The national postal authority Bpost has rescinded a decision to stop picking up packages from post offices on Saturday, following widespread protest. The original decision was announced earlier this week, and meant the end of the long-standing practice of packages being dropped off at post offices on Saturdays. Instead, packages would only be picked up on Mondays, making Tuesday the earliest possible delivery day.
“We considered everything and came to the conclusion it would be better to retain the Saturday pick-up,” a spokesperson said. “Various elements played a role.”
The measure was opposed by staff unions – who saw it as a means of cutting down on staff numbers – as well as the union for the self-employed NSZ, which argued that small businesses use the weekend pick-up for deliveries to customers, and opposed a measure which would effectively reduce the postal week to four days. NSZ had appealed to Alexander De Croo, federal minister for post and telecoms, to intervene. Bpost remains a majority state-owned enterprise.
A spokesperson for De Croo, however, denied he had intervened. “He is not in the habit of intervening in operational decisions of the company.” However he was reported to be happy with Bpost’s decision to go back on its decision.
Alan Hope
The Brussels Times
