Austrian Post to outsource 20% of post offices

Austria’s postal service announced on 3 March that it would outsource around 20% of its post offices this year to prepare the company for the liberalisation of European Union letter services in 2011.

Austria’s postal service announced on 3 March that it would outsource around 20% of its post offices this year to prepare the company for the liberalisation of European Union letter services in 2011.

Oesterreichische Post said it would close 300 of its 1,500 post offices, while enlisting 450 businesses such as grocery stores and pharmacies to start offering postal services.

The company, in which the state holds a majority stake, said it would not lay off any workers. But the minister for transport, innovation and technology was not convinced about the outsourcing plans.

“So far there are only announcements,” minister Doris Bures said. “I think we should look at this with a large dose of scepticism.”

Oesterreichische Post has closed some 1,000 offices since 2000, but has only replaced 200 of them with service points in private businesses, she said.