A settlement has been reached in the postal sector. Service Sector Employers Palta and the Finnish Post and Logistics Union PAU have today accepted the settlement proposed by the National Conciliator yesterday on a new collective agreement for the postal sector. A settlement was also reached on the separate matter concerning Posti’s parcel sorting personnel.
“The situation has been very difficult for all parties. Posti is pleased that we have finally achieved a settlement and industrial peace after difficult negotiations and a long strike. The postal sector is going through a major transformation, and it has not been easy to resolve the dispute,” says Posti’s interim CEO Turkka Kuusisto.
Posti has been negotiating with PAU since last spring to find solutions that would secure Posti’s competitiveness and jobs in the ongoing industry transformation.
The two-year settlement reached between Palta and PAU will help increase flexibility needed by Posti, for example, in shift planning. The extension of working hours under the Competitiveness Pact will remain in force, and salary increases will be tied to the pay rises agreed by the export industry. The parties are together committed to follow the transformation of the postal industry and future delivery solutions, and their impact on terms of employment in the industry.
The transfer of business affecting parcel sorting personnel at Posti’s Parcel and eCommerce business was not withdrawn – a solution was found with a new approach. The matter was resolved with an arrangement in which Posti Palvelut Oy is also a member of Palta regarding the personnel at Parcel and eCommerce. The solution was developed over two days by combining different proposals presented during the autumn. Furthermore, an agreement was found on ways to improve the flexibility of Posti’s day-to-day operations concerning parcel sorters, allowing Posti to respond more flexibly to rapidly changing customer needs. The term of the new collective agreement between Palta and PAU ends on January 31, 2022.
“I hope that all of us working at Posti can now work together again for the good of Posti, our employees and our customers. We are now looking ahead and will continue developing our operations and renewing our business in accordance with our strategy, together with our employees and our customers,” says Kuusisto.
The agreement achieved in the postal sector will ensure that Christmas mail is delivered before Christmas.
“I want to thank our customers for their patience. We will do everything to quickly resume normal services. It is vitally important to our customers that we can serve them as well as possible during the most important season of the year. We still have nearly one month to Christmas, which means that parcels and Christmas mail will reach their destination before Christmas,” says Kuusisto.
