Restructuring events
European Restructuring Monitor (ERM)
The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
In July the state-owned national postal company Eesti Post announced the dismissal of approximately 200 workers during August 2009 as a result of internal restructuring.
According to the comments of the public relations manager in the company, Ms Inge Suder, currently the planned number of dismissals stands at 204 workers. This is brought down from the 274 jobs that were planned to be lost in the beginning of June. The number of actual dismissals is hoped to be reduced even further by finding ways to maintain jobs. For example, several employees are offered vacant or alternative jobs and all of the workers have not announced their decision yet.
The main categories of workers affected by the dismissals include post carriers, couriers, client service workers etc. Also some administrative workers and post office managers will be affected. The monthly salaries of persons made redundant remain between EEK 4,350 (€278) and EEK 13,000 (€831). The regions hit the most include the Harjumaa county and the capital city Tallinn. In order to support the workers made redundant, information days and trainings are planned to be provided by the Unemployment Insurance Fund. This is provided in the framework of the reaction service to redundancies which aims at supporting workers who are about to lose their jobs by providing information on the rights and possibilities of the unemployed and the skills required for finding a new job (e.g. compiling a CV). This service is provided on the financing of the European Social Fund.
The company aims at avoiding losses by the end of the year. For this purpose, Eesti Post has been selling their real estate, reducing salaries of the central office and the management by 10%, cutting down in any additional expenses and car compensation. The basic salaries of all regular workers have remained unchanged, though additional bonuses are cut.
The Estonian Communication and Trade Workers' Trade Union (Eesti Side- ja Teenindustöötajate Ametiühingute Liit) participated in negotiations over the implementation of redundancies. The trade union analysed the situation of all workers planned to be made redundant and requested not to dismiss those being the only breadwinner in the family and pensioneers. They also asked the company to assess the use of part-time workers. Even though more than a thousand workers of Eesti Post are members of the trade union, only about ten members were among those being made redundant. Those, who are members, are also offered additional support by the trade union - additional support for the unemployed, for training and for those in early retirement.
Eurofound (2009), Eesti Post, Internal restructuring in Estonia, factsheet number 69338, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://dev.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/69338.
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