Tag: Europe

Death of the morning post for 60 pct of Britain

Posted by | Aug 11, 2007 | |

Almost two-thirds of homes and businesses will be condemned to afternoon deliveries under fiercely contentious Royal Mail plans.

The proposal, hidden away in a consultation paper, signals yet another downgrading of a once first-class postal service.

The Post Office has been accused of ‘attempting to charge first class prices while delivering a second class service’

Currently, 94.4 per cent of homes and businesses receive their mail before noon, with deliveries as early as 7am for many.

Under the new plan, no one would receive anything before 10.30am, while 60 per cent would have to wait until after midday.

The industry regulator Postcomm has indicated it supports the move, but there is still time for the public to make its voice heard before the consultation ends on August 28.

However, while the company is planning to phase in the changes before the Christmas rush, the directive does not come into force until January.

Royal Mail is under no legal obligation to ensure deliveries are made before noon even though research shows the overwhelming majority of consumers values such a target.

The consultation document says the plan would be to “shift the peak in residential deliveries between 10.30 am and 2 pm”.

An accompanying graph shows there will be no deliveries before 10.30am. Ten per cent would be delivered by 11am, a further 10 per cent by 11.30 am and a further 20 per cent by noon. The graph suggests the rest would arrive by 2.15 pm.

Royal Mail claims that maintaining the current scale of deliveries will cost GBP 280 million by 2009/10 and require an increase in the cost of stamps to pay for it.

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Malta Post: Future of postal workers discussed

Posted by | Aug 11, 2007 | |

The Union Haddiema Maghqudin has met Investments Minister Austin Gatt to discuss the future of Maltapost employees in connection with the company’s privatization.

In a statement yesterday, the union said it had secured a guarantee that no worker will be laid off, assurances the ministry had already made when announcing the privatization.

On July 30, the ministry had announced that Lombard Bank Malta plc had become the company’s major shareholder and that Malta post’s privatization would be completed once it sold its remaining shares on the Malta Stock Exchange.

Several points were discussed during the meeting, among them the right of government employees to return to their former offices and departments.

Those who had had joined the government before 1979, but chose to remain with Malta post would retain the right to a sum of money from the Treasury.

In the coming days, the union will be meeting Lombard officials to further discuss the employees’ future. It will also call a meeting for the workers to inform them of the outcome of these meetings.

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Polish Post: The postal market assessment for the year 2006

Posted by | Aug 10, 2007 | |

The President of UKE published a short version of an assessment study on the postal market functioning in 2006 submitted to the Minister of Transport.

The assessment study on the postal market functioning is based on information provided in the reports of the Poczta Polska activities – the operator which provides universal postal services, and also on the reports of operators which do not provide universal postal services.

In addition, the information sources include the results of inspections of postal activities carried out under the act, an authorization or a registration as well as the results of inspections aiming at the detection of postal activities carried out without a required authorization or registration.

The postal market, in its evolution, is approaching the crucial moment of its full opening to competition. Therefore it requires regulatory activities that will ensure its sustainable and harmonious development.

This assessment study is an element of regulatory activities undertaken in order to monitor the developments in the postal market.

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Favorable economic trend boosts Itella’s result

Posted by | Aug 10, 2007 | |

Interim report for January–June 2007

• Q2 net sales grew by 9 per cent, coming to EUR 408.2 million (376.0). Six-month net sales grew by 10 per cent, coming to EUR 839.7 million (760.9).

• All business groups reported improvements in net sales, Itella Logistics in particular. Organic growth was 5 per cent for Q2 and 6 per cent for the six-month-period. In both periods, international operations represented 25 per cent of consolidated net sales.

• Q2 consolidated operating profit improved by 37 per cent, to EUR 19.7 million (14.4), accounting for 4.8 per cent (3.8 per cent) of consolidated net sales. Six-month consolidated operating profit grew by 26 per cent, to EUR 65.6 million (52.0), accounting for 7.8 per cent (6.8 per cent) of consolidated net sales. Itella Mail Communication and Itella Information reported improved operating profit.

• Itella Mail Communication launched a major project to develop mail sorting and delivery. The project involves investments of EUR 150 million over the next few years in equipment, IT systems and premises in Finland.

• New logistics centres started operating in Moscow and Kaunas, Lithuania. A contract was signed in May on the construction of a logistics centre in St. Petersburg, due to begin operating in early 2008.

• Company acquisitions by Itella Logistics continued with the purchase in Finland of SHW Logistiikka Oy, a furniture business service operator and, in Sweden, that of PS Logistics AB in July.

• A change of company name took effect in early June, as Finland Post was renamed Itella Corporation. Consumer service provision in Finland continues under the marketing name, ‘Posti’.

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