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09.02.2021
As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the operations of Latvijas Pasts becomes more severe, delays in the delivery of postal items and the provision of services are possible. Latvijas Pasts asks for understanding in regard to the difficult circumstances of the state of emergency, as a result of which some post offices and delivery points have had to temporarily change their staff completely, replacing them with colleagues from other divisions or bringing on temporary employees. As a consequence, the timely provision of day-to-day functions is hampered in some places, especially as the amount of goods purchased remotely increases.
As the spread of COVID-19 continues, the negative impact of the virus has started to affect not only the flow of international items, but also the provision of services and deliveries in Latvia. As a result of the infection and the expansion of the number of contacts, Latvijas Pasts had to completely replace its staff engaged in customer service or delivery at ten post offices and delivery points as a temporary solution, thus putting a strain on other divisions from which temporary employees were brought on or looking for new temporary staff.
Considering that the process of replacement of staff takes place on the go, as it involves the immediate implementation of epidemiological security measures, new staff – postmen or post office operators – are trained right on the job, which inevitably leads to slower service and delivery of items. For example, new postmen have to get a grasp on the addressing system in a specific area in record time, which is often complex and opaque, while post office employees have to learn how to provide all the services – from the processing of postal items to money transfers.
Kristaps Krūmiņš, Member of the Board of Latvijas Pasts, points out: “This time is difficult for all of us, but our postmen, couriers, post office operators and drivers who conscientiously provide postal services and deliver items on a daily basis are at the forefront. As, according to the leading epidemiologists, the spread of COVID-19 in Latvia is unfortunately out of control, our employees are also at risk. In order to prevent hazard to customers and other employees, we act promptly by implementing immediate solutions to ensure the continuity of services and deliveries. However, this situation, which is due to circumstances beyond our control, naturally means delays in certain services and deliveries. That is why we call for understanding, because the safety and health of all of us comes first!”
The work of postmen is additionally hampered in many places by uncleaned roads and disorderly letter-boxes located in inappropriate places, incorrectly designed, unidentified or simply non-existent. It should be noted that the number of people served on the spot and, consequently, the number of cash register systems have been reduced at several dozens of post offices due to security requirements, while the amount of goods purchased remotely is increasing and their flow is uneven because of global transport problems caused by COVID-19.
Latvijas Pasts ensures strict observance of epidemiological safety requirements in the company: in addition to the use of face and nose covers and regular disinfection, employees are separated from customer service areas at the post offices by protective plexiglass sheets. Besides, employees are also separated from each other in the indoor premises of the post offices and delivery points and work on a shift basis to avoid coming into contact with each other.
In order to avoid spending more time than necessary at a post office, Latvijas Pasts encourages you to make maximum use of the company’s mobile application, which allows you to apply for the service remotely and show up at the post office just in time for receiving your service. You can apply for services remotely in 86 largest and busiest post offices throughout Latvia; the list of these post offices is available here.
About SJSC Latvijas Pasts
Latvijas Pasts ensures the widest availability of postal services throughout Latvia by maintaining more than 600 post offices. The primary function of the company is provision of the universal postal service; Latvijas Pasts also provides commercial transport, express mail, payment, press subscription, retail and philatelic services. Latvijas Pasts is a wholly State-owned company with about 3,200 employees. The quality measurements of Latvijas Pasts domestic mail deliveries are regularly conducted by Kantar TNS, one of the leading market, social and media research agencies in Latvia. In turn, the quality measurements of the cross-border deliveries are provided within the framework of the International Post Corporation through the intermediary of the research companies Kantar TNS, Ipsos and Quotas.
Additional information:
Gundega Vārpa | Head of External Communications
E-mail: pr@pasts.lv; gundega.varpa@pasts.lv
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