Tunisian postal workers strike over staff shortage
Tunisian postal workers have been on a two-day strike to draw attention to their concerns about understaffing and improvements needed in the postal service. The Tunisian General Union of Labour claimed yesterday it had more than 90% of postal workers on strike.
The union is demanding recruitment of 1,000 new staff to fill vacancies that it said have not been filled since 2007, warning that the postal service is suffering and that workers are not being rewarded with advancement in the organisation.
Negotiations have so far failed with the Post Office General Inspectorate.
The union is also making claims about the need for more supervision on management to guard against corruption.
Global union umbrella group UNI Global Union said the Tunisian union had been pressing the importance of the postal sector within the new democracy, following last year’s revolution, but said demands to date have been ignored by the government.
“The postal workers have been maintaining that most important element is the need to strengthen the number of workers in the postal centres since it is a vital area that needs more recruitment,” said the global union group.
“They have been asking that new recruits be brought on with proper employment contracts and that they be integrated into the labour market and reduce the severity of unemployment among young job seekers.”
Tunisia Post has about 9,100 workers, handling 106m mailpieces in 2011, with a network of 1,042 post offices and 63 distribution centres.
