The Hague, 10 May 2022 – PostNL and trade unions Bond van Post Personeel and CNV have signed an agreement in principle on a new collective labour agreement (CLA) governing nearly 16,500 mail deliverers. Trade union FNV and PostNL have achieved a negotiated agreement. Postal wages are to go up in two increments of 4% over the course of the two-year CLA, to a total of over 8%. The trade unions will now put the agreement to their members for approval.
The agreement in principle includes a structural pay rise of 4% effective 1 January 2022 as well as 4% on 1 January 2023, taking compensation for beginning postal workers above the legal minimum wage.
Bob van Ierland, Director of Mail in the Netherlands, said: “Wages for our mail deliverers are set to go up sharply in the period ahead. Rising prices are hitting our people where it hurts and we feel that raising their pay is an appropriate response under current conditions. Besides, this should also ensure that – in view of current labour shortages – it remains attractive for people to choose a job as a postie.”
The raise will be paid retrospectively for the first few months of 2022 as soon as the agreement is final. Employee benefits such as bicycle, travel and electric vehicle charging allowances have also been agreed, with the latter revisited – and adjusted, when appropriate – twice a year against the backdrop of rising energy prices.
During the pandemic, PostNL delivered a lot of mail, including vaccination invites, extra company mailings and personal mail such as cards. A lot of this extra mail was related to Covid-19 and one-time only, and mail items are expected to decline by 8–10% compared with last year. Beyond 2022, the fundamental decline in the number of mail items looks set to continue. To keep the postal service reliable and affordable across the Netherlands in the face of this contraction, PostNL is constantly working to remain a future-proof organisation able to adapt sustainably and in good time.