Most Canadians support reducing mail deliveries and other big changes to the way Canada Post operates, according to a new survey.
“With the future of the Crown corporation in question, Canadians are open to changes to its operations and are more willing to subsidize future losses than they are to want Canada Post to be privatized,” according to a report by the non-profit pollster Angus Reid Institute on Wednesday.
Seven in 10, or 72 per cent of Canadians, surveyed say they endorse the idea of the postal service branching out into other services, such as banking and parcel lockers.
The same percentage of respondents support reducing mail delivery to three days a week, and 65 per cent endorse a reduction in door-to-door delivery, according to the data.
The findings were released in the wake of a dispute between Canada Post and its unionized workers. The postal service and its employees have been trying to reach a new deal for the past year and a half while Canada Post’s financial situation deteriorates, The Canadian Press reported.
Gig workers
More than half of respondents, or 52 per cent, believe Canada Post should be able to use non-union gig workers to deliver mail and parcels if it “improves cost and service quality,” according to the pollster.
On the flip side, 38 per cent are opposed to this idea, while the remaining 10 per cent are unsure.
Additionally, the pollster found that 66 per cent are against slashing worker benefits for union members in efforts to cut costs.
Canada Post’s full-time staff are currently paid overtime to handle weekend delivery, a service that is rare, according to Angus Reid’s report.
Privatization
Angus Reid found that 59 per cent of Canadians surveyed oppose privatizing all of Canada Post, compared to 26 per cent who support that potential move.
When it comes to privatizing parts of the Crown corporation, 47 per cent of respondents are against that option while 38 per cent support it.
Two-thirds, or 64 per cent, of Canadians say it’s important for Canada Post to stay publicly owned.
Subsidies
Given that Canada Post has lost about $800 million annually on average over the last two years, Angus Reid asked Canadians whether they would be willing to subsize the Crown corporation for that amount, which would cost about $20 per citizen.
Sixty-one per cent of Canadians believe a $20 per person annual subsidy is “worth it” in order to maintain postal services, according to the report.
Six per cent of respondents reported that they never get mail. Of those, 59 per cent say the $20 subsidy would not be worth it.
The Angus Reid Institute did a self-commissioned online survey from June 2 to 8 involving a random sample of 4,067 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes, it stated that the probability sample has a margin of error of +/- 1.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
