{
  "id": 1610904,
  "title": "Hongkong Post scraps permanent contracts for new staff amid financial strain",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/hongkong-post-scraps-permanent-contracts-for-new-staff-amid-financial-1610904",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-18T01:58:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3364354/hongkong-post-scraps-permanent-contracts-new-staff-amid-financial-strain"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The self-financing Hongkong Post has announced it will no longer offer permanent civil service contracts to new employees starting from September, as part of cost-cutting measures due to a decline in mail volume. Postmaster General Leonia Tai Shuk-yiu stated that new employees who pass probation during this period will be given two-year contracts on civil service terms. Tai expressed concern that terminating employment after probation could cause significant disruption for the affected 200 employees, and emphasized the need to carefully manage resources. The organization has experienced a steady decline in mail volume, decreasing from 1.24 billion items in 2018-19 to 611 million in 2024-25, leading to eight consecutive years of losses. Hongkong Post currently delivers mail from Monday to Friday, but Tai suggested reviewing delivery frequency and closing underused post offices or reducing their operating hours. The government-owned postal service has recorded losses for eight consecutive years and relies on a self-financing basis since 1995. The Legislative Council recently approved a HK$4.6 billion grant for postal operations over the next three years. Tai indicated that Hongkong Post may explore various operation models, including transforming into a government-funded service, joint ventures with the private sector, or privatization. The organization is also considering expanding its business opportunities through e-commerce in emerging markets, such as countries involved in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.",
  "summary": "Hong Kong’s self-financing postal administration will stop offering permanent civil service contracts to new employees as part of cost-saving measures amid a worsening financial outlook. Postmaster General Leonia Tai Shuk-yiu said on Tuesday that new Hongkong Post employees who pass probation in or after September would be offered two-year contracts on civil service terms, as the organisation…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}