Emirates Post will increase its sorting capacity by 10 times after the installation of new advanced sorting machines, as part of new measures to cope with rising mail volumes. The machines will be installed at a new sorting building that will be constructed in Ramool. A Dh. 14 million contract was signed between Emirates Post and NEC Corporation for the supply and installation of two sorting machines
Read MoreThe steadily diversifying Japan Post will expand its business scope yet again with a joint venture in delivery of corporate documents. Its partner will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corp., which already provides similar services, sources said. The public postal corporation will compete for the service with Yamato Transport Co. and other distribution companies, which are aggressively expanding delivery of corporate documents.
The plan to form a joint venture with Mitsubishi UFJ Daiko Business Co. is expected to be announced this month, sources said.
Royal Mail Group today announced a 20.5% increase in operating profit to GBP159 million for the first half of 2005-06 but warned that profits in its letters business had fallen as growth in addressed mail volumes went into reverse.
Allan Leighton, Royal Mail Group’s Chairman, said the downturn in letters profits and volumes meant the biggest part of the Company was no longer contributing to the Group’s overall growth in profitability. The Group operating profit of GBP159 million in the six months to the end of September 2005 was a GBP27 million improvement on the same period a year earlier. But the increase was driven by better financial performance in General Logistics Systems (Royal Mail’s European parcels business), Post Office Limited and Parcelforce Worldwide. Operating profit in the letters business had fallen as addressed mail volumes declined for the first time in a quarter of a century.
Palletways this week confirmed it is trialling gas-fuelled forklift trucks. Operations director Kath McCann says: “We are looking into the environmental benefits of using gas-fuelled forklifts and have recently received delivery of a demonstration vehicle. We are hopeful that the results will be positive.” Gas power, which has been adopted by some other large hubs, would do away with a need for lift truck drivers to wear masks to protect themselves from fumes.
Read MorePilots at passenger airlines aren’t the only ones feuding with their managements about new contract terms. Pilots at two cargo airlines are in contract talks, too. The disputes at shipping giants UPS Inc. and FedEx Corp., however, don’t involve pay cuts, as both companies are offering wage increases.
Beyond pay, these pilots say their benefits and work rules are just as important – if not more important. UPS pilots have run newspaper advertisements prodding management to reach an agreement with them and have authorized their union to call a strike if necessary. Today, they will do informational picketing outside company storefronts in several cities. At FedEx, the company has asked for a federal mediator to join talks with its pilots. The major issues the companies and their pilot unions are grappling with in the talks include pay, pensions, work rules, health benefits and job security.
Independent Pilots Association has given UPS until December 23 to finalize the contract it began negotiating with its pilots in October 2002. “It has become clear that UPS’ recent overture for a settlement is not genuine, but a cynical move timed to prevent any disruption during Christmas Peak. Christmas 2005 will be our fourth holiday season during this contract negotiation, that’s long enough,” said Capt. Tom Nicholson, President of the Independent Pilots Association. He went on to say, “UPS has one more shot to deliver a contract that our pilot group can ratify when we get together with the National Mediation Board the week of December 19 thru 23 in Wisconsin.”
Read MoreThe management of DPD GmbH & Co. KG is to be slimmed down from five members to two
* With immediate effect the two-man Fluri/Schroven management team is to take charge of the franchisor
* Paul-Marie Chavanne to become Chairman of the Supervisory Board
Marc Christian Hackländer has been appointed Managing Director of EURODIS GmbH, a member company of the trans-o-flex group. He will chiefly be responsible for network and partner management. This represents the first time that the international distribution network of trans-o-flex, in existence since 1993, has had its own corporate entity and management. The main objective of EURODIS GmbH will be to anchor the specialised trans-o-flex services on a unified Europe-wide basis.
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