Extra help for postmen in the neighbourhood

The 700 postmen employed by SingPost do not work alone.

Helping them are 450 neighbourhood postmen, many of whom are housewives. They deliver items to areas near their homes, except their own blocks.

Typically, they work four to eight hours a day. The letters and packages they deliver are placed in a room allocated for mail, usually at the void deck.

The scheme was launched in 1996, and neighbourhood postmen deliver items to estates, including Tampines, Woodlands and Punggol. They also deliver to condominiums.

The number of blocks the neighbourhood postmen have to cover is based on the number of hours they can commit to working from Monday to Friday.

They typically travel on bicycles, and are entitled to staff benefits, annual and medical leave, as well as employer Central Provident Fund contributions.

Jalelah Abu Baker

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 01, 2016, with the headline Extra help for postmen in the neighbourhood. Subscribe