Diet OKs end of Saturday, next-day standard postal delivery

Nov 28, 2020 | News On Japan

Nov 28, 2020 (Japan Today) - The Diet on Friday gave the green light to stop Saturday as well as next-day delivery of standard postal mail to address a worker shortage and falling demand due to increased use of the internet.

Under the revised postal law, the changes will take effect around next fall. But while standard mail delivery service will be limited to weekdays only, Saturday and Sunday delivery of parcels as well as express and registered mail will be maintained.

Postal services are operated under a universal service obligation in Japan, including rural areas, remote islands and mountainous regions.

Japan Post Co, a unit of Japan Post Holdings Co, had been calling for a review of the postal law to end Saturday delivery as it faces a shortage of workers and rising labor costs.

While demand for "snail mail" has been declining with the rise of email, demand for the delivery of parcels has been on the rise as an increasing number of people shop items online.

Source: TBS NEWS

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