A subsidiary of the post office, Direct Mail Company AG, has to stop its delivery service. This will result in major job cuts. The affected positions correspond to 422 full-time equivalents. 132 employees will continue to produce the Consumo advertising magazine.
The postal service will close its direct mail company (DMC) in 2024. This means that 3,855 jobs will be lost, mostly low part-time positions. The move comes amid a decline in advertising and free newspapers, the Post said.
In the last ten years, the post office subsidiary has had to absorb a one-third decline in shipments. Half of this decline can be attributed to the increased number of “Stop advertising” signs on mailboxes (+1.5 percent per year).
Legend: The closure of a postal subsidiary results in major job cuts. Keystone/ELIA BIANCHI
Daniel Truttmann, CEO of DMC, is quoted in the Post’s press release as follows: “In recent years we have worked intensively on our efficiency, such as reducing delivery days and merging locations. Nevertheless, in the long term we would unfortunately only be able to operate our own delivery at a loss because we cannot reduce our routes.”
“There are higher social requirements”
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Assessment by business editor Markus Pfander: “The step sounds understandable, but it affects people of all people who don’t have a bed of roses in terms of income. Who else would run from house to house in wind and weather, sometimes in the early hours of the morning, to fill mailboxes with advertising.
The Post has strengthened its market power in this area over the years, including through acquisitions. The fact that it is now moving towards consolidation has to do with the volume of such unaddressed shipments, which has also been falling for years. The Internet as an advertising channel sends greetings and also offers the advantage that this advertising is personalized and the effect can be measured better.
The Swiss Post cannot escape this logic. Nevertheless, for a company of this size and, above all, state-owned, higher standards of social responsibility apply. Those responsible say that this intended project will be carried out in the most socially responsible way possible. But they still have to provide proof of this.”
After the delivery organization is discontinued, the shipments should be taken over by the post office. The postal service is now examining the necessary organizational adjustments to ensure that advertising continues to be distributed reliably.
Despite the discontinuation of the service, the headquarters in Basel should remain. 132 employees would continue to be employed there for the processing and marketing of the Consumo product. Consumo is the four-sided carrier medium in which customers can place their advertising.
Union demands good cushioning
The Syndicom union expects the post office to make all employees a job offer in the group. This is what it says in a message. For those employees who do not want to or cannot accept such a job offer, Syndicom demands a social plan with substantial severance pay.
Correction upon request at the post office
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An initial version of the article stated that the direct mail company would be closed. When SRF asked the post office, it became clear that the direct mail company continued to exist. Only the independent delivery of your product will be discontinued.