The week that was: 11 December 2009
Some good news for Royal Mail, job cuts in Ireland, and a landmark moment for the Posts’ green aspirations… And a big welcome to ‘the week that was’ for the last time this year. But do not worry readers, next Friday will see the first installment of our review of the year, cunningly named ‘the year that was’, that will run in three parts over the Holiday season to keep you entertained between helpings of dry turkey, fights with the in-laws, and everlasting games of Monopoly. So let’s crack on, shall we?
‘Tis the season to be jolly, and jolly we will be, as our news round-up features some positive headlines this week. After a turbulent 2009, Royal Mail is finishing the year on a high note after announcing its latest set of financial figures – making a £184m operating profit in the first half of 2009/10 – up 4% on the £177m profit in the same period last year. “The Group’s resilient financial performance, along with some of the best spring quality of service figures on record, shows that modernisation of the Letters business is working, while the further progress made on tackling costs across the Group has also helped sustain operating profit”, said chief executive Adam Crozier. All four Group businesses – Royal Mail Letters, the Post Office, Parcelforce Worldwide and the European parcels business, GLS – remained in profit despite economic recession.
As the political elite descend upon Copenhagen for the world climate change conference next week, a number of leading postal executives have been in the Danish capital making their own headlines. Today is E-Day (E, for environment), as a landmark target was set for cutting those nasty carbon emissions – meaning that the postal industry is the first services sector to set a global emissions goal. The International Post Corporation (IPC), which represents the world’s leading post operators, announced that 20 member postal operators will work together to collectively reduce their carbon emissions by 20% by 2020, based on 2008 levels. The objective was set as Jean-Paul Bailly, chairman of the International Post Corporation and CEO of Groupe La Poste, presented the “IPC Postal Sector Sustainability Report on the Environment”, the industry’s first ever combined sustainability report. Post&Parcel hopes that the positive outcome of the meeting rubs-off on Obama, Brown, Merkel and co. next week.
I suppose our round-up would not be complete without some bad news, and this week it comes in the form of job cuts. An Post, the Irish postal operator, has said that it intends to reduce its 10,000 strong workforce by 1,300 between 2010 and 2012, according to reports in the media. RTE Business state that: “Around 450 people received letters from the company over the last few days inviting expressions of interest in voluntary redundancy. From that group, the company is seeking 250 redundancies.”
And finally…
Post&Parcel celebrated its three month birthday this week, and to add to the celebrations we passed the 1,000 member mark. But we are on the look out for even more members to join the industry’s leading online portal – so if you know of anyone that would enjoy the site please send them our way!
We hope you are enjoying the portal, and it you have any suggestions, news, or would like to write for us, please email [email protected]
