Wave of job cuts hits TNT Post
Thousands of TNT employees in the Netherlands stand to lose their jobs, reports Radio Netherlands. The article continues:
The cuts come after union members voted in favour of a reorganisation plan guaranteeing jobs for the remaining workers. A 64% majority of workers opted for their own job security rather than for solidarity with the workforce as a whole.
An alternative plan involved salary cuts in exchange for a three-year job guarantee for all, but that plan was rejected on Monday (23 November) in polls organised by three unions.
TNT has said it is necessary to reorganise because of increased competition and because traditional postal services are being replaced by e-mail and cellphone communication.
Explaining the need to cut costs by 125m euros, a spokesman for the mail delivery company said, “It is no longer possible to be a postman all your life.” The company employs 23,000 people.
The restructuring plan as adopted by the employees means that 11,000 people will have to go, up to 5,000 of whom will be fired. The other 6000 jobs will be eliminated gradually by retirement, not renewing temporary contracts and by leaving vacancies unfilled.
