Swiss national council refuses to hinder post office closures

Swiss national council refuses to hinder post office closures (Le National refuse d’entraver la fermeture des bureaux de poste)
From LE TEMPS, September 18th, 2001
The Swiss national council has refused to deal immediately with a motion proposed on Monday requesting a moratorium on the restructuring of the post office until a new mandate for services is accepted by parliament. The proposal would have had a good chance of success if it had been dealt with on the first day of the parliamentary session. Tabled in June, it was approved by 93 national councillors.

Since then it has become clear that substitute services provided by the post office to compensate for the closure of local branches, such as home delivery, have rarely been unsatisfactory: some politicians are therefore likely to withdraw their support. The decision also maintains a Sword of Damocles over the head of Ulrich Gygi, head of the post office, who is anxious to avoid a moratorium.

However, many observers say that the proposal will lose impetus over time.

Abstracted from Le Temps Abstracted from Le Temps in French. Copyright 2001 Financial Times Information, Dow Jones, Dialog

LE TEMPS, 18th September 2001