Massive lay-off notices sent out to Dutch mail carriers

AMSTERDAM – TNT Post, the privatized Dutch postal services and one of the largest employers in the country, has mailed out its long-expected mass lay-off notice to every mailman working over 25 hours a week. The lay-off notice may involve as many as eleven thousand mail carriers. The lay-off is part of a giant reorganization to deal with dropping volumes of letters, invoices and publications, partially because of the rise of electronic services but also due to competition in the field. The unions had hammered out a deal with TNT Post in March last year but were unable to gain membership approval. Earlier this year they negotiated a new contract with pay raises but no job security. The unions now want to review TNT Post’s reorganization plan through the intermediary workers’ council, a body which discusses non-contract issues in the company.