Bpost strike continues despite earlier signs of breakthrough

Bpost workers have remained on strike, blocking all distribution centres in Brussels and leaving the capital without post for several weeks.

Although the strike has been going on since the end of March, it seemed last week that management and unions had finally reached an agreement over the postal company’s plans to change working hours to have shifts start and end later, which unions say would disrupt work-life balance.

“All three of Bpost’s distribution centres in Brussels remain blocked,” spokesperson Mathieu Goedefroy said on Friday. “As a result, there is no post to deliver.”

This involves filter blockades at the distribution centres in Evere, Schaerbeek and Anderlecht. Staff can enter and leave the premises and are therefore able to start work, but lorries carrying post and parcels are being stopped.

Strikes are also taking place in various parts of Flanders, particularly in Limburg and Flemish Brabant, however no centres are being blocked. In Wallonia, strikes are taking place in various locations and there are blockades in several places.

An estimated 93% of post and parcel rounds were able to go ahead in Flanders on Thursday, compared to 64% in Wallonia on the same day.

Minister for public enterprises Vanessa Matz (Les Engagés) told La Première on Friday morning that nine out of 10 Bpost employees had resumed or were about to resume work on Friday morning.

“We are three and a half weeks into the process, with a great deal of tension,” Matz said. “When a strike goes on for this long, it’s complicated.”

Matz said an agreement had been reached with the trade unions “on the management” of the reform at Bpost.

The trade unions had intended to present the agreement to their members, but a hasty communication from the company created “frustration”, she said.

Bpost spokesperson Goedefroy reported on Friday morning that “a minority” of workers were blocking the centres with picket lines, which is completely paralysing post delivery in Brussels.

Bpost had sent bailiffs to the picket lines to attempt to halt the strike.

While negotiations are ongoing regarding Bpost’s next management contract, which begins in 2027, reports have suggested that the government plans to reduce the annual subsidy to the company by a third and there are fears that many post offices will have to close.

Matz confirmed that some branches will indeed close, but said that there would be no "mass, indiscriminate and blind" cuts.

“We will be creative, achieve the savings, but not at the expense of service provision,” Matz added. “I want to ensure that at least one post office remains in every municipality.”