Hermes Logistics Group – Making Inroads into Austria
Hermes Logistics Group – Making Inroads into Austria
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Tradimus fortifies Logistic World Alliance Network
Tradimus fortifies Logistic World Alliance Network
Read MoreGLS France speeds up European deliveries by a day
GLS France announced that it will speed up its European business parcel service to six European countries by one day.
The efficiency of the group’s European hub and improved reorganisation of its long-distance transport plans across the continent have enhanced the speed and progress of the company..
Its EuroBusiness-Parcel was already deliverable in 48 hours from France to the Benelux market, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal and the UK. But now GLS has been able to add Denmark, Austria and the Czech Republic to the two-day service.
The progress has also been seen in deliveries to Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia which now takes up to 72 hours instead of the 96 hours needed previously.
GLS’ network covers 35 European countries, including all members of the European Union. Deliveries from France to towns and cities in any of these countries varies between 48 hours and 120 hours, depending on their location and customs clearance times at the borders of non-EU members.
Read MoreTNT faces uncertainty as liberalisation vote is delayed again
TNT NV is facing continued uncertainty regarding domestic operations after a parliamentary vote on a liberalisation law that would open the market to more competition was again delayed yesterday, analysts said.
The law, meant to break the once state-owned TNT’s monopoly on letters weighing up to 50 grams, is meant to take effect from January 1.
It will allow competitors like Sandd and Deutsche Post’s Selekt Mail to expand their market share in the Netherlands and increase domestic competition.
But the legislation has proven politically divisive and the vote, already pushed back from Tuesday to Thursday, has now been postponed for three weeks.
A spokesman at the Ministry of Economic Affairs said the vote was delayed so that the deputy minister in charge of liberalisation can study a series of last-minute changes suggested by MPs.
Suggested amendments include stamp price regulation without the established minimum price the government had suggested in lieu of a margin cap on aspects of the market in which TNT is unlikely to face competition.
Other suggested amendments involve the requirement that TNT provide downstream access to some of its network and a clause forcing competitors to pay their employees according to a general workers’ agreement instead of the per-delivery rates they pay now.
The last demand has been backed by TNT Post and unions representing its workers.
Singapore Post profit up 25 pct on property income
Singapore Post , the country’s main mail group, on Friday reported a 25 percent rise in quarterly profit, due to higher rental and property-related income and said this year’s focus would be on regional growth.
The Singapore postal group said in a statement it earned a net profit of S$38.6 million ($25.5 million) in its fiscal fourth quarter ended March 31, compared to S$30.9 million in the previous year.
Rental and property-related income rose 15.5 percent to S$5.2 million, due to higher rental rates and yield enhancements.
Full-year net profit rose 13.3 percent to S$139.8 million, beating a consensus forecast of about S$136.1 million from eight analysts polled by Reuters Estimates.
Quarterly revenue rose 7.3 percent to S$112.6 million as a result of higher sales in its three divisions — mail, logistics and retail.
SingPost has also proposed a final dividend of of 2.5 Singapore cents per share. Together with the interim dividends of 1.25 cents per share paid in each of the first three quarters of fiscal 2006/07, the total annual dividend amounts to 6.25 cents.
Read MorePost office fixes aren't without glitches
Huntington Station Postmaster Gregory Gallienne plugged his credit card into the Automated Postal Center and pressed a finger on the machine’s touch screen.
The display froze, and the machine wouldn’t dispense stamps. A clerk had to open the machine and fix it.
“It’s usually very reliable,” Gallienne said, chagrined.
More Long Island postal customers soon could experience similar situations as the U.S. Postal Service moves to replace the human touch with the touch screen.
In both Nassau and Suffolk, window-service hours are being adjusted and in some cases cut back, as the postal service nudges the public toward using the Automated Postal Centers — available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Twenty-four Long Island post offices have adjusted counter service hours for various reasons since summer, and 16 others will be doing so in the next five weeks, said Tom Gaynor, spokesman for the postal service in the New York region.
In Nassau and Suffolk, there are more than 20 APCs. They’re being relied upon to trim long lines and to provide customers with stamps, postage rates, insurance and receipts.
The most recent shift to APCs comes just as postage is set to increase: On May 14, first-class postage goes to 41 cents from 39.
Read MoreUp to 100 post offices could face closure as An Post reviews network
As many as 100 post offices across the country could close as part of An Post’s plans to review its branch network,
Chief executive Donal Connell confirmed that a review of all its offices will begin this year.
“We have 1,533 post office and agencies nationwide and that is the higher number of branches per capita in Europe. We need to determine the optimum configuration for this network for the future, bearing nature of the community we serve,” he said at the launch of the company’s annual report.
Mr Connell said it was not possible to give an absolute figure on how many post offices would close but admitted that if Ireland moved to the European average, it would result in 100 branches closing.
Any closures arising from the review of the branch network are likely to be in rural locations.
An Post’s 2006 annual report reveals the company made a pre-tax profit of euro96.5 million up from euro40.9m in 2005. The jump in profits is mainly the result of the euro94m gain on the sale of the former SDS depot on the Naas Road.
At operating level, which strips out the gains from exceptional items, An Post made a profit of euro14.6m compared to a profit of euro16.1m in 2005. Included in the accounts is a euro20m charge related to a deferred pay rise for its workers.
Turnover for the year was up strongly from euro752m to euro818.8m. Mr Connell said this was the result of an increase in the volume of mail sent (up 4%), price rises and a rise in the number of people using its money transfer system.
Mr Connell, who was appointed last August, said it would take three years before An Post hit the next day delivery target of 94%.
The last survey of postal service by the industry regulator ComReg found that only 74% was delivered the next day. The chief executive said the failure to hit the 94% level was due to a number of factors including An Post work practices.
Read MoreNetherlands – Vote on new post law delayed
MPs on Thursday night agreed to again delay voting on legislation to open up the market for delivery of letters weighing less than 50 grammes. Junior economic affairs minister Frank Heemskerk asked for a postponement after Labour and Christian Democrat MPs submitted several last minute amendments.
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