French postal service La Poste and a Scandinavian company have expressed interest in buying stakes in the Austrian postal service, which is being privatised by the Austrian government, Euro am Sonntag magazine reported citing a spokeswoman for Austrian state holding company OeIAG.
Read MoreGrimaud Logistique, the French subsidiary of Belgian group Ziegler, is heading towards liquidation only a few weeks after unveiling a drastic restructuring programme.
Under the rescue plan, 863 jobs at Grimaud were to be axed out of a total workforce of 1,184. But the company’s works committee has made no formal response, which means consultations cannot proceed.
TDG saw 4% a decrease in its headline profits at £22.6m (€33.1m) last year despite a 7% increase in turnover to £567m (€831m).
Chief executive David Garman described this as a “creditable performance”, but warned: “We do not see a significant improvement in the economic climate in 2003.” This uncertainty was slowing down customers’ decision making and putting pressure on margins, but Garman still predicted a modest profit improvement this year.
France’s state-owned postal service La Poste said it expects 2003 sales to rise 3.5 pct to 15.515 bln eur, following the approval of its 2003 budget earlier today.
The company also said it expects to break even at the operating level in 2003, while pretax profit is expected to be over 100 mln eur.
Read MoreMichel Pebereau, chairman of the French banking group BNP Paribas, has urged the French authorities not to turn the French banking sector upside down by allowing the French post office (La Poste) to offer financial services.
Speaking on French radio, Mr Pebereau said that France already has a great many credit establishments. The idea that yet another banking competitor can be created cannot fail to be a cause for concern, he added.
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