The future of the Saudi post office employees is very uncertain. Since the privatization of Saudi Telecom (STC), post office employees have heard no news of possible changes to their conditions or status.
The typical post office employees remain un-promoted for years, either because there are no jobs available, or because they refuse promotion so they can retain the accompanying benefits. As years pass by, the employees are surprised to find out that their salaries are pegged and they never get a raise.
The post office is an important and a profitable business though not as profitable as phone business. Neither does it offer job benefits equivalent to the STC.
With the number of expatriates in the Kingdom who use and would use the postal services if they were more efficient, there is a potential for a good return on a wise investment in services. The post office could also tap the market of government business, represented largely by applications for utilities and other government licenses.
Application for telephone services, driving licenses, official documents of all sorts could be made through post offices, easing application procedures and creating local profit centers.
It is a telling fact that Saudis are unable to have their mail delivered to their door, but they are required to collect it from a post office. This low level of service desperately needs to be improved. Privatization is the route to follow.
With privatization, performance will be improved — even if it means merging the post office and Saudi Telecom as one private company. If that happened, the profit made by the Saudi Telecom could then be used to improve the Saudi post office.
The improvements in benefits would lead to better services for the citizens and a commitment to the job that would lead to a more efficient service.
Providing some incentive to the employees of the post office, using the profits from a privatized union between postal and telecommunication services is surely the way forward.
