French posties get 1.5%

The French post office, La Poste, has agreed a settlement providing increases of 1.5% for most staff.

The deal, signed on 21 March, will increase basic rates for most of La Poste’s 115,000 employees by 0.6% from 1 May and a further 0.9% from 1 July. Rates for the lowest grades will go up by between 1.7% and 2.4%, depending on length of service.

Most postal worker grades get an additional supplement, with different elements paid monthly and every six months. The monthly amount will rise by 1.5% in July, and the six-monthly amount by 5.8% – taking it to €363.02 – next February. There will also be a one-off payment of €60 in July.

Management grades will also get an overall increase, but only of 1.0%. A further performance-related pay pot of 1.7% is available, with exceptional performers towards the bottom of the pay structure receiving 5.9% while those with unsatisfactory performance get nothing .

The increases are slightly ahead of France’s current (March) inflation rate of 1.2%. The CFDT union confederation, which signed the agreement, called it “an improvement in purchasing power for everybody”.