Surprise! Not really. The United States Postal Service, financially struggling for several years, announced Wednesday that, beginning during the week of August 5, 2013, mail would no longer be delivered on Saturdays. However, the U.S.P.S will continue to deliver packages on Saturdays.
The move to this new delivery schedule will save the Postal Service approximately $2 billion, once the plan is fully implemented, a U.S.P.S. statement said.
The Postal Service has lost tens of billions of dollars over the last few years with the increasing use of the Internet and growth in e-commerce. At the same time, there has been strong growth in package delivery which increased 14 percent in volume since 2010.
“Our customers see strong value in the national delivery platform we provide and maintaining a six-day delivery schedule for packages is an important part of that platform,” said Patrick R. Donahoe, Postmaster General and CEO. “As consumers increasingly use and rely on delivery services — especially due to the rise of e-commerce — we can play an increasingly vital role as a delivery provider of choice, and as a driver of growth opportunities for America’s businesses.”
Market research undertaken revealed that, close to 70 percent of Americans support the move to a five-day delivery mail schedule as a way for the Postal Service to reduce cost and in its efforts to return to financial stability.
According to news reports, the Postal Service sustained a $15.9 billion net loss for fiscal 2012, which ended Sept. 30. That’s three times the loss recorded a year earlier.
Once implemented during August of 2013, mail delivery to street addresses will occur Monday through Friday. Packages will continue to be delivered six days per week. Mail addressed to PO Boxes will continue to be delivered on Saturdays. Post Offices currently open on Saturdays will remain open on Saturdays.
The Postal Service continues to implement major restructuring throughout its retail, delivery and mail processing operations. The U.S.P.S. receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
This is not new news. Two years ago the postal workers had rallies outside congressional offices protesting the same things that are being dealt with now. The republicans in congress ignored it. I was there and wrote about it here http://wp.me/p4GAy-4S. The mainstream media knew about it as well and sat on it. You have to ask why a national issue like this hasn’t had more exposure.