Freelance postal workers demand treatment as real freelancers

Freelancers who work for postal delivery firm PostNL are demanding to be treated as if they really are self-employed rather than ‘fake’ employees, the Parool reports on Monday.

A year after a strike calling for better pay and conditions, their association SubcoPartners has issued PostNL with an ultimatum, the paper says.

The freelancers want a guaranteed turnover of €1,150 a week for a 45-hour week and to be able to bill if they work longer hours. They are also angry at the way the PostNL interferes with their businesses, for example by checking if delivery workers are wearing the proper uniform while on their rounds.

In addition, freelancers should be given €50 a week compensation for advertising the company while wearing the uniforms, SubcoPartners says.

Reorganisation

Meanwhile, courier company TNT is taking more time to implement a planned reorganisation of its delivery service.

TNT announced earlier in April that 130 jobs are to go at the delivery service. Up to 70 drivers’ jobs are being cut and the rest in the sorting offices.

However, after talks with the unions, the company has now decided to look for alternative cost savings which avoid compulsory redundancies, nu.nl reports.

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