Tag: France

French prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin has indicated to Jean-Paul Bailly, chairman of national postal services group La Poste, that a bill for postal services regulation will be submitted to the French parliament in the autumn. In a letter to Mr. Bailly, the prime minister requested that the group keep a close eye on its presence and on the quality of its service, particularly in rural areas. He also stressed the importance of maintaining a dense postal services network.

Jean-Paul Bailly, chairman of La Poste, yesterday met Jean-Pierre Raffarin, French prime minister, to seek political backing for the restructuring of France’s state-owned post office as trades unions stepped up warnings about heavy job losses and branch closures. Mr Bailly, appointed two years ago to prepare the public company for liberalisation of Europe’s postal sector by 2009, used yesterday’s meeting to seek assurances that his modernisation drive will secure government backing. Mr Raffarin said after the meeting: “The French are very attached to their public postal service. That is why La Poste must, in an increasingly competitive environment, successfully evolve to improve its performance and guarantee a quality public service.”