Sint-Niklaas (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – After a 2-week strike, 43 postmen in Sint-Niklaas returned to work following a deal between Bpost and unions to provide weekly help from temporary staff.
As VRT News reported, the postmen in Sint-Niklaas have gone back to work after almost 2 weeks of strike. They stopped working because they were unhappy with too much work, not enough staff, and high pressure during busy times. The postal company and the trade unions made a deal to fix the problem.
The company will now bring in extra help. Temporary workers will come one day a week to help the regular postmen. Officials mentioned that this will happen at the Sint-Niklaas office. This new plan is a test. In September 2025, they will check if it works well for both the workers and the service.
What ended Bpost’s 2-week strike in Sint-Niklaas?
The unions had asked for permanent staff to fix the problems in the postal service, but the company has chosen a temporary fix for now. Post spokesperson Mathieu Goedefroy said the idea was already on the table before, and they are now making it official because of the strike. He said they are glad to have a deal that works for both the postmen and the company.
The unions are not fully happy with the deal but have agreed to it for now. They will wait until the review in September 2025 before deciding what to do next. For the time being, postal work in Sint-Niklaas will go back to normal. But the situation is still sensitive, and a better long-term plan might still be needed.
The strike in Sint-Niklaas caused delays in sending and receiving letters in the area. Bpost said it will need about 1 week to deliver all the letters that are still waiting. Parcel delivery did not have big problems during the strike.
Bpost spokesperson Mathieu Goedefroy said that almost all parcels were delivered on time. There were only a few small delays, and in some places, parcels arrived one day late. Most people still got their packages without major issues.
During the strike, Bpost managers took extra steps to talk with the workers. They had personal talks with each of the 43 postmen who were part of the strike. They mentioned that the aim was to understand their problems better and to listen to their worries in a direct and open way.
