Bpost and Unions Unable to Reach an Agreement, Industrial Action Continues in Postal Sorting Centers in Wallonia and Brussels

Bpost and unions failed to reach an agreement in their consultation on Wednesday, potentially prolonging the 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.

The union leaders are demanding direct negotiations with bpost management without involving AMP. Stéphane Daussaint of CSC-Transcom Postes stated, “We have made some progress, but we need to address fundamental issues before resuming work.” Despite this, a meeting between management and unions is scheduled for Thursday. However, Christian and socialist unions believe it is unlikely that staff will return to work as they continue their fight against AMP’s involvement in newspaper distribution.

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