Tag: Europe

Royal Mail is being pushed too hard

Posted by | Sep 12, 2007 | |

With regard to recent industrial action by Royal Mail postal workers, although this probably lost the company some business, I think it needs to be seen in a wider context than a pay rise.

The Blair government supposedly gained agreement for a European free market with mail services but this is not being complied with by other European countries.

Successive governments have creamed off money from the Royal Mail rather than allowing this to be used for modernization.

The present management has proposed a worker shareholder partnership but the Government has refused it.

While other mail firms can cherry pick the more lucrative business deals leaving Royal Mail with the least profitable ones, yet the Government insists on a flat rate stamp regardless of distance.

Although postal workers deliver for rival businesses there is no reciprocal arrangement. The situation is therefore not a “level playing field”.

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EU court rejects courier complaint on French Aid

Posted by | Sep 12, 2007 | |

A European Union court Wednesday rejected complaints from international courier companies who claimed that French state-owned postal services company La Poste unfairly subsidizes its own courier express operation.

The ruling is part of a larger struggle that sees E.U. antitrust authorities and private companies trying to pry open Europe’s monopoly-controlled postal markets while still respecting E.U. rules that allow for government funding of national postal companies serving unprofitable areas. La Poste is one such company.

The case goes back to 1990, when the Union Francaise de L’Express or Ufex, Deutsche Post AG’s, DHL International, FedEx Corp’s Federal Express International France SNC and Service CRIE all complained to E.U. competition authorities that La Poste unit Societe Francaise de Messagerie Internationale – now Chronopost – was receiving unfair competitive advantages over the rest through its state-funded parent company. These alleged advantages include receiving logistical and commercial assistance on “unusually favorable terms.”

The European Commission rejected this complaint, saying that since the matter concerned competition on the French market, it wasn’t an E.U. matter. The courier companies tried to have this decision overturned, but were spurned again in 2004 when their arguments were once again rejected.

The courier companies then went to Europe’s second-highest court, the Court of First Instance, to try and have the commission’s decision annulled. The court Wednesday ruled simply that the commission’s initial decision was correct.

The courier companies may now appeal the ruling to Europe’s highest court, the Court of High Justice.

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EU to examine all German subsidies to Deutsche Post in new state aid probe

Posted by | Sep 12, 2007 | |

EU regulators will investigate the German state subsidies of Deutsche Post, once the state-owned postal service, to determine if it bolstered commercial operations with public money, the European Union said Wednesday.

The EU’s executive arm said rivals had complained that Deutsche Post AG used government money to undercut the private sector by selling services “too cheaply” to banking arm Postbank and parcel service DHL – one of the world’s three biggest delivery companies.

Deutsche Post immediately denied any illegal subsidies, calling the investigation “surprising and completely incomprehensible.” Deutsche Post said regulators have reviewed company accounts numerous times.

In Berlin, Finance Ministry spokesman Torsten Albig said the investigation had been expected and expressed confidence the Commission would clear the company in end.

The new investigation comes on top of the EU’s 2002 order for Deutsche Post to repay the German government 572 million euros (USD 791 million) in public money that the company had used to finance a rebate pricing policy for its door-to-door parcel business.
Governments usually pay postal operators to run the costly mail delivery service for the country, but they are forbidden from using the money for other services.

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FedEx invests to support Manchester economic growth

Posted by | Sep 12, 2007 | |

FedEx Express outlined its growth strategy for the Manchester region which involves the first direct flight from Manchester to the U.S., the creation of 40 new jobs, a new station and domestic express services through its recently purchased operating company, ANC Express.

Officially launching the new FedEx MD-11 wide-body express freighter which flies daily, Monday-Thursday, from Manchester direct to Memphis, Elliott also provided details of a range of FedEx investments aimed at further enhancing the region’s trading opportunities.

Additionally, U.K. domestic express transportation company, ANC Express, acquired by FedEx in December last year, is also helping FedEx customers access the new flight. ANC’s depots, spread throughout the region, will play an important role in picking up and delivering FedEx customers’ packages to Manchester Airport.

FedEx investments also include relocating to a new station in Trafford Park. At 27,000 sq ft., the new purpose-built facility is nearly twice the size of the old facility and is required to meet increased volumes and to support the new flight.

The new station, plus the new flight, means FedEx has almost doubled its workforce in Manchester to 84 while adding 13 new vans and 17 new courier routes to service businesses in and around Greater Manchester.

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TNT launches new portfolio of morning delivery services

Posted by | Sep 12, 2007 | |

TNT announces the launch of its new service portfolio to offer customers an extended range of standardized international and domestic services across the globe. Adding two new time-guaranteed services – ’10:00 Express’ and ’12:00 Economy Express’ – to the existing ‘9:00 Express’ and ’12:00 Express’, TNT puts a strong emphasis on morning deliveries and now offers more morning delivery services than any of its competitors. The ’12:00 Economy Express’ in particular is an industry first, providing customers with a service that is both economical and time guaranteed. The new service portfolio is launched globally and will be operational from September 17.

With the new offering, TNT recognizes a universal customer need for guaranteed morning delivery, more choice of services and less complexity through service alignment. TNT conducted extensive research involving 7,500 express service users in key markets around the world. The results demonstrate that, apart from speed, weight and coverage capabilities, customers expect convenience, reliability and control from their provider of express services. TNT’s new range of services directly answers these requirements.

Drawing on TNT’s fully integrated air and road network infrastructure, the new service portfolio offers greater geographical coverage for deliveries by 9:00, 10:00 and 12:00 to more cities and business locations worldwide than before.

TNT is launching an international communications campaign to support its new portfolio. Using the theme ‘Good Morning!’, it combines print and outdoor advertising, viral and direct marketing, online and internal communications.

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