UNI Global Union and PostEurop Sign New Joint Declaration on Postal Sector Evolution UNI Post & Logistics Global Union and PostEurop, the organisation rep- resenting public postal operators in Europe, signed and released a new Joint Declaration on Postal Sector Evolution Wednesday in Brussels. UNI & PostEurop are the recognized social partners in the European Social Dialogue Committee for the Postal Sector (SDC). Signing the document (and pictured here, r to l) are John Baldwin, Head of Interna- tional Affairs, Communication Workers Union (UK) and vice-chair of the SDC and Dominique Bailly, of La Poste (France) and SDC chairman. The joint declaration recognizes the ongoing transformation in the postal sector and the need for continued dialogue between social partners re- garding its impacts. The partners reaffirm their support of change man- agement as an important tool during the transformation. They are equally dedicated to the provision of universal postal services in the EU. Four key principles lie at the heart of the new joint declaration: - Better anticipation of ongoing changes in the sector. - Constructive cooperation regarding policies addressing change. - Development of employees' competences and employability. - Encouragement of investment in the sector. With those principles in mind, UNI and PostEurop commit to work to ensure fair competition in the sector and continued monitoring of postal regulation in social terms. n°04 April, n°04 April, 2012 UNI P&L Norwegian Postal Workers bargain new col- CONTENTS lective agreements UNI & PostEurop sign new Social Dialogue Accord The Norwegian Postal Workers Union, Postkom, has finished bargaining Norwegian Postal Workers Bargain New Agree- three of their collective contracts and are now seeking members en- ments dorsement for the settlements. Retirement of UNI P&L Assistant Margaret Schwarz For members in Norway Post chief negotiator Ingeborg Saetre has rec- ommended accepting the new agreement. She said; “We have obtained Egyptian Postal Workers Struggle for Two-Day a satisfactory result. 70% of members participated in the pre- Wekeend negotiations debate and their feedback therefore provided clear guide- Philip Bowyer Awarded Honorary CWU Member- lines for Postkom’s priorities in the negotiations. - We have achieved a ship result that also reflects the company's financial ability, and with a high JPGU Reacts to new round of postal reform social profile” NALC Releases White Paper on USPS Future Along with some changes to social conditions, there is a general wage CWU Invite Royal Mail Chief to Conference increase and increases in morning and afternoon supplements and to US Postal Workers react to Senate reform pro- the additional fee for work on Saturday and Sunday. There was also posal agreement on the conditions for workers whose jobs are moved and some pilot schemes for managers bonus schemes. CUPW sign 40-for-40 campaign pledge For workers in the Bring Warehousing company and the Bring Express company the negotiations were difficult because of the economic situa- tion in the company which had made a loss and which is operating in tough competitive environment “Despite the company's financial capability, we have reached the finish with a result that gives members the real wage increase,” said chief ne- gotiator Ingeborg Saetre. The Bring Warehouse members had prioritised their objectives on www.uniglobalunion.org achieving money claims and the Retirement of Marga- postal workers took part in a result of the negotiations reflects number of strikes in April to pro- that requirement. It has been ret Schwarz test Egypt Post's decision to force agreed that there will be a gen- postal workers back to work on eral annual supplement and in Saturdays for a six-day work addition it was agreed that there week. will be a “pot” to be divided One of the independent postal equally with those on the lowest unions negotiated a two-day wages. weekend following the postal The Bring Express members had strike in September 2011. This prioritised their objectives on agreement was implemented on achieving money claims and is- January 1, 2012. Furthermore, sues related to competence. The the Minister of State for Adminis- result of the negotiations reflected trative Development issued a de- that requirement. It has been cision that all public sector staff agreed that there will be a gen- Longtime department assistant should have Friday’s and Satur- eral annual supplement and in Margaret Schwarz announced day’s off work. However, Egypt addition a supplement for low her well-deserved retirement from Post has not applied this decision wage earners. They also agreed UNI Global Union last month. to postal workers who are also to pay for the five officially recog- Margaret worked for UNI (and its public sector employees. nised certificates per year are predecessors, PTTI and CI) for relevant to the enterprise and the 26 years! In that time she was P. Bowyer, Honorary individuals jobs and when the great at keeping the "grumpy old Member of CWU training is completed with an ap- men" she was dealing with from proved trade certificate awarded getting into too much of a mess Billy Hayes, CWU UK General the workers will get an increase in with their meetings, documents, Secretary, at the union's 2012 salary. budgets etc. Conference, conferred a very deserved honorary membership For the Retail and Office workers, Margaret worked as an adminis- of the union to Philip Bowyer, Postkom has agreed with the Fi- trative assistant for Philip Bowyer, former Deputy General Secretary nancial Services Employers' As- John Pedersen and most recently of UNI Global Union. In making sociation for a new collective for Neil Anderson. UNI is ever so the award, Jane Loftus, President agreement. grateful to Margaret for the great of the CWU, referred to the fact work she did in making sure all that Philip had started working for our meetings went smoothly and the union in the 1970's and had we got all our documents, meet- gone on to become the General ing notices and all those transla- Secretary of the PTTI (later to tions and papers on time! become Communications Interna- tional - CI). When that organisa- One of Margaret’s first projects in tion merged with three other The agreement includes a gen- retirement will be enjoying her global union federations, forming eral increase in salary rates of new life as a grandmother! UNI Global Union, Philip served 1.85%, and made adjustments to During the UNI P&L World Meet- as the Deputy General Secretary the pay scale. There was also ing in Nyon, UNI and the affiliates until his retirement in 2010. agreement on a restriction on the present at the meeting will be use of temporary staff, and where having a special celebration for Loftus said that Philip had deliv- the “equal treatment principle” Margaret and thanking her for the ered outstanding service to com- has been introduced. The parties fantastic work she has done on munication workers throughout also agreed on a new basic col- behalf of postal workers around the world in his long and ex- lective contract. the world. tremely worthwhile career with the global trade union movement. In all cases the Postkom Board of Egyptians fight for She said there was no doubt that Directors has endorsed the nego- Philip had made a valuable con- tiation result and is recommend- Weekend tribution to improving the lives ing to members to vote yes at the Around one hundred Egyptian and freedoms of workers in all referendum. parts of the world and he was a 2 www.uniglobalunion.org deserving recipient of the highest to restructure the current five- "shrink to survive" is not likely a honour that the CWU could give company structure into a four- successful path out of the finan- to members, that is honorary company system, merging the cial crisis it faces. Lazard out- membership. Japan Post Service and the Ja- lines an alternative business pan Post Network to resolve the model which leverages the Postal In his response to receiving hon- problem of segmented operations Service's networks to grow in the orary membership, Philip told between the two companies. The parcel business, expands ser- delegates that he accepted it with merged company will expand its vices and allows for greater prod- a great deal of pride. Pride that operations so it can meet users' uct and pricing flexibility. he had been able to take the specific needs. The merger will skills he had learned at the union The white paper, "Delivering allow delivery people to make and to use them to help better Change to Revitalize and Ameri- deposits for customers. This new workers lives globally. He said can Icon", urges policymakers to law obligates post offices to pro- the job hadn't always been easy adopt a strategy for USPS which vide universal postal and financial and he also felt pride that he had avoids a narrow focus on cost services across Japan. been able to be part of the trade cutting. Instead, USPS ought to union movement's efforts to focus on growth opportunities, The revised law stipulates that stamp out apartheid in South Af- particularly in the growing parcels the JP Holdings should sell all of rica, to build the Solidarnosc market as USPS's track and trace its Japan Post Bank, and Japan trade union movement in Poland technology comes more fully on Post Insurance shares "as early and build free and independent line. Lazard also suggests that as possible." This legislation can unions in countries such as Chile policymakers consider expanding allow the government to retain with the ousting of the Pinochet commercial flexibility of the Postal control of the banking, mail and regime. Service. Currently, USPS faces insurance for years to come.