In the wake of rising criticism concerning the Greek Post office, both here and on the mainland, The Khronicles contacted Yiorgos Rembelakis, head of the Epistolary Post Office Service on Crete, to see what is being done to improve delivery.

Mr. Rembelakis, a native of Sitia, has been with the post office for 34 years, with nearly three years in his present position. His office, which supervises 120 employees, serves the prefectures of Iraklion and Lasithi, handles all parcels, cheques, letters or registered mail.

"There are many reasons why mail distribution cannot be done in a regular manner and some of it has to do with illegal buildings," Mr. Rembelakis said.  "That's why we use post office boxes, especially in rural areas like Kokkini Hani and Gouves."

When told that one of the complaints was that there were not enough boxes for everyone, especially tenants, Mr. Rembelakis, explained: "We do not give boxes to tenants because most of the time, if not always, when they leave they do not return keys."

"That's why we ask the homeowners to take the boxes and make enough keys for their tenants. The Kokkini Hani area is listed as a rural region and cannot have an urban post delivery (mail to your door)."

Mr. Rembelakis explained that, in the past, postmen left mail in various points, like kafenions, and only hand delivered registered mail.

"But now the system with the boxes works so much better, and it's a major improvement," he claimed. "We are trying to install many more boxes in rural areas to accommodate everyone." 

Mr. Rembelakis went on to state that the postal service suffers from a lack of personnel.

"When the postman takes vacation time it is difficult to replace him," he explained. "For this reason, we avoid allowing too many days off at once, but of course this is unfair to them also. If a postman takes a week off, then we put in a rural postman who will bring the mail at least two or three times."

The postal official was asked about a "utopian" time when all rural streets are assigned a name and houses have numbers, would the township then be reclassified as an urban area?

"There is a process where certain studies are made in order for the classification to change," he explained. "But, besides properly named streets and numbered homes the municipality must be populated to the level of Nea Alikarnassos in order to get an urban classification. Right now only a tiny section of Kokkini Hani rates that, and small sections of Malia and Hersonissos."

 
 Mr. Rembelakis said that, unlike the past, a postman's job is now a full-time occupation.

"They must have certain qualifications, such as being able to speak English, and we ask also for a driving license," he said. "And when we engage contractual workers we try to rehire the same people."

To clarify some misunderstandings, Mr. Rembelakis explained that the post office is now a private-rights independent organization.

"Years ago the post office was a public service and the government didn't have to pay their postal debts, but now they do," he explained. "We are still not on the stock market but it has been in the works since 2001.  Of course, now we have bought a part of the postal savings bank, which is government owned, and on the stock market like the national bank.

"There is no doubt that the Hellenic Post certainly is in need of further modernization, according to private business criteria. That is to say that government mentality and bureaucracy still prevails. Of course, as an organization we belong to the transport ministry like the telephone company and we are committed to serve the entire territory in Greece."

The postal official was reminded that some countries have a postal motto like "through rain, through sleet, etc," and was asked what would be a fitting slogan for the Cretan letter carrier?

After only a moment's hesitation, he smiled and said: "We are always near the people."

Mihalis Plevrakis, a Gouves councilman and a postal worker for 36 years, held Mr. Rembelakis' position for four years and is now semi-retired. Based on his many years of service, we asked for his comments, and he agreed to discuss the postal situation as a private citizen and a municipal councilman.

"As a citizen I have to say that for the post to function here, the municipality also must be functioning," he stated. "Homes must be given numbers so that people can go to the Electric Company and ask for their bills to be sent to their homes. And the municipality must organize the villages with streets and numbers otherwise the post cannot function."

Mr. Plevrakis went on to explain that postal service in Crete is still quite complex.

"First, we must say that the distribution of correspondence in the Gouves municipality, as well as certain other rural areas, is served partially by Hersonissos, but some mail goes through Episkopi and another piece through Iraklion," he said.  "This of course creates problems because if an envelope only says Kokkini Hani and the name is not known to the postman, he can send it to Episkopi post, figuring it might be a name from its villages.

"Some times it's totally by chance that a letter finds its destination unless it mentions a particular hotel or shop. Some bills, at times, go to Episkopi post and other times to Iraklion post.  Also, Gournes Pediados and Gournes Temenous have the same postal code and there is definitely confusion there too. Many things must be corrected."

Gouves Mayor Yiorgos Nikolakakis, equally concerned about improving mail delivery in his rural community, said he has been trying to get a post office in Gouves.

"Last year, we officially requested the Hellenic Post to open a branch in our municipality, and we even offered to help find office space," he said. "It would not only improve services, but it would also bring an additional banking facility in our area, but we were turned down."