FNV Bondgenoten is trying to organise self-employed postmen

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Some 27,000 postmen in the Netherlands are forced to work on a self-employed basis for companies such as Sandd, Selekt Mail (a subsidiary of Deutsche Post) and VSP (a subsidiary of TNT). The number of self-employed postmen may increase if the delivery of letters under 50 grammes is liberalised.

FNV Bondgenoten is trying to organise the self-employed postmen and to get them an employment contract. A practical problem is that these postmen work from their homes and do not have a real workplace.

Organisers approached postmen at distribution centres and asked: can we call you back at a suitable moment? They collected telephone numbers and subsequently interviewed 120 postmen (only a few declined). The interviewees appreciated the initiative. “Such a survey is not just a means to collect information, but also a way to show postmen that you care about their situationâ€