Criticism of Poland's postal service

As of next Monday the Polish postal service will lose its monopoly on the delivery of letters. In the liberal left-wing daily Gazeta Wyborcza Journalist Piotr Miączyński passes judgement on the state-owned company. "The postal service is going its own unique way about preparing for the challenges of competition. First it applied for several hundred millions in funding from the state budget. Then it plans to double prices for its services next year. ... The postal service is a huge paradox. It has over 100,000 employees, not much less than the Polish army. But despite this there are giant queues at the counters in post offices and over-employment has made the service one of the most expensive in Europe. ... It is impossible to sack inefficient and superfluous workers because changes are blocked by over 40 trade unions. I wonder whether we customers have any need of a postal service like this? Because it is clear why the employees need the postal service. To pay them their salaries. After all, unlike the letters the salaries always arrive on time."

» more information (external link, Polish)
More from the press review on the subject » Labour market / Services, » Corporations, » Economic Policy, » Poland