Global Study Reveals Post Liberalisation Disasters in Europe

NYON, Switzerland - Postal market liberalisation routinely leads to unemployment, attacks on working conditions and poorer service for customers, says a study released today by UNI Global Union.

UNI is urging the European Union to immediately put a moratorium on the implementation of the 3rd postal directive and start a proper debate on the issue. Competition is not delivering for customers; it is only creating social dumping and unemployment.

The global study, carried out in 13 countries shows that full liberalisation of the postal market does not work.

“What we have been seeing in Germany and the Netherlands recently– postal companies demanding lower wages and announcing big job cuts– is the inevitable disastrous conclusion of a failed liberalisation policy, said Neil Anderson, Head of UNI Post & Logistics, “Our research shows the economic crisis is a catalyst for liberalisation and for social dumping that companies like TNT and Deutsche Post are proposing.”

The study examines the effects of liberalisation on workers and the union response.

UNI found that the economic theory backing up liberalisation doesn’t hold up in the postal sector. There is little competition in the liberalised postal markets, with new entrants obtaining from 0.1% to 10% of market share. Furthermore, there are very few competitors to the incumbent, in most cases between one and four.

The study shows the tremendous job losses caused by liberalisation, deterioration of working conditions in competing postal operators, increasing precarious working conditions through the increase in atypical work, cuts in wages and wage dumping.

You can find the full study at

www.presseportal.ch/go2/UNIglobalunionenglish

UNI Post & Logistics is the global union for the postal and logistics industry, representing 157 unions and 2.5 million workers worldwide.

For more information, contact Neil Anderson at +41-79-508-26-16 or neil.anderson@uniglobalunion.org

Source: UNI global union

For more information, contact Neil Anderson at +41-79-508-26-16 or neil.anderson at uniglobalunion.org