Author: Archive

FS enters the logistics market

Posted by | Apr 17, 2008 | |

Italian Railways has set up a joint venture with the Italian post office aimed at securing a share of the market for transporting high-value goods and packages. Italia Logistica was launched on February 28 when FS and Gruppo Poste Italiane announced that they were merging the activities of their respective subsidiaries Omnia Logistica and SDA Logistica following the signing of a letter of intent last year.

Italia Logistica will use the strengths of the two parent organisations to offer door-to-door services using pick-up and collection by road and long-haul transport by rail. The company plans to use the latest IT to manage and track consignments and to develop a range of new services.

Chief Executive Mauro Moretti said FS had added a new activity to its range of products and that the business would operate in a ‘very competitive market’. The move followed rationalisation and relaunch of the freight business which included plans to work more closely with Italian ports. Italia Logistica will focus on integrated services for high-value distribution including urban logistics, ‘reverse logistics’ when customers return products to suppliers, and the catering sector.

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Correos with higher profits in 2007

Posted by | Apr 17, 2008 | |

The Spanish post operator Correos increased profits last year by 5.2 pct and is extending its portfolio with an upgraded parcel service. Correos closed 2007 with a pre-tax profit of EUR 149.6 million, a rise of 5.2 pct on the previous year. Revenues were up by 4.4 pct to EUR 2.1 billion.

Mail volumes rose by 2.2 pct, including election-related post, based on more added-value mail products. The Spanish postal operator said the profit figure confirmed its positive development over the last three years and its solid financial position in an increasingly competitive market.

Correos concluded a four-year programme of EUR 1 billion investment in technology, infrastructure and operations last year. In 2007, it invested EUR 233 million in areas such as infrastructure modernisation and new technology for mail operations.

Correos said it will shortly launch an upgraded domestic express parcel service under the name Postal Exprés Nacional. This service is designed for urgent parcel deliveries, signed for by addressees, with a delivery time of no more than 24 hours for most destinations. Although primarily for business customers, it will also be available to consumers.

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Itella Information joins European electronic invoicing network

Posted by | Apr 16, 2008 | |

Itella Information has been accepted as a member of EXPP Summit, a co-operative organisation, which disseminates information on processes related to e-invoicing and payment management. The members of the organisation and companies participating in its activities are leading European e-invoicing service providers. Itella is one of seven member companies, while another Finnish participant is TietoEnator. The organisation’s aim is to assist companies in identifying the best e-invoicing solutions, thereby achieving cost savings.

– Itella Information currently functions as an e-invoicing operator in as many as nine European countries. Participation in the activities of organisations and consortiums such as EXPP Summit is important to Itella, since this provides it with a channel for receiving information on e-invoicing in Europe, and for sharing its experiences with others. Itella is currently engaged in exporting its inter-company e-invoicing solution to Norway and Estonia, says Director Heikki Länsisyrjä, who is in charge of Itella’s information logistics operations.

In an environment undergoing internationalisation, information provided by the EXPP Summit on supranational solutions, models and systems in the area of e-invoicing is considered important.

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More people choose to e-file taxes in the U.S.

Posted by | Apr 16, 2008 | |

Based on lines — or lack thereof — at the U.S. Post offices on last Monday, you wouldn’t know today it was Tax Day.

All tax returns must be postmarked by midnight in the U.S., but the downtown post office on Monday had few people mailing their taxes.

But if the recent past is any indication, more taxpayers are likely e-filing rather than rushing to the post office at the last minute to mail their returns.

According to the Internal Revenue Service 80 million people filed their taxes electronically in 2007.

The U.S. Postal Service credits the shorter lines to more people e-filing.

Al DeSarro, USPS spokesman for the Western region, said the postal service is cutting back on extended hours today because more people are e-filing.

The main post offices in Fort Collins and Loveland, however, will collect taxes until midnight.

Local tax preparers report that e-filers who also choose to have their refunds deposited directly into their checking accounts, can expect to receive refunds in less than two weeks.

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Deutsche Post's DHL to shut Bochum site after Nokia plant closure

Posted by | Apr 16, 2008 | |

Deutsche Post World Net AG.’s DHL unit will shut down its site in Bochum, eliminating 230 jobs, after major client Nokia Oyj decided to close its factory in the western German city, a spokesman for DHL said, partially confirming a report in Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung.

Nokia in January said it will close its Bochum plant this summer because it is too expensive to operate there. The bulk of production will be transferred to a lower-cost Romanian factory, which started up in the first quarter.

The spokesman declined to confirm that the DHL site’s 230 workers will receive their notice within the coming two weeks.

The newspaper also reported that the site will be shut down on June 30, and that the company plans to pay workers half a month’s pay as severance.

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Senior Customer Service Executive joins DHL Express (U.S)

Posted by | Apr 16, 2008 | |

DHL announced the appointment of Lisa Shardon as Vice President of Customer Relations for DHL Express USA. Shardon started her responsibilities with DHL late last year, and as head of DHL’s Customer Care group is accountable for enhancing overall customer satisfaction, managing the company’s customer care centers and driving improvement across DHL’s customer interaction channels. Shardon reports to Manny Fernandez, executive vice president of customer experience, DHL Express USA.

DHL is engaged in a comprehensive global effort to enhance all aspects of the customer experience, with a particular focus on key customer points of contact and is implementing cross functional initiatives to ensure a superior experience at every critical customer touch-point. Among other responsibilities, Shardon is helping to advance DHL’s online and offline service channels.

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TNT Post calls trade unions to labour negotiation follow-up

Posted by | Apr 16, 2008 | |

TNT Post has offered a structural salary increase of 3 pct comprising a 1.5 pct salary increase backdated to 1 April 2008, and a further 1.5 pct on 1 January 2009. The latter is conditional on the elaboration and implementation of a plan, put forward by a joint working group with representatives from the trade unions and TNT Post, to make fundamental changes to the conditions of employment.

The trade unions are demanding a one-year collective labour agreement for all of TNT in the Netherlands, with a salary increase of 3.5 pct backdated to 1 April 2008. Only once this has been accepted will they be willing to discuss bringing the employment package more into line with the market.

At its core the issue is not the salary levels but rather gaining clarity on a future collective labour agreement that is in line with the market. This collective labour agreement must put TNT Post in a position to compete whilst maintaining both volume and jobs for its employees as much as possible. The trade unions recognise this but say they need more time to discuss this with their members. Allowing costs to rise without having reached clear agreement with the trade unions on future market-level conditions of employment is not an option.

During the meeting at the Beatrixhal building in Utrecht this evening, the trade unions will consult their members. TNT Post is calling on the trade unions to continue discussions.

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Postal strike looms as negotiations break down

Posted by | Apr 16, 2008 | |

Members of the Solidarity trade union of Poczta Polska (PP) have sent a letter to the company’s management board stating plans to commence an open-ended general strike on Monday. During a recent referendum, some 87% of employees supported strike action.

The letter was a result of failed negotiations yesterday. Talks will continue later today, and if a compromise is not reached by the end of the week, the strike will begin. The work force demands an increase in the gross salaries of z³.700 per month as of the beginning of this year. The management of the company on the other hand proposed an increase of z³.280 in the first few months of the year, which will be increased to z³.500 in December.

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