Year: 2005

Postcomm admits ‘cave in’ over UK Royal Mail price deal

Posted by | Dec 9, 2005 | |

Postcomm has bowed to pressure from Royal Mail over its price control proposals, admitting that the revised price regime “could signal we’ve caved in”. The new proposals have sparked a backlash from watchdog Postwatch, which claims they are over generous to Royal Mail. The postal operator refutes this, claiming the proposals are still ‘tough’. The regulator had originally proposed capping Royal Mail’s prices at 2.5 per cent below inflation but Royal Mail has managed to convince Postcomm to give it a limit of only 0.1 per cent below inflation. The maximum cost of a first-class stamp will now be 36p (a 20 per cent increase). It can also put up the price of products that are open to competition by 0.6 per cent, and the price of products without effective competition by 5.5 per cent. Millie Banerjee, chair of Postwatch comments: “This is well in excess of inflation.”

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100,000 visit Belgian Post online shop since May 2005

Posted by | Dec 9, 2005 | |

The online shop of the Belgian postal service company De Post/La Poste has attracted 100,000 visitors since its launch in May 2005, Francois Dorrekens, spokesman of the company, said on December 7, 2005.

The visitors who made a purchase spent between 70 euro (USD81.9) and 80 euro (USD93.6) on average, with stamps being the most preferred item, Dorrekens added. However, he did not reveal the total sales generated by the shop.

According to Dorrekens, due to the higher-than-expected number of visitors of the online shop, it might expand its service range in the future, as several new projects are currently being under review.

The online shop offers some 100 products, including stamps and post cards.

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Belgian Post to raise prices Feb 2006

Posted by | Dec 9, 2005 | |

Belgian postal service company De Post/La Poste will increase some of its prices from February 1, 2006, Belgian junior minister for public enterprise Bruno Tuybens told the Senate on December 7, 2005.

The price of priority-mail stamps will increase to 0.52 euro (USD0.61) from 0.5 euro (USD0.6), while other mail stamps will cost 0.46 euro (USD0.54), up from 0.44 euro (USD0.52).

The proceeds from the price increase will be invested in the improvement of postal services.

According to Tuybens, the increase in the prices will be lower than the rise of the consumption index. He added that the period for parcel delivery would be reduced to two days from four now.

The prices of international postal services will not be raised, Tuybens added.

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Deutsche Post plans new cost cuts; looks for Asia, Eastern Europe acquisitions

Posted by | Dec 9, 2005 | |

Deutsche Post AG plans to start a new cost cutting programme when the current one, Star, expires at the end of the year, chief executive Klaus Zumwinkel told the Financial Times Deutschland, adding the group also wants to make acquisitions in Asia and Eastern Europe. ‘The new programme should clearly express our targeted level of earnings in three years,’ Zumwinkel said.
‘Star targeted integration and costs. Now we want to concentrate more on customers and quality,’ he said, adding that more details will be available early next year. On the group’s expansion plans, the CEO said Deutsche Post is looking at making acquisitions in Eastern Europe and Asia, adding that ‘in ten year’s the express mail service will be much more consolidated (than it is today)’ and that there is a call for ‘volume and size’ in the industry.

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DTI in talks over GBP 2bn UK Royal Mail investment

Posted by | Dec 9, 2005 | |

Royal Mail could be in line for a GBP 2 billion cash injection if talks between the Department of Trade and Industry and a number of banks are successful.

The DTI was today reported to be in discussions with HSBC, Lazard and Merrill Lynch about the possibility of mounting a rights issue at Royal Mail, which would give the Government more shares in the postal group in return for the investment.

Although the Government is the sole shareholder in Royal Mail, it has only half of the 100,000 shares created when the group became a publicly-owned company five years ago.

Royal Mail kept 50,000 shares but can only allocate them to the Government. The Trade and Industry Secretary received 49,999 shares, while the Treasury solicitor holds both the remaining shares and a separate special share.

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All-party call for definitive stamps rejected by UK Royal Mail

Posted by | Dec 9, 2005 | |

The Royal Mail has rejected an all-party call for Scottish stamps already issued to be made available in easy-to-buy books in retail shops.

A spokesman said the cost of issuing 1st and 2nd class Scottish stamps in book form would be “prohibitive” at a time Royal Mail faces competition with door-to-door deliveries in the new year.

The proposal was spelled out in a motion put down by Scottish Liberal Democrat spokesman John Thurso, MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, with the support of Aberdeen North Labour MP Frank Doran, SNP chief whip Pete Wishart, MP for Perth and North Perthshire, and sole Scottish Tory David Mundell, MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale.

It congratulated the Royal Mail on issuing country definitive stamps but noted “with concern” that in Scotland they are not available for sale in retail outlets, even in tourist centres, and that there is little public awareness of their availability.

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An Post collection staff vote by two-to-one for new deal

Posted by | Dec 9, 2005 | |

Collection and delivery workers at An Post have voted by almost two-to-one to accept a Labour Court recommendation on major changes to their work practices.

The vote by members of the Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) should bring to an end the long-running dispute at the company, which appeared at times to threaten its future.

It also means that more than 8,000 staff in An Post, as well as the company’s pensioners, will receive a pay increase next week of just over 5 per cent due to them under Sustaining Progress.

About 4,500 collection and delivery staff were eligible to vote in the ballot, which concluded yesterday morning.

Despite strong opposition to the recommendation by many postal workers in Dublin in particular, 2,932 union members voted for the deal. It was opposed by 1,486, with seven votes spoiled.

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Government to form firm to prepare for Japan Post’s successor

Posted by | Dec 9, 2005 | |

The Japanese government will create a planning company Jan. 23 to set the stage for the planned formation in 2007 of a holding firm tasked with overseeing Japan Post’s privatisation, the posts minister said Friday.

At a news conference, Heizo Takenaka, minister of internal affairs and communications, unveiled the schedule of events leading up to January’s formation of the planning company.

According to the schedule, the government will convene the first of a series of task force meetings Tuesday to pave the way for the planning company’s establishment, he said.

The government will then officially devise the articles of an association for the planning company Jan. 11 at the second of the task force meetings.

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