USPS carrier chief blasts ‘we can expect the same here’ as she compares agency to Royal Mail chaos after April 1 change

USPS is heading down a troubling path that could mirror chaos experienced by the Royal Mail, a mail carrier chief has warned.

It comes after sweeping changes at the agency went into effect on April 1 – and more are expected in the coming months.

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The April 1 changes saw the agency restructure delivery operations in an effort to save $36 billion over 10 years.

Service standards for first-class mail, periodicals, marketing mail, and package services were all adjusted and some customers were bracing for slower deliveries.

A second round of streamlining efforts is set to roll out on July 1.

In addition, President Donald Trump has suggested USPS could either merge with the US Department of Commerce or be privatized entirely.

Amid these challenges, USPS has been working with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to streamline operations and save money by slashing up to 10,000 jobs.

The ongoing issues at USPS are piling on and fears are mounting over whether the changes could cripple the service.

Industry insiders are raising the alarms and warning privatization could be a disaster for American mail delivery.

“Look at the model from the Royal Mail in England,” Melissa Rakestraw, executive vice president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, said in an interview with PBS local affiliate WTTW.

“They privatized in 2013 and it increased cost for mailers and consumers, it slowed down services and increased the mismanagement of pension funds.

“We can expect the same thing here.”

USPS has already been under fire for a decline in service quality and an alarming $6.4 billion loss in 2023.

Then Postmaster General Louis DeJoy resigned, intensifying concerns about the future of the USPS.

With nearly 640,000 employees nationwide, USPS has a universal mandate to deliver mail anywhere – even the most remote corners of the country.

Experts like Rakestraw worry the mandate is in danger due to the discussions about privatization or merging with the US Department of Commerce.

She also pointed out private companies like FedEx and UPS avoid hard-to-reach neighborhoods in Chicago, but USPS delivers there every day.

Despite these growing concerns, the USPS remains an independent agency under Congressional control.

The executive branch can’t dismantle it without Congress’s approval.

This independence is a double-edged sword.

While it means USPS doesn’t rely on taxpayer funds, it also means it’s struggling to stay afloat.

USPS’s 2023 deficit was steep but it has posted a slight profit recently with DeJoy’s 10-year restructuring plan showing signs of success.

The service has faced decades of financial strain, losing $87 billion from 2007 to 2020.

But Michael Caref, a business agent with the National Association of Letter Carriers, believes USPS is more than just a service.

The postal service is part of the fabric of America, Caref insisted.

“It’s not like the postal service is a burden to anyone right now,” he said.

“You have a live person who’s out in every community at least six days a week, and while we’re out there we’re also looking out for the people in the community.”

Since its reorganization in 1970, USPS has funded itself through customer fees, with just a small annual subsidy from Congress.

However, rising retiree benefits and a decline in profitable first-class mail have exacerbated the financial strain.

Even so, the service posted a $144 million profit last quarter, a turnaround from last year’s $2.1 billion loss.

“The postal service has to reinvent itself as the delivery mechanism for America in the modern era and that’s not going to happen overnight,” Caref said.

“I think it’s well worth it to make that investment.”

USPS didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment by The U.S. Sun.