The Norwegian Union of Postal Employees and the Norwegian Union of Postal Workers are planning a merger on 1 July 2000. The new organisation will organise some 30,000 employees in the Norwegian postal service.
A new trade union organisation for Norwegian postal workers may soon become a reality, after dual membership ballots, held on 6 May 1999, produced a large majority in favour of merging the Norwegian Union of Postal Employees (Den norske Postorganisasjon, DNP) and the Norwegian Union of Postal Workers (Norsk Postforbund, NPF). Both organisations are member unions of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (Landsorganisasjonen i Norge, LO). DNP has traditionally organised white-collar workers, while NPF has drawn its members mainly from blue-collar workers. The new organisation will comprise approximately 30,000 employees in the Norwegian postal service, and will become operative from 1 July 2000.
The first stage in the process of merging the two unions has already been completed. An ad-hoc committee was established to outline the basis for a possible merger and this process culminated in the parallel ballots in May 1999. A large majority of the members in both organisations voted in favour of a merger (85.9%). The merger was given the green light at dual extraordinary national conferences held on 26 May. The issue of who is to lead the new organisation has been postponed to a later date, but the central committees of both organisations are to decide on this issue before 1 July 2000.
The two organisations have made several previous attempts to merge, and the latest, in 1988, was cut short when NPF failed to foster enough support in a membership ballot. The recent decision to merge must be seen in light of the fact that the two organisations see eye to eye on many issues, and have for a long time been cooperating in the Joint Federation of Postal Employees (Postfolkenes Fellesforbund). The two organisations also believe that the present form of organising postal workers in two separate unions does not harmonise well with the organisation of the Norwegian postal service itself. The national postal service has in recent years undergone rapid change and reorganisation, not least with regard to a significant reduction in the number of postal outlets nationwide (NO9712139F). Furthermore, increased competition from non-public enterprises, and a liberalisation of the postal service itself in face of such competition, requires new forms of employee organisation, which will allow for greater strength and depth vis-à-vis the employer.