Tag: Deutsche Post

Deutsche Post: ver.di rejects very good offer

Posted by | Apr 19, 2008 | |

Deutsche Post made ver.di a very attractive offer, according to which dismissals protection would be extended to June 30, 2011 and contractual employees’ wages would be increased by around 5.5 percent over the next two years.

In return, employees’ working hours would be moderately increased. That means that employees would work an extra half hour each week, or six minutes more each day. Civil servants will work 40 hours a week instead of 41 in the future, that’s one hour less than is usual for German federal civil servants and has been in force at Deutsche Post since April 1st ver.di rejected this offer.

Walter Scheurle, Board Member, Personnel, commented: “Whoever rejects 39 months of dismissals protection and a reasonable salary increase in exchange for a working-hours increase of six minutes per day, definitely does not represent the interest of our employees.”

Deutsche Post emphasized its readiness to continue with the employment pact and thus its commitment to job security as well as to a salary increase that is attractive to employees, but at the same time economically viable. This precludes that the social partner is prepared to discuss an increase in working hours.

According to the assessment of Deutsche Post, job security assurance and the proposed salary increase correspond to the paramount interests of employees. The stubborn attitude of ver.di in regard to the working hours issue is obviously based more on dogmatism and in strategic and image goals than anything else.

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European discontent over earnings divide

Posted by | Apr 19, 2008 | |

The present credit, food, and fuel crisis in Europe is sparking anger from unions and workers across Europe who says that the divide between rich and poor is becoming wider than ever and that the ‘fat cat’ culture continues to spread unchecked across many industries where employees are often paid relatively low wages.

Workers at Germany’s Deutsche Post are to begin strike action in May after the Verdi trade union failed to secure a 7 pct pay rise for 130,000 postal workers. Deutsche Post said it was always ready to talk but the 7 pct rise put forward by the union was unaffordable. Verdi has recommended that workers begin strike action early next month.

In the Netherlands, trade unions are planning to step up the pressure on the Dutch mail company TNT, with strikes next week to support their call for a 3.5 percent wage rise. In Slovenia, protesters were on the streets protesting about low pay and fat-cat companies in Europe.

In the UK, PM Gordon Brown is trying to placate members of his own party over the scrapping of the 10 pct income tax rate for low earners. The move has been seen as deeply unpopular and at odds with Labour’s claim to support the poorest citizens. With Labour already struggling in opinion polls ahead of local elections on May 1st, Labour MPs are becoming worried that they could see their seats go over what are national issues. In the public sector, unions say that wage caps, typically around 2.5 pct in the UK are now insufficient to match the increasing cost of energy and other rises in the cost of living.

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Deutsche Post's DHL struggles with delays new Leipzig hub

Posted by | Apr 18, 2008 | |

Deutsche Post World Net AG’s express unit, DHL, is struggling with delays at its new cargo hub in Leipzig, Die Welt reported, citing pilots’ comments in internet forums.
The newspaper quoted a spokesman for the German mail services company as saying everything is going according to plan.
Deutsche Post plans to inaugurate the 300 million euro Leipzig hub, its third global hub after Hong Kong and Wilmington, United States, officially on May 26.
The report said pilots have claimed that ground staff at the new hub has not yet been sufficiently trained.
It alleged some flights have been redirected to Brussels, DHL’s previous hub.
The start-up of DHL’s Wilmington hub was delayed by several months, putting pressure on the start of Deutsche Post’s U.S. express operations, which have posted unspecified losses since the company entered the market in 2004.

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TNT unions to strike next week over labour talks

Posted by | Apr 16, 2008 | |

Trade unions at TNT NV will step up the pressure on the Dutch mail company with one-day strikes next week to back their demand for a 3.5 percent wage rise, a union leader said.

“Workers in The Hague will go on strike on Wednesday and workers in Amsterdam on Friday,” union director Anneke Stevens told Reuters.

She said this will be followed by industrial action in the different areas, culminating in a countrywide strike on May 27.

TNT, Europe’s second-largest mail company, said its workers are paid 20 to 25 percent more than market rates and has offered a 1.5 percent wage increase retroactive to April 1.

It had originally sought a pay freeze, seeking to cut costs and compete better with rivals. It is targeting cost savings of 395 million euros (USD 625.3 million) between 2007 and 2015. TNT also proposed a 1.5 percent rise on Jan. 1, 2009, conditional on changing employment conditions.

The company, which is expected to lose its monopoly in the domestic market this year, has said that without changes to employment terms, it may have to cut up to 11,000 from its Dutch workforce of 59,000.

TNT, which has steadily lost market share to rivals Sandd and Deutsche Post’s Selekt Mail, earlier on Wednesday urged unions to continue labour talks. Unions had set an April 16 deadline for the company to meet their demands.

It said the issue was not the salary levels but rather clarity on a future collective labour agreement that is in line with the market.

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Deutsche Post and Fedex talks on U.S. express partnership deal fail

Posted by | Apr 15, 2008 | |

Talks between Deutsche Post World Net AG. and Fedex Corp. on a strategic partnership in the U.S. express market have collapsed, Handelsblatt reported.

‘Talks with Fedex on a cooperation have fizzled out,’ the report quoted Axel Funhoff, analyst at Dutch Bank ING Groep N.V. as saying, attributing his information to sources close to the companies.

Deutsche Post’s DHL express operations in the United States have posted unspecified losses since the German mail services company entered the market in 2004.

Chief executive Frank Appel in a recent interview said the company is in talks with potential partners but said Deutsche Post is not dependent on finding a partner.

The report said a spokeswoman for Deutsche Post declined to comment on the matter.

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