The lay-offs at TNT Post is the largest single round of lay-offs in the Netherlands since 45,000 people lost their jobs when the coal mines closed in the sixties and seventies.

The job cuts announcement doesn't come as a complete surprise. In April, the unions turned down proposals for a new collective labour agreement at TNT. Management had proposed a 15 percent pay cut in exchange for three years of job security.

After the proposal was refused, management started preparing for a reorganisation. The unions obtained the promise that an independent research bureau would be given until September to come up with an alternative solution.