The Czech Post Office will lay off thousands of employees and close hundreds of branches due to the decline in mail volume and increased online communication, the company’s CEO, Roman Knap, announced on Tuesday.
The Post Office employs about 31,000 people, expected to decrease by 10% in the next few years. The company also plans to close about 400 branches, about a third of its total.
According to Knap, the Post Office’s revenue from traditional mail has been declining for years, and the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift to online communication. The company has therefore decided to restructure and focus more on parcel delivery, logistics, and e-commerce.
The CEO emphasized that the layoffs and branch closures will be carried out gradually and in cooperation with trade unions. The affected employees will be offered retraining programs and job opportunities in other parts of the company or with partner companies.
The Post Office is owned by the Czech state and is the country’s largest provider of postal and courier services.