Europe’s post faces law of the jungle
UNI-Europa Post & Logistics has condemned the decision by the Council of European Union Ministers meeting in Luxembourg to go ahead with total de-regulation in the postal sector by 2011/13.
Without clear provisions to fund the universal postal service and without secure provisions in the new directive to protect wage dumping, UNI-Europa Post & Logistics warns that post faces the law of the jungle.
Ministers agreed to full market opening of postal services by 31 December 2010 and for 11 member states by 31 December 2012. The 11 exceptions are Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
This is in line with the decision taken by the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 11 July.
The Council’s common position is due to be finally adopted at a forthcoming meeting after the second reading of the directive in the European Parliament.
Protection for some mail services, which have allowed traditional operators to cross-subsidise services to rural, mountain and island communities will disappear.
The question of financing the universal postal service obligation will be up to individual member states with the risk of adding extra burdens on taxpayers.
Individual governments and regulators will now be the focus of union pressure to ensure funding for a universal postal service and to strengthen directive provisions to prevent unfair competition.
Unions want common employment and social standards build into regulations and operating licenses to stop wage dumping and head off the replacement of decent jobs by precarious work.
