New French post office chief delivered today
Jean-Paul Bailly, the former head of the Paris public transport authority (RATP), takes up his new post of chairman of the French post office (La Poste) today. Mr Bailly replaces Martin Vial, who has been relieved of his functions by the new French government. The many challenges awaiting the new La Poste chief include the liberalisation of the postal market for articles weighing more than 100g in 2003, followed by those over 50g in 2006. The entire French postal market is due to be opened to competition three years after that.
French postal unions, which have condemned Mr Vial’s dismissal as an exercise in political score-settling, are nevertheless prudent about the new arrival, who gained a reputation as a skilful negotiator during his eight years at the RATP. The CGT, for example, said yesterday that the appointment of a new La Poste chairman will not affect its own actions in the least: it is still waiting, it said, for progress as far as jobs, pay and working conditions are concerned. At the same time, the SUD-PTT union stressed that the most important issue is that of the state’s intentions regarding the post office.
