Author: Archive

Protests as TNT breaks German pay law

Posted by | Jan 16, 2008 | |

UNI is urging affiliates to join the protests against Dutch-based post and logistics giant TNT for undermining laws in Germany to protect postal workers as the sector is de-regulated.

UNI General Secretary Philip Jennings has accused TNT of “dubious actions in Germany” in a protest to the Amsterdam-based group’s Chief Executive Peter Bakker.
Under pressure from UNI affiliate ver.di and SPD coalition partners, the German government has introduced a legally binding minimum wage for the postal sector to ensure that rival operators do not drive conditions down in a race to the bottom to win postal business.

TNT-Post Germany – a subsidiary of TNT Group – is refusing to comply with the postal minimum wage (set at up to 9.80 euro an hour) and collective agreements negotiated by ver.di, which is the established postal union in Germany

Instead of dealing with ver.di, TNT has recognised a new union with dubious credentials to cover its operation in Germany and to negotiate agreements below collective and legal minimum standards.

The move puts at risk social provisions that governments introduce and unions negotiate to protect nearly two million postal workers in Europe as de-regulation is pushed across the European Union by 2011 for most countries and by 2013 for the remaining countries.

UNI is urging Mr Bakker to comply with Germany’s minimum wage and wants affiliates to send similar calls to the TNT CEO.

The new TNT-Post Germany union has failed to win approval of a German court to be registered. The leaders of the new union come directly from the executive offices of a postal provider and its financing is clouded in mystery.

The German labour minister has expressed serious doubts about the conduct.

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Consultation Starts On Changes To Post Office Network – Post Office Ltd announces plans for Newport and Gwent Valleys

Posted by | Jan 15, 2008 | |

Post Office Ltd opened a six-week local public consultation on its Area Plan for the Newport and Gwent Valleys area. In line with the criteria and factors set by the UK Government in its Response Document (DTI The Post Office Network, Government response to public consultation May 2007, the Area Plan proposes future provision of Post Office services through a network of 126 Post Office® branches across the Newport and Gwent Valleys area, including establishing three new innovative Outreach service points, but to close 25 existing branches. (See full list below).

Under the proposals, more than 99.6 pct of the area’s population will either see no change, or will remain within one mile (by road distance) of an alternative branch.

Post Office Ltd is now seeking views on the proposed future service provision in the area, in particular views on access to Post Office services, the accessibility of alternative branches to those proposed for closure. Consultation is due to end on February 25, 2008.

The UK Government has already undertaken a 12-week national consultation before reaching a decision to reduce the UK-wide network of Post Office branches by up to 2,500 from its current level of over 14,000, while continuing to provide funding (subject to EU state-aid clearance) to support a more sustainable network in the future. The proposals now published support the national accessibility criteria introduced by the UK Government.

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Post Office UK cuts mortgate rate

Posted by | Jan 15, 2008 | |

The Post Office® today announced an interest rate cut to its three year fixed rate mortgage to 5.48 per cent – making it the best mortgage deal of its kind on the high street.

This is the second rate cut to the Post Office®’s three year fixed rate mortgage in two months, and the third since its launch in November 2007 when it offered a rate of 6.09 per cent.

The mortgage continues to carry its low fixed arrangement fee of just GBP 399 and can be taken out on up to 95 per cent of a home’s value. There is no higher lending charge or extended tie-in, giving Post Office® customers a market leading deal.

The three year fixed rate deal is part of a range of mortgages being trialled by the Post Office® in selected branches in the North of England.

Post Office® has also slashed the rates of its three year fixed buy-to-let and self-certification mortgages to 5.99 per cent.

Post Office® director of lending Gary Fitton said: “These new rate cuts put our mortgage range at the top of the comparison tables, further proving our commitment to offering customers transparent and excellent value for money products.

The mortgage trial, launched in September 2007, follows a succession of well-received financial product launches by the Post Office® which is now the fastest growing financial services provider in the UK. It has already attracted more than one million customers with its easy to understand and good value products.

Post Office® Mortgages are provided in conjunction with Bristol and West, the Bank of Ireland’s lending arm. As a responsible lender, the Post Office® applies strict lending criteria and enforces appropriate checks before an offer is made.

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USPS adopts new standards for undeliverable-as-addressed mail from abroad

Posted by | Jan 15, 2008 | |

The US Postal Service has implemented new standards to recover the cost of handling undeliverable-as-addressed items posted from abroad with a US return address. The change took place January 14.

In the past, the USPS provided the return service without charge. Now, to recover the cost of handling these mailpieces, the new regulations will allow the USPS to collect the applicable First-Class Mail International rate.

If an item has been mailed in a foreign country by or on behalf of a US resident or US-based firm, and the foreign postage rate applied to the item is less than the US domestic rate, then the USPS will have the right to collect the applicable postage.

Essentially, this is putting down in writing something that the Universal Postal Union, a specialized agency of the United Nations, put into effect in 1999, said Yvonne Yoerger, spokeswoman for USPS.

She added that, since then, it has been up to individual countries whether they wanted to follow the practice or not. In the US, for example, the practice has not been applied consistently. “We want to get a handle on how significant this is for us,” she said.

The USPS is currently collecting data on how much money it stands to save from the change, according to Obataiye B. Akinwole, USPS classification specialist. “We know that it is an issue, we’re just looking to see how big an issue it is now,” he said.

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Postcomm asks for views on the regulatory framework for postal services from 2010

Posted by | Jan 15, 2008 | |

Postcomm is considering how, and to what extent, it should regulate Royal Mail from 2010 onwards, when its current price control is due to be replaced.

The regulator wants to begin by taking a ‘top down’ approach, based on what was learned from last year’s Strategy Review, before focusing on detail later on in the process. Most specifically, Postcomm wants to consider whether adopting a different approach could allow a significant reduction in the scope of regulation, whilst maintaining sufficient protection for customers and operators in those areas where Royal Mail has substantial and enduring market power.

An initial letter, issued to stakeholders, sets out a number of possible approaches and seeks feedback on the advantages and disadvantages of each of them. Postcomm is also looking for stakeholders’ views as to what other measures might be needed to ensure that a proposed approach would be effective.

Responses to this initial consultation should be sent to Postcomm by Friday 14 March 2008. Following this consultation, Postcomm will carefully consider responses, before publishing initial proposals for changes to the regulatory framework around June 2008.

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Leipzig/Halle Airport recorded its highest ever traffic figures in 2007 – cargo volume has risen to more than 100,000 tonnes

Posted by | Jan 15, 2008 | |

With a cargo volume of 101,285 tonnes and 2,723,748 passengers handled in 2007, Leipzig/Halle Airport recorded the highest ever traffic figures in its history. The number of flight movements, i.e. take-offs and landings, rose from 42,417 to 50,976, an increase of 20.2 percent over the previous year.

The cargo volume handled at Leipzig/Halle Airport rose from 29,330 tonnes to 101,285 tonnes, an increase of 245 percent compared with 2006.

This development is largely attributable to the growing commitment made by DHL, which, Mondays to Fridays, currently operates more than 30 flights from Leipzig/Halle every day.

Lufthansa Cargo has been using Leipzig/Halle Airport since October last year to operate 21 flights a week to destinations in the United States, in Asia, Africa and Europe.

Eric Malitzke, Managing Director Flughafen Leipzig/Halle GmbH said: “progressive growth in the cargo sector and exceeding the 100,000 tonne mark clearly underline Leipzig/Halle Airport’s ambition to develop into a cargo hub of European importance within the next few years. With DHL opening its European hub this year, this positive trend will continue in 2008”.

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Pakistan Post increases service charges

Posted by | Jan 15, 2008 | |

The Pakistan Post (PP) has increased its service charges with the start of 2008, according to an official notification made available to Daily Times.

“A commission on the issue of inland money order and urgent money order at the flat rate of Rs 50, irrespective of the value of a single money order up to Rs 10,000, shall be charged from January 1, 2008,” says the notification. The charges of the Pakistan postal order (PPO) have been increased from Rs 5 to Rs 15. The notification has been dispatched to all PP offices and they have been asked to follow it strictly. The charges have been increased for inland ordinary money orders, urgent money orders, PPO and insured articles.

A PP official told Daily Times that earlier Rs 15 were charged for the delivery of a Rs 1,000 money order and Rs 20 for a Rs 2,000 money order. An additional amount of Rs 5 was charged with the increase of every Rs 1,000 into the value of a money order, he added.

The official said most PP customers had criticised the increase in the PP service charges. “Heated arguments have become a routine at the PP offices, irritating the staff,” he said. “The PP has increased charges manifold, inconveniencing its customers,” Sahibzada Fakhar, a PP customer, said.

1 USD = 62.2600 PKR

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The impact of online shopping on logistics

Posted by | Jan 15, 2008 | |

New research into the effects of online shopping on our high streets shows that retailers need to dramatically change the way they operate – from product availability to their physical stores and locations

According to logistics property consultancy Atisreal retailers have a major opportunity to take advantage of e-Shopping opportunities but only if they change how goods bought online are delivered to consumers.

According to Atisreal, almost two-thirds of UK consumers (62%) would choose a retailer offering home deliveries specified to the hour over one that does not when buying goods on the internet; and over half (52%) would do so if offered the opportunity to use local centres where goods could be collected or returned at their convenience.

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