BY STEVEN KASZAB
Canadians depend upon Canada’s Postal Service more than they think. The pandemic has brought about a massive showing of personal purchasing power, the buying of just about everything you can imagine, from wherever, delivered most often by your local Postie. During all hours of the day contracted employees of this Crown Corporation carry out these deliveries.
Years ago, there was a movement in Ottawa to delist and privatize various Crown Corporations, a method we were told that would save the taxpayer a great deal of money. Thousands of the unemployed workers would be rehired by private syndicates, so don’t worry abut them. Private interests would carry out the services we have come to expect from those we often know locally, our postal clerks and delivery staff. They were full time employee’s making reasonable wages.
Private Corporations Policy has transitioned employment in many cases from one of full time, forty hours a week employment, to staggered part time employment, often with no benefits or pensions. Like those who work a gig operation, they work long hours in many jobs at a low pay schedule, often two-three jobs performed weekly.
A mail carrier makes $44,850.00 annually and delivery drivers made $42,285.00 too.
The above salaries reflected 2018 numbers. The contractors taking these employee’s places work much harder, at more tasks while often making the same or less wages. The postal worker of the past earned a simple wage, with benefits and a pension to boot. Not so with those who deliver your items to your homes. No benefits, no future entanglements to the corporation.
Studies in 2020 showed the stress levels of those who work for the postal service escalated more than 38% within one year. It was due to fear of COVID-19, fear in performing their duties and fear of the future. Will the full-time employees have a full-time job in say five years?
The indebted Federal Government will be cutting certain services deemed better managed by private corporations. Not because the private sector does the job better, but to save money in the long run. These short-term perception of savings are forgotten in time. It has been proven as fact that private concerns appear to be less costly, but by their very nature will increase prices substantially over time. Excuse used is often unforeseen costs. Private concerns often manage universal costing with their competition, ultimately presenting prices that are overall similar to the customer.
Many nations have privatized their postal systems. Germany in 2000, Portugal in 1991, Japan created an IPO selling shares in the corporation, while the United Kingdom privatized fully in 2015. The German government needed control and re-purchased 20% of the corporation. These corporations have one thing in common. Their employees moved in mass from full time employees to part timers.
There is a common theme that is surfacing in Canada also. The Corporation of the past acted as an empathetic employer to a certain extent. Benefits, pensions, education services were offered freely to their staff. That has and will vanish in time. The profit motive will reign supreme, and those proud full-time employees will be too busy to complain, as they go to their second or third job.
Canada has much to look forward to in 2022 and beyond: union militancy, union expansions and confrontational tactics. The stress of indebt governments will challenge Canadian traditions. Workers Rights will be proclaimed along side BLM and Indigenous protest placards.
Crown Corporations that will go onto the chopping block are numerous. The CBC, Postal Services, Energy Management, Forestry Ministry Services, some border controls. There is many more no doubt. Our governments are a cannibalistic bunch, often devouring their own. Our governments are in election mode the moment they enter office. Never do they look beyond their mandate, or towards the future lives of their population.
It is the government’s job, its mandate to manage, protect and uplift its employees.
