Walkout by Belgian postal workers to protest workloads

merson01 · Post by **merson01** » 22 May 2020, 13:50

Postal workers at Belgium’s national post company, Bpost, stopped work Wednesday in the Ixelles area of Brussels in protest at workloads. There has been a near doubling of parcel volume as the use of online shopping has shot up due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following meetings between Bpost and union representatives, the company agreed to hire additional temporary staff from Monday next week. Some workers who had stopped work returned to duties, hearing the news. Other workers said they would wait until Monday to see if the additional staff materialise.

Last month, a 25-year-old Bpost employee died from COVID-19. The worker was at the time the youngest victim of the coronavirus pandemic in Belgium’s Limburg province.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 23 May 2020, 10:50

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Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 23 May 2020, 15:33

merson01 wrote:Postal workers at Belgium’s national post company, Bpost, stopped work Wednesday in the Ixelles area of Brussels in protest at workloads. There has been a near doubling of parcel volume as the use of online shopping has shot up due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following meetings between Bpost and union representatives, the company agreed to hire additional temporary staff from Monday next week. Some workers who had stopped work returned to duties, hearing the news. Other workers said they would wait until Monday to see if the additional staff materialise.

Last month, a 25-year-old Bpost employee died from COVID-19. The worker was at the time the youngest victim of the coronavirus pandemic in Belgium’s Limburg province.

Will they be able to bring in hem extra staff without compromising social distancing? My gut feeling is they won't so them same staff will be moaning when social distancing gets broken

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 24 May 2020, 13:54

SpacePhoenix wrote:
merson01 wrote:Postal workers at Belgium’s national post company, Bpost, stopped work Wednesday in the Ixelles area of Brussels in protest at workloads. There has been a near doubling of parcel volume as the use of online shopping has shot up due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following meetings between Bpost and union representatives, the company agreed to hire additional temporary staff from Monday next week. Some workers who had stopped work returned to duties, hearing the news. Other workers said they would wait until Monday to see if the additional staff materialise.

Last month, a 25-year-old Bpost employee died from COVID-19. The worker was at the time the youngest victim of the coronavirus pandemic in Belgium’s Limburg province.
Will they be able to bring in hem extra staff without compromising social distancing? My gut feeling is they won't so them same staff will be moaning when social distancing gets broken

Yes, Belgium relaxed their COVID regulations back on 11 May when shops opened, and their distance is 1.5 meters, and just like us they could have staggered shifts.