Austrian postal union calls for strike action
Austria’s postal union has called for strike action, unhappy at the treatment of workers during the modernisation of Austrian Post’s network. The Federal Executive of the Union of Post and Telecommunications Staff (GPF) voted unanimously yesterday to push for a strike to protest what it described as “unfair treatment” of workers.
The decision is now awaiting approval of the Austrian Trade Union Federation.
The GPF said “unreasonable measures” had been taken across Austrian Post in recent weeks, leading to “intolerable consequences” for its members, and that management had refused to alter their plans.
A “massive” post office closure programme around the country has seen workers moved against their will, the union claimed, “solely for financial reasons”. In particular, the union has been claiming that older workers are being persuaded to take a small payment to leave, and that those who refuse face dismissal.
It is warning that a forthcoming restructuring of the Austrian Post delivery network could bring similar problems.
The union said: “Such an approach is unacceptable, and the Central Committee for the Post has in recent months made numerous attempts at dialogue with management to remedy these abuses.”
Strike
Yesterday’s vote gave the green light for preparations for a possible strike, which it has been suggested could take place as early as next Tuesday.
The union said the industrial action aimed to prevent the forced early retirement of Post employees and stop the dismissal of “hundreds” of staff as letter and parcel delivery and freight transport is outsourced to the private sector.
The union also demanded an end to the outsourcing of work and both an increase in staff numbers and protection from wage cuts.
Austrian Post has not yet responded to a request for comment, but its chief executive Georg Polzl told Austrian media that the union claims were “absurd”, rejecting claims that performance reviews were being used to bully workers into leaving voluntarily.
He insisted that talks are being held with employees who either cannot continue to work, or who prefer to leave.
Polzl also rejected union claims that job losses would number in the hundreds, suggesting it would more likely be 20 to 30.
