The Bermuda Government’s hiring freeze is hurting the postal service, according to the Bermuda Industrial Union.

Chris Furbert, the president of the BIU, said the service had lost 25 per cent of its staff in the past four years. There were 84 members in September 2011 and 62 come September 2015, Mr Furbert said, estimating it would be down to 57 or 58 by now.

According to Larry Holder, the president of the postal workers division, the union had repeatedly asked for data from the office of the postmaster general, Wayne Smith, that would be used for the redeployment of staff.

“We asked for it because we understood that this was going to be a problem,” he said.

The BIU received figures on October 27, but they were formatted in such a manner that “no one could understand it”, he said — and Mr Smith referred the matter for arbitration the next day.

In addition, the General Post Office shared a list of its main concerns with Michael Dunkley in his capacity as the minister responsible for the postal service.

The concerns were given to Mr Dunkley in June, Mr Holder said, but a response still has not been received.

Today’s announcement was given in response to a statement issued yesterday by the Bermuda Government saying that the labour dispute, which has affected two routes in Southampton, is now affecting a further two routes in the Harrington Sound area.

Mr Furbert said the issue of redeployment will go before the Department of Workforce Development for a preliminary hearing on January 22.