Delayed funerals due to poor Bpost service

The week-long strike at the Belgian postal company Bpost affects all customers, but for people wanting to inform friends and relatives of a death the strike is particularly painful.

Undertakers are advising customers to send such notices by electronic post instead of by Bpost as would usually happen.  People in the funeral business say that the strike is a catastrophe.  Post distribution may be affected for five days now and death notices are not expected to arrive on time.  Funeral directors are recommending that people use social media to inform friends and relatives of a death and to send out emails instead of death notices by post.

Funeral directors are only getting a small number of notices printed: just for immediate family and people who live close.  Printing more is pointless because they won't arrive.

The funeral sector's been complaining about poor service from Bpost for years.  Death notices don't arrive in time and the situation is only getting worse.  Industry insiders say that death notices that take seven days to arrive are routine.

The industry also believes that funerals are taking place later and later due to this issue.  Electronic mail could form part of the answer.  The sector and Bpost have discussed the matter repeatedly, but the funeral industry sees no improvement.