Author: Archive

Deutsche Post told by cartel office to open up mail sorting monopoly

Germany’s Cartel Office has said Deutsche Post World Net AG must allow mail sorters and consolidators of letters weighing below 100 grams access to its delivery networks. The Cartel Office also criticised Deutsche Post for giving rebates of between 3 and 21 pct to its own major client firms for bulk mail contracts, which it does not offer to other mail service providers. ‘Through granting rebates, Deutsche Post is hindering competitors from entering the letter collection, pre-sorting and delivery market,’ it said, adding that this hurts small- and medium-sized companies’ whose letter volumes are too small to obtain a rebate. It said that Deutsche Post’s current exclusive license to distribute letters in Germany below 100 grams does not justify this kind of behaviour.

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The FFPI welcomes the German Competition Authority’s decision to stop discrimination in mail preparation services

The Free and Fair Post Initiative (FFPI) welcomed the decision taken today by the German Cartel Office ordering Deutsche Post to allow competition in the area of mail preparation services, as foreseen by EU rules. The FFPI has in the past raised its concerns about existing restrictions in the German postal market and considers that the action taken by the Cartel Office is a significant step towards establishing a level-playing field for postal services in Germany. This decision addresses a distorting situation whereby Deutsche Post abused its monopoly by refusing to grant competitors rebates for collecting and sorting business mail, harming both smaller providers and ultimately postal users. “Today’s decision launches a positive messages for
alternative operators, particularly SMEs, and users of postal services. It is also in line with and supportive of the European Commission’s efforts in ensuring that EU competition rules are respected and in promoting the attainment of an open and dynamic European postal market” commented FFPI President, Philippe Bodson.

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UK Royal Mail’s autumn first class letter deliveries among the best on record

Royal Mail’s performance during the busy Autumn period was the best in almost ten years, giving the company a solid base to build on for the future. New figures show 91.9% of First Class letters were delivered the working day after posting, a similar performance to that achieved between July and September when volumes are lower and transport less vulnerable to bad weather. Every one of Royal Mail’s fifteen performance measures for letter and parcel services showed significant improvements from last year. On a cumulative basis 12 of the fifteen measures have been maintained or improved. Chief Executive Adam Crozier said, “This is a tremendously encouraging result for everyone in Royal Mail and for our customers, but we know we have more to do. These results clearly buck the usual seasonal trends and show a continuing improvement in underlying performance during the busiest three months of the year.

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GLS charges sent packing;

For the last few years there has been a steady flow of complaints to public representatives, consumer groups, radio talk shows and newspaper editors about package deliveries from America to this country and many other European destinations handled by GLS, a Royal Mail subsidiary, operating out of a central depot in Germany.

This situation arose after An Post, and many other European state-run post offices, lost its handling contracts to GLS. Air mail packages from America to Ireland can now spend an inordinate amount of time sitting in a German sorting warehouse where every package is scrutinised to see if it was liable to a Vat or duty charge and only then dispatched to the recipient with a cash-on-delivery demand for the amount payable.

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TPG, France’s La Poste in joint bid for Belgian post stake

Dutch postal group TPG and French state-owned La Poste have formed a consortium to bid for a stake in Belgium’s state-owned postal service, Le Soir newspaper reported on Saturday. Deutsche Post World Net AG and the Swiss and Danish postal services are also potential bidders. The Belgian government will confirm the list of candidates in early March, and hopes to chose the winning bidder by the summer, the newspaper said.

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Deutsche Post faces order to open mail market to competition immediately

Deutsche Post World Net AG will receive a letter from Germany’s cartel office Monday stating it may no longer prohibit competitors from collecting, sorting and franking commercial letters that weigh less than 100 grammes, Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported in an unsourced pre-release of tomorrow’s edition. Deutsche Post is scheduled to lose its monopoly at the end of 2007 as part of an EU-wide move to liberalise the market for mail delivery.

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Pall-Ex owner Devey says: ‘Let them speculate’

Pall-Ex annual dinner moves to Hyde Park, London and hears confident boss looking forward to future of growth. More hauliers expected to join.

Pall-Ex owner Hilary Devey shrugged off speculation as to her “exit strategy”, when she addressed network members at their annual dinner dance last Saturday. She told 440 people at the InterContinental Hotel in London: “Let them speculate. I’ll get on with the job, making Pall-Ex more successful, more prestigious and more profitable.” Devey, notably confident and relaxed, promised investment, growth and innovation, and allowed herself a joke about flooding at the new hub, which had been worked so hard that the floor had “broken into a sweat”. “Pall-Ex will always be the number one network,” she said. Networking with Pall-Ex provides a cushion for firms in a tough market.

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100th Depot in UK for Palletways

Birmingham-based Palletways, has announced the creation of its 100th depot in the UK.

The company, which lays claim to being Europe’s largest and fastest growing player in the overnight-freight sector, is the first pallet network to reach this milestone.

Under the agreement, Berser International Cargo Services will serve the Newcastleunder-Lyme area in Staffordshire from a depot in Stoke-on-Trent.

The move came after ten years of steady growth, with annual turnover now at the pounds 65 million mark.

Berser is part of the Berser Group and also has operations in Rotterdam, Holland.

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