- Postal Worker Emoji Proposal Rejected By Unicode Consortium
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – A proposal for a new emoji to represent postal workers, submitted by the Austrian Post (Österreichische Post AG) and backed by major international postal organizations, was rejected by the Unicode Consortium, Austrian Post said Monday.
The California-based non-profit, which standardizes emojis worldwide, will not accept a new application for the character for another four years.
The organization noted that while they await another opportunity to submit the proposal, existing emojis such as the post horn (📯), mailbox (📬), and package (📦) can be used to represent the profession.
The initiative, led by the Austrian Post, sought to create a universally recognized emoji for the estimated 5.3 million people employed in the postal industry globally. Proponents argued that postal workers are an essential profession not currently represented among the nearly 3,800 official emojis, despite their daily impact on people’s lives through the delivery of letters and packages.
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The proposal had garnered significant international support from organizations including the Universal Postal Union (a United Nations specialized agency), the International Post Corporation, and the UNI Global Union, which represents 20 million workers.
National postal services from Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and Egypt, among others, also endorsed the application.
In a statement, the Austrian Post expressed disappointment with the decision but vowed to continue its campaign for the digital visibility of postal workers.
The organization noted that while they await another opportunity to submit the proposal, existing emojis such as the post horn (📯), mailbox (📬), and package (📦) can be used to represent the profession.