Tag: Europe

NFSP Welcomes Report on the future of the Post Office Network

Posted by | Jun 2, 2008 | |

The NFSP today (June 2) welcomes a report from the Business & Enterprise Committee which acknowledges the threat to the post office network if subpostmasters lose the right to handle state pensions and benefits.

The Committee’s report on the future of the post office network backs claims by the NFSP that the loss of the Post Office Card Account (POCA) would have a devastating impact.

The Federation has warned that up to 3,000 post offices could be forced to shut if the contract to run the successor to the current POCA contract is lost. A decision on who has won the POCA 2 tender is expected this summer.

Of the 24 million visits made to post offices every week, 6.5 million are made by POCA customers, highlighting the importance of the POCA contract to subpostmasters.

Commenting on the report, George Thomson, General Secretary of the NFSP, said: “Today’s report strengthens our warning that the Government must act to protect post offices left in the network following Network Change by awarding the POCA 2 contract to Post Office Ltd.

“As the Committee’s report accepts, failure to do so would have a devastating effect on the viability and sustainability of the network.”

The NFSP today also backs concerns raised by the Committee on the threat to the post office network from proposals to break up Royal Mail Group.

With income from Royal Mail transactions making up the largest part of subpostmasters pay, the Federation is concerned about the effect this break up would have on this vital source of income.

Mr Thomson said: “It beggars belief that separate reviews of the industry by Postcomm and the Government’s independent review panel have yet to assess the post office network and its integral role within Royal Mail Group, yet both are nonetheless considering separating the Post Office from Royal Mail.

“Under current circumstances, the NFSP believes it is inconceivable that Post Office Ltd could be withdrawn from Royal Mail Group.”

In addition, the NFSP supports the Committee’s demand for the need to safeguard against further post office closures after Network Change.

The Federation has reluctantly accepted the closure of up to 2,500 post offices under Network Change in order to achieve a viable network, but states that there should be no further closures.

Mr Thomson said: “The Government and Post Office Ltd must now focus their efforts to deliver the investment and new products and services required to make sure that the new post office network is given the best possible chance to survive and thrive in the future. With a population of 60 million people, the Federation believes it must be possible to support 11,500 post offices in the UK.”

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Deutsche Post may seek USD 18.6 Billion for Postbank

Posted by | Jun 2, 2008 | |

Deutsche Post AG may seek about 12 billion euros (USD 18.6 billion) in its sale of Deutsche Postbank AG, Germany’s biggest consumer bank by clients, three people with knowledge of the transaction said.

Deutsche Post may aim for 70 euros a share for Postbank, 17 percent more than yesterday’s closing price, the people said. Postbank is drawing interest from German financial-services companies Allianz SE, Commerzbank AG and Deutsche Bank AG as well as Spain’s Banco Santander SA, said the people who declined to be identified because the matter is confidential.

Postbank, with more than 14.5 million customers and 850 branches, will give potential buyers an opportunity to grab a bigger share of Germany’s USD 1.6 trillion consumer-lending market, which is dominated by state-owned lenders and savings banks. Shares of the Bonn-based bank have risen 40 percent in the seven months since Deutsche Post, Europe’s biggest postal service, said it’s considering a sale of the unit.

Postbank has almost 5 million more retail customers than its second closest rival Deutsche Bank, according to a report by Sal. Oppenheim. The lender posted a pretax return on equity of 19.3 percent last year ahead of Commerzbank’s 18.7 percent and Dresdner Bank’s 8.5 percent, it said.

Postbank extended gains and rose 4 percent to 62.10 euros in Frankfurt electronic trading, valuing the company at 10.2 billion euros.

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Roberts Europe expands network in Germany

Posted by | Jun 2, 2008 | |

Time-critical freight logistics company Roberts Europe has started expansion of its network in Germany with the opening of three new branches, according to media reports.

The new branches at Munich, Stuttgart and Nuremberg belong to a massive expansion plan of Roberts Europe in order to build up its own network in Germany. Plans include up to twelve new branches to be opened all over the country. The next openings are planned for Frankfurt and Leipzig.

The internationally operating company is headquartered in Maastricht, Netherlands and also has subsidiaries in Poland and Portugal. With 130 employees all over Europe, Roberts Europe had revenues of EUR 35 million in the last year. The company has a volume of about 60,000 shipments per year.

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Postal Industry Launches Global Carbon Measurement System

Posted by | Jun 2, 2008 | |

The International Post Corporation (IPC) has launched an environmental measurement and monitoring system providing a common carbon measurement and reporting framework for the global postal industry.

The launch and formal adoption by IPC member postal operators including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK, took place at IPC’s Annual Conference 2008 in La Chapelle en Serval, France on 30 May. The event was attended by CEOs from Europe, the Asia-Pacific and North America.
The system provides the postal industry with a transparent, scientific, sector specific carbon management and measurement system based on the requirements of international best practice standards, such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, DJSI, FTSE4Good, ISO 14001, and current best practice from the corporate environment. The system evaluates performance through the application of a scoring system that grades performance in ten carbon management proficiency areas and in key numeric carbon efficiency indicators.

The environmental measurement and monitoring system was also built on best practice as exemplified by customers of IPC members and is highly responsive to customer requirements and interests in measuring their own carbon footprint in their value chains.

The system will be piloted in 2008, with results from the first round of measurement expected to be announced in November 2009.

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Polish Post to go on strike

Posted by | Jun 2, 2008 | |

Polish Post (Poczta Polska) has announced that it is to go on strike with effect from tomorrow.

Executives from Polish Post have failed to come to agreement with trade unions over working conditions at the company. As a result the company has announced that as of tomorrow, the national postal service is to go strike.

Bogumil Nowicki from the Polish Post branch of the “Solidarnosc” trade union has stated that 66,000 postal employees voted in favour of the strike.

Employees of the Polish Post are fighting for higher wages: 800 PLN gross (ca.USD 380) per month. In the final stages of the talks the union agreed to a 533 PLN gross pay rise.

The management board of Polish Post was ready to accept a 305 PLN gross rise, but the unions were not satisfied.

Bogumil Nowicki from “Solidarnosc” added that the national postal service is treated badly by politicians, as every government has tried to initiate various structural changes to the company.

The union representative went onto say that sometimes governments try and make the company more of a commercial enterprise, whereas others try to keep more in line with the company’s mission.

Union members working for Polish Post agree that these points cancel each other out and simply bring the company into paralysis.

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