Bpost has announced a strike on Monday that will disrupt mail services in Wallonia and Brussels. The French-speaking unions at the postal company, CSC-Transcom and CGSP Poste, confirmed the strike on Saturday. The strike is mainly in response to ongoing negotiations regarding new newspaper distribution.
Thierry Tasset, the secretary-general of CGSP Poste, expects the strike to last weeks and escalate on Wednesday. He warns that activities could come to a standstill by then. Stéphane Daussaint from CSC-Transcom shares a similar assessment and anticipates that mail services will be disrupted throughout the week.
The unions have planned a three-week action plan and have reported high motivation among employees. Bpost expressed regret over the disruption and emphasized the importance of social dialogue. Flemish trade unions have indicated that they will not be participating in the strike for the time being and are focused on negotiations about newspaper distribution.
The French-speaking unions are concerned not only about newspaper distribution but also about the impact of upcoming work reorganization on productivity and efficiency. Despite negotiations between management and unions scheduled for Wednesday, the unions are not optimistic about the outcome, citing a lack of movement from Bpost management since the strike notice was dropped three weeks ago.
