Dutch minister sees no post liberalisation until fair competition in Germany and UK

Dutch Economic Affairs State Secretary Frank Heemskerk said Wednesday he won’t take the decision to liberalise the Dutch postal market until fair competition exists in the German and UK markets, and postal workers are given a satisfactory employment contract.

The statement came after Deutsche Post World Net AG. filed a complaint with the European Commission to protest against the renewed delay of the opening of the mail market in the Netherlands.

The Dutch government on Tuesday decided not to end the mail monopoly as planned on July 1 2008 but to extend it indefinitely.

Both the Dutch government and national carrier TNT NV are unhappy about the German government’s introduction of a sector-wide minimum wage of up to 9.80 euros, saying it prevents fair competition within the German market.

TNT says that, unlike its rivals, Deutsche Post enjoys an unfair advantage through a VAT exemption on 40 pct of its operations in Germany.

A Berlin court ruled in March that a German law imposing a minimum wage at all companies in the letter-carrier industry is illegal.

The German government appealed the decision, with a higher court expected to rule in September, a TNT spokesman said.

Heemskerk said he will update parliament on the situation by October 1

Dutch Economic Affairs State Secretary Frank Heemskerk said Wednesday he won’t take the decision to liberalise the Dutch postal market until fair competition exists in the German and UK markets, and postal workers are given a satisfactory employment contract.

The statement came after Deutsche Post World Net AG. filed a complaint with the European Commission to protest against the renewed delay of the opening of the mail market in the Netherlands.

The Dutch government on Tuesday decided not to end the mail monopoly as planned on July 1 2008 but to extend it indefinitely.

Both the Dutch government and national carrier TNT NV are unhappy about the German government’s introduction of a sector-wide minimum wage of up to 9.80 euros, saying it prevents fair competition within the German market.

TNT says that, unlike its rivals, Deutsche Post enjoys an unfair advantage through a VAT exemption on 40 pct of its operations in Germany.

A Berlin court ruled in March that a German law imposing a minimum wage at all companies in the letter-carrier industry is illegal.

The German government appealed the decision, with a higher court expected to rule in September, a TNT spokesman said.

Heemskerk said he will update parliament on the situation by October 1

Relevant Directory Listings

Listing image

ZEBRA

Zebra Technologies is an innovator at the edge of the enterprise with solutions and partners that enable businesses to gain a performance edge. Zebra’s products, software, services, analytics and solutions are used to intelligently connect people, assets and data to help our customers in a […]

Find out more

Other Directory Listings

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

P&P Poll

What's the future of the postal USO?

Thank you for voting
You have already voted on this poll!
Please select an option!



Post & Parcel Magazine


Post & Parcel Magazine is our print publication, released 3 times a year. Packed with original content and thought-provoking features, Post & Parcel Magazine is a must-read for those who want the inside track on the industry.

 

Pin It on Pinterest

Post & Parcel
FedEx new facility “a crucial part of our strategy for the Netherlands”
Emirates Courier Express launched to “challenge the status quo”
Evri announces robot dog delivery trial
Deutsche Post issues Germany’s first recycled stamp
SingPost: key executives step down
FedEx new facility “a crucial part of our strategy for the Netherlands”
Emirates Courier Express launched to “challenge the status quo”
Evri announces robot dog delivery trial
Deutsche Post issues Germany’s first recycled stamp
SingPost: key executives step down
1
2
3
4
5
Listing image
Listing image
Listing image
Listing image
German postal act reform means letters will arrive less frequently
Utilising the €7.5 million Digital Europe Programme to modernise postal industries
In-depth investigation into financing of Post Danmark
FedEx Express /TNT integration:  talks begin to resize European workforce
Share This