Mauritius Post Employees Fear Unpaid Wages Despite Rs 85 Million Financial Deficit

Staff at Mauritius Post are facing a period of intense uncertainty amid persistent rumours that the parastatal body may be unable to meet its payroll obligations for March 2026.

Despite an eleventh-hour circular issued on Friday, 27 March, by Chief Executive Officer Anil Seeruttun guaranteeing that salaries would be paid this Monday, 30 March, deep-seated anxieties remain.

Employees across all levels of the organisation have expressed fears that the current cash flow crisis could jeopardise their earnings in the months to come.

A Growing Deficit

The postal service’s financial health has been under scrutiny since January, when Minister Avinash Ramtohul revealed during a workshop that the body was facing a deficit exceeding Rs 85 million for the 2025 financial year.

This fiscal instability is being described by some staff members as an “institutional crisis.”

While there was a surge of optimism following the installation of the new government in November 2024—marked by the appointments of Me Loveena Sowkhee as Chairperson and Mr Seeruttun as CEO—that hope has largely curdled into disappointment.

Operational Collapse

Workers report that “chronic problems” have been allowed to fester for years under successive administrations. The current grievances include:

• Severe Staff Shortages: A lack of counter clerks has left pensioners waiting for hours to access essential services.
• Delivery Delays: A critical shortage of postmen is significantly slowing the delivery of parcels.
• Degrading Conditions: Employees describe a general decline in working environments and a “growing and widespread” sense of discontent.

“Assalting Silence”

Internal critics have slammed the “deafening silence” from authorities regarding these systemic failures.

Staff warn that the perceived inaction from both the Ministry and senior management is exacerbating an “already explosive situation.”

“A pillar of public service is at risk of collapse,” employees cautioned, noting that the continued dysfunction will ultimately be to the detriment of both the workforce and the Mauritian citizens who rely on the post.

Source: Le Mauricien