The recent announcement of collective layoffs at UPS has sparked widespread outrage. The logistics company plans on eliminating over half of the Belgian workforce to increasingly rely on subcontracted labour. For trade unions, this restructuring goes far beyond standard reorganisation. It is part of a deliberate strategy of social dumping.
The objective is clear: replace permanent employees with subcontractors. This approach weakens job security and creates constant competition between subcontractors to drive costs down. The result is growing pressure on wages, working conditions, job quality, and workers’ well-being. The consequences of this model are well known: downward pressure on wages, deteriorating working conditions and increasing precarity.
The way management is handling this process is also deeply concerning. The company appears determined to push through these changes during the summer period, when workers should be able to enjoy their holidays and spend time with their families instead of facing uncertainty about their future.Reports that some employees learned of their dismissal via text message before receiving a full explanation reflect a serious lack of respect for the people who have contributed for years to the company’s success, carrying its daily operations. (....)