PostNL wants to cut 200 to 300 full-time jobs this year. The company is also taking other measures to save costs. About 37,000 people work at PostNL.
It was a bit disappointing last year with the parcel delivery. PostNL, like many other companies, also thought that online shopping would never stop after the corona pandemic. But the consumer has put on the brakes a bit and walked into the shopping street more often. Result: fewer packages than expected.
“2022 became a year in which we had to navigate in rapidly changing and turbulent circumstances. Global macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions were extremely challenging, with inflation extremely high and consumer confidence reaching an all-time low. That had an effect on our results,” explains top woman Herna Verhagen.
The company is forced to dismiss two hundred to three hundred employees. Because according to the top woman, the ‘challenging circumstances’ will continue this year. “It is therefore crucial that we continue to invest in strengthening our foundation and strengthening our position in a dynamic and highly competitive market.”
Natural course
Forced redundancies cannot be ruled out. Verhagen: “We hope to be able to reduce the number of jobs through natural wastage as much as possible. In the coming period we will look at which functions will disappear.” The reorganization should be completed by the end of this year.” It is not about executive jobs such as parcel deliverers or sorters, the CEO emphasizes. The jobs will disappear at the head office and at support functions within the parcel branch.
In total, PostNL will set aside 20 million euros in 2023 for the reorganization. The cutbacks mainly affect the Parcels department. Another 25 million euros must be saved in 2024 and 30 million euros annually from 2025. Despite this intervention, the postal company believes that online shopping will grow again in the long term, when the economy picks up again.
Trade unions FNV and CNV are not pleased with the announced reorganization at PostNL. CNV says it is ‘shocked’ by the high number of workplaces that are disappearing and the FNV fears an even higher workload and more unrest within the company. FNV points out that PostNL would also make a profit if the jobs were not cut. “With this, the company opts for the shareholders,” says a spokesman.
The company saw sales in the fourth quarter fall to 883 million euros, from 936 million euros a year ago. Profit fell from 61 million euros to 27 million euros. For the full year, turnover amounted to 3.1 billion euros, compared to 3.5 billion euros in 2021. Profit amounted to 26 million euros, compared to 228 million euros in the previous financial year.
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