Because so many parcels are being sent before Christmas this year, Swiss Post is taking on additional staff.
Due to the corona pandemic, the Austrian Post and private delivery services have seen a huge increase in parcel volumes this year. Since the shops are closed in lockdown, more and more Austrians are shopping online and Christmas gifts are also being sent much more frequently this year, as large family celebrations cannot take place.
The Christmas business this year takes place almost exclusively online, with discounts on “Black Friday” even more orders are placed. The postmen and deliverers can barely cope with the volumes and are now fighting against the overload. Some of the employees have to work 12-hour shifts, criticizes the union.
Because of the pandemic, not everyone is allowed to be in the post office at the same time. Some employees start earlier, others later. “The deliverers are forced to deliver the parcels with forehead lamps when it gets dark,” says Helmut Köstinger, the chairman of the post and telecommunications workers' union in the “Ö1 morning journal”. He calls for several hundred employees to be accepted.
With one million parcels per day, the increase is clearly noticeable, which is more than a third compared to the previous year. The Post is therefore increasing its staff. Over 300 employees were also hired for delivery. There was also an increase in logistics.
