Post “delivered one day in two"

Residents of rural area in France claim summer staff shortages have led to a reduction in mail delivery services

LA POSTE has denied claims that it has only delivered letters every other day during the summer in a rural area of the Tarn department due to staff shortages.

Residents of Viviers-les-Montagnes have claimed that they did not receive regular post as expected, with one saying that his daily newspaper subscription arrived every second day, regional newspaper La Dépêche du Midi reports.

When he complained, he was informed: “It turns out that exceptional circumstances did not allow us to ensure the delivery of mail in your sector during this period.”

According to the newspaper, four of nine regular post workers in nearby Labruguière were off work at the same time, and the company had not found temporary replacements.

CGT union representative Jean-Luc Gastou said that the company had not sought to provide summer cover by hiring students.

He claimed that one worker was left to cover three senior positions at the same time due to the absence of available staff.