Maribor, 07 November (STA) - The Trade Union of Transport Workers (SDPZ) has announced it will join the strike called by the Postal Workers' Trade Union (SPD) at the national postal company Pošta Slovenije for 22 November. The SDPZ's demands closely align with those of the SPD, including a request for state co-funding of the company's non-profitable public service.
The SDPZ considers the situation at Pošta Slovenije to be critical, with time running out to address escalating issues, the SDPZ's Majda Stubelj told the STA on Thursday.
The union met with the management on Wednesday, but while some of the latter's proposals move in the right direction they are not enough to convince the SDPZ not to join the strike.
The union is against the plan to "fragment the company into several legal entities to separate letter mail and parcel delivery services", it said in a press release.
It opposed it even when a new 2024-2026 strategy for Pošta Slovenije was presented to them in February, finding it unacceptable that postmen working in parcel delivery, a profitable business, would be paid more than those delivering letter mail, a non-profitable public service.
"Our aim is for the employer to ... ensure that all companies in the group are covered by one collective agreement even if fragmentation occurs."
The management told the union at yesterday's meeting it will go ahead with the strategy, although specific details remain unclear.
The union also demands from the management to keep it up to date on a potential centralisation of parcel delivery services and on cutting the number of postal offices.
It also wants the state as the sole owner of Pošta Slovenije to help out financially to provide for its stability.
"The state requires that a public service is provided, but expects the company to cover this cost by with market services, which means constant pressure on our wages."
Pošta Slovenije has a wide network of postal offices, which benefits the public, so the union believes it should be preserved.
The union's main demand is however new hirings.
The volume of parcels is growing and the situation is particularly difficult in winter months, when low staff numbers affect the quality of services.
The union thus demands a staffing plan and hiring as many new staff as to meet the collective agreement's provision for at least 10% of permanent reserve workers.
Staff levels as so low that the employees have hard time getting days off and many many workers are also on sick leave.
The fact that many students, pensioners and agency workers are hired to help out is another sign of a lack of staff at Pošta Slovenije, the SDPZ said.
The first to announce the strike was the SPD on Monday, saying it was planned to begin a week before Black Friday, which marks the start of the holiday shopping season.
It argued that the strike averting agreement reached in May, in which the company pledged to improve working conditions, was not being implemented.
The SPD's key demands include hiring additional workers, implementing a staffing plan to manage workload, and a remuneration system to reward to most effective workers to retain staff.
Pošta Slovenije should also invest in a safe and healthy work environment, including by upgrading facilities unsuitable for work, and acquire new vehicles.
Responding to the strike announcement on Tuesday, Pošta Slovenije said it was premature, as meetings with unions were held regularly. It added that it would "make an effort to avert the strike."
