In its Presentation to Analysts, one of the slides detailed the new labor agreement that Deutsche Post states will help keep its mail business profitable. The portions of the agreement cited are as follows:
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New flexible model for age-based working solutions
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Option to pay proportion of current salary into worktime account
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Partial-retirement program supplemented by working-time accounts and a demographic fund
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Extension of no compulsory redundancy until 2015
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Continued outsourcing
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990 parcel-delivery districts handled by sub-contractors
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Outsourcing of transportation extended by 1,000 drivers
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Agreed salary/working condition changes
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4% lower entry wage for new Mail employees
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New vacation policies based on company service, not age
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Renewal of non-chargeable overtime, work days and short breaks agreement
Some of the provisions in the Deutsche Post contract already exist in the APWU contract in other labor contracts at the Postal Service.
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Most truck transportation is contracted in the United States. APWU members only handle transportation of mail over short distances that are less expensive for APWU members to transport.
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The Postal Service offers a two tiered wage agreement and new employees have a lower starting wage.
One provision is particularly interesting, partial retirement. Deutsche Post is able to have a person work part-time and be retired part time. This sounds like a good idea for transitioning the workforce to lower First Class mail volumes without rapid loss of skills or institutional memory. I don’t know if this is possible under US law but it is worth seeing if such a program could be developed.
