On Tuesday morning, our colleagues from RTL Radio spoke with Raymond Juchem, President of the Postal Workers’ Union, about a controversial court ruling and the future of the postal profession.
Juchem expressed profound dismay at a recent decision by the Court of Cassation, which forbade RTL from naming a former union official. “The ruling appalled us, knowing what happened a good 20 years ago. It is irresponsible and incomprehensible”, he stated.
The case relates to the former president of the FSFL, the union’s predecessor, who was convicted in the early 2000s for misappropriating approximately 560 million Luxembourg francs (€14 million). The official had speculated with the savings of 500 postal workers and used the funds for personal gain, including the purchase of a finca in Majorca.
Juchem recounted that the original union was forcibly dissolved, its assets – including significant cash reserves, flats, and a bar – liquidated to compensate victims. Hundreds of people lost their life savings, facing uncertainty for years. “The damage was immense and irreparable and must not be forgotten”, Juchem stressed.
Visibly angered, he suggested that the individual at the centre of the old scandal should personally donate the €7,000 fine RTL would have to pay for naming him to the victims or the current union. “It’s an utter disgrace”, Juchem concluded.
Shifting to the profession’s outlook, Juchem addressed concerns raised by Denmark’s recent move to cease all letter delivery due to digitalisation.
He does not foresee a similar scenario in Luxembourg. While letter volume declines by up to 7% annually, 90 million letters still require distribution. Addtionally, parcel delivery is booming, with over 8 million handled per year. “That is the future”, Juchem said, asserting that this growth secures jobs both in sorting centres and on delivery rounds.
