervisory procedure, the Federal Postal Services Commission (PostCom) came to the conclusion that in the audited month, March 2019, Swiss Post subsidiary Epsilon had violated the minimum wage requirements for newspaper delivery staff that had been valid on a national basis since the beginning of 2019. The supervisory authority has sanctioned Epsilon with a fine of 180,000 Swiss francs. Epsilon accepts this decision and will refrain from bringing the case before the Federal Administrative Court.
Insufficient wages have been reimbursed
Swiss Post has systematically examined the incidents at Epsilon: a taskforce had already been in place since December 2018 in order to redress and resolve improper practices at Epsilon. A further aim of the task force was to ensure that the legal regulations would be observed again. To do so, the task force and Epsilon are working closely with the social partners syndicom and transfair, the trade union Unia and the “Inspection paritaire des entreprises” (IPE) in the canton of Geneva. In the middle of last year, Epsilon increased the wages for early-morning deliveries to ensure that minimum wage requirements were met in full. Epsilon also reimbursed the insufficient wages to the employees concerned in Geneva and Vaud in 2019. Swiss Post has agreed with the trade unions to negotiate an early-morning delivery CEC for Epsilon. Initial talks have already taken place with the social partners.
Epsilon to part with managing director
The systematic examination of the wage situation at Epsilon will also have consequences in terms of personnel. HR staff numbers have been significantly increased to ensure that observing the relevant regulations will continue to be given the necessary attention at Epsilon in the future. In addition, the Board of Directors of Epsilon has decided to part company with its current managing director.
