It would have been 20-plus years ago that an old reporter made the pitch that our systems are broken – irreparably.
All these years later it would appear he was ahead of his time.
At any rate, we were reading up on the Canada Post strike and the latest union vote. A substantial majority of union members voted against the latest proposed contract. The corporation itself has said this is its final offer.
The government position has been such that they are hesitant to prop up the organization, having added billions to its coffers over the years. At some point, all parties need to address the big question, which is do we still need postal service? From our perspective, that answer is yes.
Canada Post pre-dates Confederation and since its inception has been an integral part of the flow of goods and commerce. More importantly, it links the country with an institution of common purpose. Far-flung villages and centres of trade were connected.
As with many industries in this digital age, the Post Office failed to keep up with the times. Private couriers, arguably successful because they didn’t have to meet the mandate of being accessible to all Canadians, were able to cherry pick the more lucrative jobs in built-up areas. Meeting customer needs was their primary priority rather than adhering to rules and regulations that were more about the system than the customer.
Between the bureaucratic nature of institutions and the stranglehold of union bosses, the Post Office is broken. We find that quite sad, because the local postmasters and staff we do business with, and who serve our readers, are very good people.
Friendly local service is hampered by rules and procedures that make it difficult for customers. In this age of convenience, between email, online banking and web-based businesses, customers demand a measure of immediacy.
Just as the country is being asked to reimagine trade relationships, government institutions need to reexamine their role and mandate. Meeting customer demand and ensuring all Canadians have access to services delivered in an efficient manner have to be the primary talking points.
Institutions need to break it down and get back to the basics, or risk increasing irrelevance in modern times.
