Residents of Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, Gironde, have been facing significant delays in mail delivery, sometimes extending to several months. This issue, affecting the broader Aquitaine region, has resulted in thousands of letters accumulating at sorting centers due to insufficient staffing. Cyril Cigana, the deputy mayor of Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, expresses his frustration, reflecting the sentiment of many locals: "Today is January 21, 2025; I received mail postmarked December 20, 2024, meaning over one month of delay. Sometimes delays reach two months; I received something last week dated back to October!"
The situation is alarming, with the mayor, Michel Latapy, confirming complaints from residents about the irregularities. He notes, "The postman is supposed to deliver daily; still, sometimes mailboxes remain empty because of unfilled substitutions for the postal workers." The inter-union CGT-SUD indicates the problem is widespread, stating, "Many users await weeks for simple letters across Gironde or, more broadly, Aquitaine." At the industrial site of Cestas, letters from five departments are backing up, some with delays stretching to one and half months. The union reported, "At least 500,000 letters remain unprocessed due to human resource limitations and insufficient time for handling them."
According to syndical representative Willy Dhellemmes, the delays are aggravated by the closure of several sorting centers, the latest being the one in Poitiers. "Users suffer from two layers of delays: one at the industrial sorting platforms and another stemming from the shortage of delivery personnel," he explains, adding, "Many deliveries are left unattended daily due to the lack of staff to execute them." He goes on to criticize the prioritization of advertising mail over other important correspondence such as medical documents and bills, describing the situation as absurd: "It’s outrageous for postal workers to prioritize ads over letters like medical correspondence or bills."
François Daurel, another representative from CGT, echoes these concerns, saying, "Delays used to be unacceptable ten years ago; now they have become commonplace, as it allows for personnel cuts." The unions demand to cease sorting center closures and seek the hiring of interim workers. Daurel remarks, "Currently, there are structurally about 30% of our colleagues working precarious jobs instead of permanent contracts; we estimate needing around 100 more staff to run efficiently." Response from La Poste acknowledges the delays, claiming they are implementing collaborative measures with other facilities to address these issues. The management promises to employ more temporary staff to alleviate the backlog.
Beyond Gironde, the situation has escalated to include approximately 1.2 million letters struggling to reach their destinations across Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The Cestas sorting center is now tasked with managing correspondence from seven departments, including the newly added Charente and Charente-Maritime. Daurel indicates serious personnel shortages, "With the current restructuring, we cannot effectively manage deliveries across seven departments. We lack sufficient manpower on this platform," he states emphatically.
Residents around Loupiac have expressed anger over significant disruptions to their mail service, with Delphine recounting how the delay resulted in overdue bills. "We did not receive our water bill, nor any reminders. Eventually, we started getting notices from debt collectors demanding prompt payment," Delphine shared. Similar stories are echoed by businesses, like Jean-Louis Desarnaud, who runs an agricultural equipment repair service. He reported delayed correspondence affecting customer billing. "Invoices are arriving three to four weeks late; we have had problems trying to track relays due to non-delivered mail. Given the postage fees we pay, it's unacceptable!"
Confronted by rising discontent from users, La Poste officials confirmed difficulties being faced at the Cestas center. "Yes, the process of handling and shipping mail has suffered delays recently, especially impacting manual mail distribution," they stated, noting the seasonal illnesses contributing to their challenges. Nevertheless, they reassured the public with promises of improvements soon. La Poste plans to hire 70 new staff members at the Cestas center this year, hoping this influx will help remedy the situation.
Over on the Mediterranean coast, residents from Frontignan’s La Peyrade district are also voicing their frustrations with notable postal delays—some waiting between 10 and 15 days for mail. Among the residents is Monique, 71, waiting for her health insurance card to arrive, which was supposed to be sent on January 6, 2025. She commented, "I'm anxiously trying to follow up because I need this card for my medical appointments."
Jean-Louis Bonneric, a community councilor concerned about these postal inefficiencies, expressed the struggle most locals are experiencing and insisted, "Many people's mailboxes are empty for over a week or two, leading to missed communications—especially concerning time-sensitive issues like bills and packages." He asserts, "The postal service appears to prioritize delivering ads over urgent mail, weakening trust and accessibility for residents."
La Poste claims service levels remain satisfied citywide, stressing its commitment to daily mail distribution. They encouraged residents to verify their home addresses are correct to avoid mishaps and suggested they report issues to the official complaint number, 3631. Meanwhile, seasonal closures at other postal offices during the summer months have only added to the discontent. Counselors warn this should not be the norm as it affects access to community resources. Amid rising complaints, La Poste remains under scrutiny as to how best to remedy the situation moving forward.