Industrial Action Continues at Bpost as Union Consultation Falls Through

On Wednesday, a consultation between the unions and management at bpost did not result in an agreement, potentially prolonging industrial action in the postal sorting centers in Wallonia (Liège X and Charleroi X) and Brussels X. Since Monday, French-speaking unions at bpost have been taking action due to concerns about the distribution of newspapers. The government’s decision to no longer use a concession system means publishers must now contract directly with postal companies, leading to fears among the unions about employment and working conditions at bpost.

Despite Bpost’s proposal to gradually transfer newspaper volumes to its subsidiary AMP, which already handles supply for 4,000 points of sale nationwide, the unions remain opposed to the solution. Stéphane Daussaint of the Christian union CSC-Transcom Postes stated, “We have made some progress, but we need to address fundamental issues before resuming work.” A further meeting between management and the unions is scheduled for Thursday, although the Christian and socialist unions believe it is unlikely that staff will return to work.

In Brussels and Wallonia, the distribution of letters, parcels, and newspapers has been significantly disrupted since Monday due to ongoing industrial action. Notably, there have been no trade union actions in Flanders. The situation will continue to unfold as negotiations between the unions and management at bpost continue.