bpost newspaper agreement to safeguard the jobs of its employees on fixed contracts

bpost has entered into an agreement with publishers on the delivery of newspapers in Wallonia from 1 July 2024.

Agreement has been reached with newspaper publishers for the distribution of French-speaking newspapers in Wallonia from 1 July 2024, when the press concession is set to end.

The agreement means that bpost is able to safeguard the jobs of its employees on fixed contracts. Under the terms of the agreement, bpost will continue to distribute all newspapers throughout Wallonia until the end of 2025. From 2026 onwards, publishers may eventually and gradually transfer the distribution of their newspapers to a third party.

An alternative distribution will be tested during the third quarter of 2025 at the request of the publishers. This will concern four distribution offices. A meeting has already been scheduled with the publishers for mid-2025 to see if the potential transfer of newspaper distribution from 2026 is confirmed or if the newspaper distribution will be entrusted to bpost for a longer period.

The end of the press concession in Flanders: a multi-phase transition

For Flanders, the agreement reached on 26 April 2024 provides for the gradual transition of newspaper volumes to bpostgroup subsidiary AMP, which keeps around 75% of volumes currently delivered by bpost within the bpostgroup. The transition begins after the 2024 summer holidays (September/October) at ten pilot offices, with the remaining volumes to be transferred in 2025 and 2026.

Regarding the distribution of the periodicals, bpost is still in the process of contracting with its clients.

Financial impact

This necessary insight into newspaper distribution in Wallonia and Flanders enables bpost to quantify the corresponding financial impacts and publish its financial guidance for 2024 in the near future.