La Poste: Restructuring and Grand dialogue: process and lessons Eurofound, Dublin, September 26, 2013 Claude Emmanuel TRIOMPHE

Restructuring at la Poste : background information * A recurrent issue with many developments since 1990 (separation post/telecoms, opening to the competition, from an administration to a public owned company, reduction of post offices, set up of la Banque Postale etc.) * Dramatic and endless fall in mail services, increase in parcels and financial services * Main employment figures and structure Around employees in the Group: 1% of the French workforce An ageing population and a mix (50/50) of civil servants and private labour contracts Limited part time and short term contracts - A deal between preserving the social model and the acceptance of new organisations (2004)

Occupational safety and health at la Poste Occupational safety and health: the situation deteriorates

Social dialogue structures and processes - A high union density probably close to 45% of the staff (according convergent trade union sources). All major French trade unions: CGT 29,33 %, SUD 22,25%, FO 18,17 % CFDT 18,14 % - A change of social dialogue processes : from very formal, administrative and non-binding processes towards more traditional model following private sector practices. Lot of binding agreements signed on various topics since 2000). - Two specific channels due to the mix of staff For the civil servants (wages, careers, promotions) For the rest (but including to some aspects the civil servants as well): works councils, specific committee for health and safety etc…

The Grand dialogue: the process - Launched by the central management after 6 suicides being registered in 2012 the Group. - A triple initiative: Organizing a local dialogue at territorial levels (small groups where employees can express their concerns at work) which involved almost people in more than 9000 meetings Setting up a tripartite (top managers, 7 TU, external experts) national commission in order to discuss the social situation and the bad being at work within the group and to make recommendations. The commission issued its report in September Launching a range of negotiations to improve well-being at work.

The Grand dialogue: main outcomes - A huge call and demand from employees to be “recognized” - The experimentation of local dialogues - A slow down process in organizational changes and the announcement of new recruitments to face the high rate of absenteeism (22%, all reasons included ) - Several recommendations like Improving the culture of change, work organization and HR processes Facilitate social dialogue at all levels Open the social model to the outside (careers in other public companies, possibilities for external promotion etc..). - The signature last January 2013 by 4 important TU (representing altogether 48 % of the workforce) of an agreement about well-being at work

The Grand dialogue : first lessons and next steps - Suicides as catalyzer for actions - Enlargement of social dialogue through local dialogue involving direct employee participation: an example for other public services ? - The limits of the SD processes: the role of external exerts to open the discussions. Enlarging the SD stake holders - users ? Citizens ? Local communities ? - to make it more effective ? - Scepticism of employees about the results:how to involve them on a sustainable basis rather than one shot ? - With the endless fall of mail traffic, how to deal with the future of postmen and women ? How to organise internal and external job transitions and mobility ?

Thank you for your attention