Mail Chaos: Union Reports 25,000 Letters Piling Up Due To Staffing Crisis

Tens of thousands of letters and charismatic notifications are piling up successful Denia and Calpe, according to waste and acquisition national Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), which has raised nan siren complete a worsening staffing situation successful nan postal work during nan summertime months.

Every summer, Spain’s nationalist postal service, Correos, faces a crisp emergence successful workload arsenic tourer numbers surge and regular unit return holidays. The national claims betwixt 20,000 and 25,000 modular letters stay undelivered successful nan area, alongside “hundreds aliases moreover thousands” of charismatic notifications, which could consequence successful missed aesculapian appointments aliases nan nonaccomplishment to complete captious paperwork.

CCOO blames Correos, Spain’s nationalist postal service, for what it describes arsenic a “zero recruitment policy” that has near galore transportation units crossed Alicante state operating pinch little than half their accustomed workforce.

Juan Palazón, CCOO’s provincial typical for Correos, said nan institution is failing to adequately switch unit connected holiday, creating a monolithic backlog and placing undue strain connected those still working.

“This overload is made worse by nan aggravated summertime heat,” he said, informing that nan business “seriously endangers nan health” of postal workers and undermines nan value of nationalist service.

Denia and Calpe deed hardest

According to Palazón, Denia and Calpe are among nan towns astir severely affected. Both already faced challenges earlier nan summer, and nan business has worsened owed to sick time off and stress-related absences — which are besides going uncovered.

“In Calpe, nan greeting displacement should person astir 11 workers,” said Palazón. “Right now, location are only 3 aliases four. In nan afternoon, it’s conscionable 1 person.”

The only solution, nan national argues, is contiguous recruitment.

“We’ve many times raised nan rumor pinch Correos,” said Palazón. “Sometimes they connection a fewer other workers for a fewer days, but that’s obscurity adjacent enough.”

He added that nan existent situation stems from decisions made by nan company’s erstwhile management, which near Correos successful a financially precarious position. Despite hopes for alteration nether caller leadership, Palazón believes nan strategy remains unchanged, pinch fund cuts continuing to effect staffing levels.

This has led to increasing interest complete some work value and moving conditions—particularly successful coastal areas for illustration nan Marina Alta, wherever nan organization swells dramatically during nan vacation season.

“Taking holidays is simply a right,” insisted Palazón, “and workers must beryllium capable to bask them without guilt aliases fearfulness of collapsing nan service.”