This Mail Story

For a fairly long period, the German postal system has a problem with recruitment of letter carriers. N-TV (the German commercial news network) talks about this issue, and what the new solution is suggested to be.

The normal system, if you want to go and be a letter courier with the 'Post'.....you went into a entry-level program, and spent two years learning the entire system.  If you went to most 15-year-old kids, and laid out the postal program, this two-year training program, the typical 820 Euro a month during the apprentice period....it was marginally attractive.

To be honest, delivering the mail, as I observed my dad in the profession....was one of the most boring jobs that you could ever get into.  Most German kids seem to agree, and it's hard to attract anyone to sign up for the apprentice deal.

So, the Post is offering a new deal.....you just come in and start working at the normal pay-scale of 2,172 Euro a month, There would be a modified training program of some sort, and you'd take a test to certify yourself (roughly 90 days into this), to be called a delivery-agent. 

Oddly....work councils and unions....aren't happy over the suggestion.  To the degree, that this is apparently going to delay the work-agreement that was laid out.

When you stand back and admire what the Post admitted....was that it's clearly not a difficult skill area, and that you can kinda learn through a short period of time how to be a mail courier.  Yes, rather shocking.

All these folks who are long-term unemployed and waiting for some retraining effort?  Well....if you just walked in and said here I am.....I'm willing to do the 90-day training deal and then be a courier at 2,172  Euro a month.....well, you'd probably have a thousand people show up the next day and ask for details. 

Does it make this two-year training program that has existed for years....a joke?  Yes. 

At various points in my life....I was dropped into a job-change where I knew absolutely nothing about the skill they wanted me to do.  Three to six months later....I knew everything I needed to know, with a minimum of class-time or study effort to qualify myself.  I think most jobs are that way....requiring just learning-by-doing, and an enthusiastic attitude. 

The union is more or less pushed into the corner now.....it's really not as skilled as they suggest, and anyone off the street could do the job in just three months.