PostNL: Our way of working does not in any way resemble the picture being painted in the media

PostNL has released a statement to say that the two PostNL colleagues who were detained following a police raid last week, have not actually been released as a social inspectorate decided to appeal the court’s verdict. Local news sources have named the two detained as CEO Rudy Van Rillaer and Head of Operations John de Bruin.

The statement from Liesbeth Kaashoek, Director Parcels & Logistics Benelux PostNL letter read:

Dear customer,

Last week, you received a letter from us about the parcel delivery situation in Belgium. A week on, the first of three PostNL colleagues who were arrested was released by the Belgian authorities. Sadly, the other two colleagues have not been, despite the fact that a court concluded that they should be released as well. However, the social inspectorate decided to appeal this verdict. We are disappointed and believe there’s no reason whatsoever to keep them in jail for such a long time. Our way of working does not in any way resemble the picture being painted in the media. We hope they will be released as soon as possible, and we are supporting them as best we can.

Parcel delivery in Belgium

Directly after our locations in Wommelgem and Willebroek were sealed off by the police, we made a number of adjustments to our logistics network, so as to be able to deliver the quality of service that you expect from us.

We hope that the locked parcels will be released as soon as possible. Please inform your account manager if you think some of your volumes are among them. You can indicate whether you prefer them to be delivered to your customers if and when possible, or to get them back. You can always change your preference later on.

Working with delivery partners

PostNL works with 220 delivery partners in Belgium, who employ around 1,500 parcel deliverers. The social inspector disagrees with our approach, which, nonetheless, complies with the relevant legal framework and is in line with common practice. The vast majority of these deliverers have a labour contract and are paid collectively agreed wages, and enjoy safe and sound working conditions. The attached infographic shows all relevant facts and figures about our way of working.

Taking responsibility

PostNL wants to be a solid and socially responsible partner, and aims to work with highly satisfied delivery partners and deliverers. Many of these have worked for PostNL for years and are pleased with our cooperative approach. Their compensation is periodically discussed and adapted in close consultation with the entrepreneurs themselves. Moreover, we take responsibility by conducting spot checks to identify and resolve any issues, and will continue do so.

I hope this letter answers your questions and addresses any concerns you may have. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any other questions or would like a meeting. We will continue to keep you posted on any relevant operational and legal developments.