For more than four decades, Marianne traveled the roads of Brittany on her bicycle, with bags of mail on her back and the weather almost always against her. At 66 years old, already retired, she recalls a life dedicated to delivering letters and reveals how much she currently receives in pension: 1,240 euros net per month. “I’ve worked all my life in the rain”, he summarizes, with the serenity of someone who knows the value of effort.
Born in the French region of Ille-et-Vilaine, Marianne began working early, first on a dairy farm and then at the public company La Poste, which she joined in 1979. At the time, the service was still part of the public administration and was known as “PTT”. “I was a regular employee”, she recalls in statements cited by the Spanish portal Noticias Trabajo.
At the age of 20, he married and moved to Brittany. It was at that time that he exchanged the field for correspondence. “I distributed letters from the moon on Saturdays, whether it was sunny, cold or rainy. I knew all the neighbors in the villages I passed through”, he says.
A life between letters and kilometers
For 41 years, his professional career remained practically unchanged. The only break was taking time off to look after her three children. “I interrupted my career three times, but I always returned to the same service, with the same routes”, he explains.
Over time, it witnessed several transformations within Correios. What was once a public institution became a public limited company, with state capital. Even so, half of the employees were still working under the civil service regime when Marianne retired in 2020.
The final salary he received was around 1,610 euros net per month. The pension, as in other French public careers, is calculated based on the average of the last six months of work. “It’s the fair system we had, although the value is not high for so many years of service”, he admits.
Renovated but still active
Marianne recognizes that, despite everything, she is one of the lucky ones. “I had stability, something that almost no one has today. Now the majority are hired under private sector rules, with less protection and fewer benefits”, he comments.
Although the pension amount is lower than she expected, the retiree values the time she gained. “After working for so many years, I can now go for a leisurely stroll and take care of my grandchildren,” he says.
The retirement came shortly before the age of 62, which allowed him to escape the changes introduced by the reform of the French system in 2023. Still, he believes that “the new generations will have to work more and for less”.
The link with the postal service
For Marianne, being a clerk was more than a profession. “I was part of the community. People trusted me and waited for me every day”, he says. In small villages, the postman was also the face of connections with the outside world. “We brought news, payments and even words of comfort. It was human work.”
The routine, however, required resistance. “Rain, wind, heat… every day on the bike. And there were times when the mail seemed endless”, he recalls, laughing.
The years of service left marks, but also lasting friendships. “Even today, some of the people I delivered letters to write to me. They make me feel that the effort was worth it”, he confesses.
The future after the cards
Now retired, Marianne continues to live in the same region and maintains simple habits, according to the same source. You also receive some symbolic benefits from your former employer, such as exemption from banking services and a free telephone subscription. “These are small aids, but they count”, he acknowledges.
Even with the reform, he continues to follow changes at the Post Office and regrets the loss of proximity between postmen and citizens. “Today there are more machines and fewer people. What we had was a relationship, not just a service”, he reflects.
According to , Marianne’s testimony is a portrait of a generation that grew up with stability and ended its career in a changing world. The value of your pension may seem modest, but it reflects a lifetime of constant work and dedication to public service.
With a discreet smile, he says he doesn’t regret anything. “I spent my life delivering letters. Now I give time to my family, and that’s worth more than any raise.”
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