NL:Post firms must employ more staff: ministers

[POSTMAN]

http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2 ... ore_st.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Social affairs minister Piet Hein Donner and junior economic affairs minister Frank Heemskerk are prepared to use a royal decree to force new postal delivery firms to employ more staff, Nos tv reports on Wednesday.

At the end of December, budget postal delivery firms Sandd and Selekt Mail (DHL) won their lawsuit against the state about giving more workers permanent contracts.

Judges ruled that ministers cannot force the newcomers to employ delivery workers instead of paying them for every item of post they deliver.

But Donner and Heemskerk are to appeal against that ruling, Nos said. And if that verdict goes against them, they will force the issue though by royal decree.

The deal to make Sandd and Selekt compete on more equal terms with former state monopoly TNT was one of the main conditions the government attached to the complete liberalisation of the postal market.

The unions and all postal delivery firms signed the agreement, Donner pointed out. Under the deal, Sandd and Selekt are supposed to employ at least 10% of their delivery workers by April 2010 and 80% by 2012.

TNT argues that by paying workers piece rates, and not paying pensions, sick pay or holiday pay, its competitors are able to under cut charges.