TNT Post is warning its workers that thousands of jobs are to go and if they don’t accept a reduction in pay and working conditions, thousands more will be at stake. The reason? The company has lost its monopoly on all but the very lightest letters, and that sector too will be up for grabs next year.

Email is also cutting into its profits. TNT Post’s main rivals, Sandd and Selektmail, have it easier. They don’t have a huge workforce or pay in line with the postal workers pay and conditions agreement. They pay workers as freelancers, a couple of cents per item delivered or even per address.
So it is hardly surprising they can compete with TNT. Sandd and Selektmail say they cannot afford to pay the going rate. It is, of course, easy to make money and undercut your competitors by paying your workers peanuts.
Sandd now proudly claims 12% of the liberalised postal market. So how much is TNT actually suffering?
According to research by the Volkskrant, TNT boss Peter Bakker saw his total pay package, including basic salary, bonus and pension contributions, rise 10.6% last year.
And as for TNT itself. Net profit from ordinary operations was up 7.5% at a whopping €828m. No room for any pay rises for workers there then. But no doubt room for a hefty dividend pay out to shareholders.