Ceylon Post: Postal service being privatised
The Ceylon Postal Services Union (CPSU) alleged that the Postal Department is being privatised and that it has shut down several main post offices islandwide.
President of the CPSU, Jayantha Wijesinghe, accused the Department of converting several main Post Offices into Sub Post Offices. Up to now, 15 main post offices have been shut down, he said, adding that, as a consequence, the agency post offices owned by the private sector have become popular. “We heard that most of the government post offices will be sold to private agencies, in a move to privatise the postal service. We condemn these steps taken by the Postal Department. The Department is supposed to develop the existing Post Offices and make use of the available technology and use it. But the present government is closing down the Post Offices,” Wijesinghe charged.
He said the union has already written to the Post Master General regarding the issue, but has not received a reply as yet. The employees, who work in the main Post Offices, have been transferred to other districts, he alleged.
He also said the Bambalapitiya Main Post Office was closed down in 2005 on the pretext of renovations. “But, we don’t see another post office being put up or any renovation taking place. There are similar cases reported from several other areas in the country,” he alleged.
