PostNL and unions reach “definitive agreement” on new social plan
PostNL has announced today (2 December) that it has reached a “definitive agreement” with the trade unions FNV Publiek Belang, Bond van Post Personeel, CNV Publieke Diensten and VHP2 on a new social plan for the company’s reorganisation. The social plan, which applies to all employees that fall under the PostNL collective labour agreement (CLA), will go into effect on 1 January 2016 and will remain in effect until 31 December 2020.
Herna Verhagen, PostNL CEO, commented: “The social plan will have a duration of five years. Together with the trade unions, we have chosen for a custom-tailored approach, in which employees can make choices that suit their own individual situations.”
According to PostNL, the key elements of the agreement are:
Coaching by Mobility In order to have a good chance of finding another job, PostNL employees can utilise the coaching provided by Mobility, the employment mobility programme offered by PostNL, if they so desire. Employees who become redundant can choose for intensive coaching from one job to another.
Phased model PostNL and the trade unions have agreed to a phased model that offers employees a range of choices. Employees who decide to resign quickly will receive a higher compensation amount, which can equal up to five months’ extra income compared to employees who resign later.Employees who are made redundant, will receive at least the legally required transition compensation.
Pension menu A ‘menu’ has been compiled for employees who are eligible for a pension (aged 60+), which offers them extra options for early retirement. Management will determine when these options will be made available to a particular group of employees, and for how long.
As previously reported, PostNL and the unions reached an “agreement in principle” on 9 October.
