ALMERÍA.- The Sipcte union has reported the closure of the Post Office in San José (Níjar), something it considers “unacceptable” since it leaves its residents “with long distances to carry out their business” at the same time that the public company “plans to launch its bank in 2025”.
Press release
For several months now, following the retirement of the employee who managed the auxiliary office in San José, the residents of this town, with a registered population of around a thousand inhabitants, have been left without a place to carry out postal tasks or collect their deliveries. Now, residents must travel more than 27 kilometres to Campohermoso, which represents a serious inconvenience, especially for the elderly and those with reduced mobility. In summer, this situation is aggravated by the exponential growth of the population due to the arrival of thousands of tourists.
Francisco Sabio Rueda, head of the SIPCTE union in Almería, has denounced the situation: “It is unacceptable that Correos abandons a town like San José, leaving it without an essential service. Meanwhile, the company boasts of its plans to launch a bank in 2025. “How do they plan to offer banking services in towns like San José if they can’t even keep a post office open? With banks without legs?”
Correos has announced that in 2025 it will request a licence from the Bank of Spain to operate as a commercial bank, as part of a strategic plan that seeks to reduce its dependence on the traditional postal service and focus on financial services. However, SIPCTE questions the viability of these plans if the provision of basic services in small towns is neglected.
The SIPCTE union has also pointed out that the auxiliary office was located in premises provided by the retired employee, who was the owner of the premises. Correos had required employees who wanted to apply for the San José position to provide premises. Now, with her retirement, the premises are no longer available to the company.
For this reason, Francisco Sabio Rueda is publicly calling on the Town Council of Níjar to collaborate in finding a solution that will allow this essential service to be re-established. “We cannot allow San José, a town that increases in population during the summer, to continue without a post office. We are asking for an immediate solution to guarantee that its inhabitants and tourists have access to postal services.”
