The nation’s beleaguered postal service has reached ‘tipping point’, requiring the shedding of thousands of jobs over the next three years.

The ABC has reported that Australia Post will require 1,900 voluntary redundancies from metropolitan centres, as the company’s first-ever financial loss looms.

• Australia Post misdirecting thousands of parcels
• Australia Post delivers up a mess online
• Calls for postal boss to step aside

“We have reached the tipping point that we have been warning about where, without reform, the business becomes unsustainable,” Australia Post managing director Ahmed Fahour said in a statement on Friday morning.

Australia Post has refused to confirm the exact number of job losses, but has admitted that its losses approach $500 million for this financial year.

Dwindling use of its mail services is part of the problem, with ordinary mail expected to plunge by more than 10 per cent.

Despite this, daily postal deliveries will not be affected, the company pledged. But it may shift focus to freight and parcel deliveries.

All redundancies will be voluntary, Mr Ahmed told Melbourne radio station 3AW.

“I want to be clear, there are no forced redundancies.”

-with ABC