From postal operator to leader in global logistics: the Deutsche Post vision
From postal operator to leader in global logistics: the Deutsche Post vision
Read MoreTag: Deutsche Post
Deutsche Post plans to raise civil servants' working hours
Deutsche Post World Net AG plans to raise the weekly working hours for its some 55,000 civil servants to 41 from 38.5 as soon as a labour agreement expires March 31, Die Welt reported, not citing its sources.
The former state-owned monopoly company still employs a large number of former state civil servants. Civil servants employed in the government administration work 41 hours a week.
Chief executive Frank Appel at Deutsche Post’s annual press conference last week did not say the German mail services company plans to extend working hours, but said the 41 hours are an issue.
A labour agreement that rules out compulsory redundancies for Deutsche Post’s 130,000 German employees also expires at the end of March.
ver.di has as a measure of precaution cancelled all wage agreements effective March 31 in order to be able to launch strikes April 1, as it fears Deutsche Post plans to lay off several thousands employees.
Read MoreDeutsche Post rivals threaten to sue govt over minimum wages
Deutsche Post World Net AG postal services rivals said they are considering suing the government for damages arising from a directive imposing minimum wages for all letter carriers, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said.
The paper said Axel Guenther, a lawyer for the the Courier, Express and Mail Services Industry Association (BdKEP), has notified German Labour Minister Olaf Scholz about the plans.
BdKEP demanded that Scholz reverse the directive and threatened to sue should this not happen.
Read MoreVehicle design innovation saves fuel and reduces CO2
DHL Exel Supply Chain and TK Maxx have partnered with manufacturer Don-Bur to design and develop a new aerodynamic front bulkhead air deflector for double deck trailers that provides both environmental benefits, carbon and cost reductions without compromising the cubic capacity of the vehicle.
Results from initial controlled trials by DHL show that the new air deflector can provide up to 3.5pct savings on fuel and can reduce CO2 by 20kg per daily trip or an equivalent of 5.25 tonnes per vehicle per annum. Following the successful trial, the air deflector has been fitted to ten of TK Maxx’s new double deck trailers and once retrofitted to the remaining 92 in the fleet throughout 2008, will provide the retailer with significant emissions and fuel cost savings.
DHL Exel Supply Chain’s specialist Department Stores and Fashion team, jointly with DHL Central Engineering, have worked with TK Maxx to develop a solution that improves fuel economy on double deck trailers without compromising load capacity and without incurring the cost of new vehicle purchases. The two companies began to investigate how to make the trailers more aerodynamic and approached manufacturer Don-Bur to design and produce a prototype that met with these key objectives and could be implemented quickly and easily.
The unique streamlined shape of the air deflector designed by Don-Bur reduces the quantity of air being forced into the gap between the tractor and the trailer, minimizing turbulence and the resultant ‘drag force’ on the vehicle.
This is the latest initiative in a series of projects developed by TK Maxx and DHL, reflecting the contractual ‘green’ clause between both companies, which outlines their commitment to working together to meet key environmental goals
Read MoreDeutsche Post launches pilot scheme to enter mail-order pharmacy market
Deutsche Post AG said it will start offering pharmaceuticals through its partner, German discount pharmacy Easy-Apotheke, at selected post offices this week as it mulls entering the drug mail-order market, Financial Times Deutschland said.
‘We see the project as a good opportunity to expand the usability of our branches,’ the paper quoted a Deutsche Post spokesman as saying.
Customers will be able to fill in order forms at post offices and get their delivery within two working days.
Oliver Blume, managing director at Easy-Apotheke, which had sales of about 50 mln eur in 2007, says the offer looks to be the fastest pharmaceuticals delivery service on the market.
Eighteen post offices in the German cities of Stuttgart, Hanover and Hildesheim are participating in the pilot scheme, which will last for six months.
German retailers including DM and Schlecker have recently introduced drug delivery services via mail-order pharmacies, a move that is seen by many as a prearrangement to launching own drug retail operations.
German regulations currently restrict ownership of pharmacies to certified pharmacists and limit the number outlets in a pharmacy chain, but companies expect a ruling by the European Court of Justice to quash these restrictions.
Read MorePost & Parcel Magazine
Post & Parcel Magazine is our print publication, released 3 times a year. Packed with original content and thought-provoking features, Post & Parcel Magazine is a must-read for those who want the inside track on the industry.