Postal Strike in Wallonia and Brussels: No Breakthrough in Sight for French-Speaking Unions and Management at bpost

Negotiations between unions and management at bpost did not result in an agreement on Wednesday, 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 transfer newspaper volumes gradually 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; however, the Christian and socialist unions believe it is unlikely that staff will return to work.

In Brussels and Wallonia, disruptions in letter distribution have caused significant delays in parcel delivery since Monday due to ongoing industrial action by French-speaking unions. Notably, there have been no trade union actions in Flanders. The situation continues as negotiations between unions and management at bpost continue.