Tag: Germany

Deutsche Post to postpone launch of free weekly until autumn

Posted by | May 5, 2008 | |

Deutsche Post AG will keep plans to launch a free weekly newspaper on hold until autumn to allay criticism from Germany’s newspaper publishers and from politicians, Financial Times Deutschland reported, citing company sources.

The postal services company is seeking to keep a lower profile after it was criticised for being exempt from Germany’s general sales tax and chief executive Frank Appel is trying to prevent the project from being discussed at the company’s annual general meeting on Tuesday, Financial Times Deutschland said.

Deutsche Post had initially worked on a weekly publication with a focus on news about the Internet, telecommunication and computer, which was slated to be distributed to households for free and generate revenues from advertising.

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Austrian Post builds up European parcels network

Posted by | May 2, 2008 | |

Austrian Post is poised to make four more acquisitions as it builds up its parcels subsidiary trans-o-flex and the Eurodis international network, adds services and expands logistics infrastructure.

The listed company is currently conducting due diligence on four relatively small parcels and mail companies, three of them in Eastern Europe and one in Western Europe, chairman Anton Wais said at a media briefing in Frankfurt earlier this week.

Austrian Post, which already bought ten companies in 2007, has a budget of EUR 150 million for acquisitions over the next 18 months. During this period, it also expects to purchase the remaining 25pct in German subsidiary trans-o-flex out of this budget for a previously agreed price, Wais added. But it is not interested in acquisitions in Poland or Turkey due to strong competition between major players in those countries, he noted.

The group already has subsidiaries in Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Germany, Netherlands and Belgium. The subsidiaries’ established brands will be maintained in the short term, and Austrian Post will start to review group-wide branding in mid-2009, Wais added in response to questions.

Austrian Post currently generates 27pct of group turnover outside Austria. The parcels and logistics division generates 73pct of its EUR 739 million revenues outside Austria, with the bulk coming from Germany. The division’s EBIT margin, which dropped to 1.7pct last year as B2C customers in Austria switched to new entrant Hermes, is targeted to improve to 2-3pct this year and to 5pct in 2009/2010.

The European parcels network will be built around Eurodis, the trans-o-flex partner network covering 21 countries. This currently offers common products and has an integrated IT system, but a linehaul network will not be created.

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Deutsche Post and the services trade union reach agreement

Posted by | Apr 30, 2008 | |

Deutsche Post and the services trade union Ver.di reached an agreement today in their collective-bargaining negotiations for about 130,000 company employees. Both parties agreed on an extended job security pact, a pay increase for workers covered by the collective-bargaining agreement and additional weekly working time.

The Group’s employees covered by the agreement will receive a one-time payment of 200 euros as well as a 4 percent raise that takes effect on Nov. 1, 2008. Ver.di had originally demanded 7 percent. In addition, the workers will receive a 3 percent raise in December 2009. This ensures planning security for more than two years. The working week for workers covered by the agreement will remain at 38.5 hours.

In return, Deutsche Post won an agreement to reduce paid breaks, i.e., employees will work about 50 minutes more each week for the wages set by the bargaining agreement. Ver.di’s original demand for 10 additional days to shorten the total working time – or vacation days – has been dropped.

The working week of Deutsche Post’s civil servants will remain at 38.5 hours – as opposed to rules applying to other federal civil servants. This agreement is still subject to approval by the German finance minister. Paid breaks for this employee group will be reduced as well, meaning that the previously mentioned additional work on top of the 38.5 workweek will take effect.

The agreement, which is still subject to approval by Ver.di’s collective-bargaining commission, will run through June 30, 2010.

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trans-o-flex puts European network on new footing

Posted by | Apr 29, 2008 | |

trans-o-flex have laid a new foundation for their European distribution network Eurodis. “We have re-launched Eurodis GmbH, the management company of our specialist 21-country network,” explains Klaus J. Heinz, Executive Board Chairman. “Now we are in a position to welcome our key international partners as shareholders with similar rights and obligations and to involve them in the development of the network.” Redur Lozano, the Spanish Eurodis partner, has already taken this up and acquired a 20 pct stake in Eurodis GmbH. At present, trans-o-flex and the Austrian Post each hold 40 pct of the stock, but they are prepared to halve their holdings to take other partners on board.

While other international networks are usually managed and controlled from a single national perspective, Eurodis can become the first truly international alliance thanks to the equitable shareholding structure, according to Heinz. “Our target is to offer Spanish solutions in Spain, English ones in England and French solutions in France.” Equally, the cross-border ownership of shares serves to reinforce the partners’ mutual ties.

In parallel to the changes on the capital side, the role and functions of Eurodis GmbH are growing. Apart from its coordination aspect, it will in future also manage and control the international alliance. It will manage the partners and the financial adjustments between them, known as clearing, and be responsible for international shipment track and trace and the further development of it.

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Kratzer for TNT

Posted by | Apr 28, 2008 | |

Kratzer Automation has for the first time equipped its logistics software cadisTRANSPORT for TNT Innight with a special module for night delivery of freight goods, and has implemented it as a composite application for day and night. The verification in case of night delivery, where the receipt is not acknowledged personally, is carried out via scanning a stoppage bar code in connection with the recording of the current geocoded position via an external GPS recipient. The delivery of freight during the day is documented by signature of the recipient as usual. All 22 TNT Innight subsidiaries in Germany were equipped with CadisTransport, as well as with about 960 mobile MC9094 units.

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