PostNL Battles Government Over Delivery Costs

Long-serving mail carrier highlights company’s financial strain and employee concerns.

A dedicated mail delivery worker voices deep unease as PostNL takes legal action against the Dutch government. The company seeks financial support, citing losses on its public service mandate, a move that has split employee opinion.

Financial Strain and Shareholder Payouts

For fifteen years, Ahmed Abdillahi has navigated Rotterdam’s streets, delivering mail. He enjoys the outdoor work but laments the increasing pressures. “Reorganization after reorganization” has made the job tougher, with expanded delivery routes and fewer facilities, like electricity or toilets in depots.

“All these years, dividends have been paid to shareholders, even when losses were incurred. That money could have been invested in the company or the staff. And now the government is suddenly expected to step in. That doesn’t sit right.”

—Ahmed Abdillahi, Post Deliverer

PostNL’s decision to pursue legal action follows a rejected request for €68 million in state aid for 2025 and 2026. The company argues it incurs significant losses while fulfilling a government-mandated public postal service.

Proposed Changes to Delivery Schedules

A proposal from outgoing Minister Vincent Karremans suggests extending the mandatory 24-hour letter delivery window to 48 hours. PostNL would still be required to deliver mail five days a week. Abdillahi supports this, concerned about reduced working hours and income if delivery days were cut.

His own work situation is precarious, balancing an 18-hour fixed contract with flexible sorting work. This often involves contract renewals every three years, a pattern he’s followed for a decade. The potential closure of the Rotterdam sorting center looms, threatening hundreds of jobs.

The Evolving Role of Mail Carriers

Beyond the financial issues, Abdillahi sees a diminishing social aspect of his job. He recalled assisting a woman with children who lacked electricity and water, connecting her with a foundation. “When I meet her on the street now, she says: ‘Ahmed, I still pray for you.'”

He envisions a future where postal workers could serve a greater community function, citing Japan as an example where mail carriers sometimes visit the elderly. This “neighborhood eyes and ears” model, he believes, holds potential for the future.

The decline in paper mail volume, though real, has not eased the workload for carriers like Abdillahi. Instead, routes have grown, leading to longer working days during busy periods. This situation is not unique to Rotterdam, impacting postal workers across the nation.

According to the Dutch statistics office CBS, the volume of addressed mail in the Netherlands has been steadily decreasing for years, with a 7.5% drop in physical mail items handled by PostNL in 2022 compared to the previous year. (CBS, 2024)