Mail is privatized in Germany and last I read they were doing OK.
Yes, employer stopped making contributions to the retirement plan. Employer also reduced staff and froze pay for over 3 years, made sure we knew that cutting hours and/or pay were being considered for those who were kept on the payroll. Employer passed along cost increases in health insurance plan. This is very common experience for those working in the private sector over the past 4-5 years.