Tag: Royal Mail

Dutch Parliament delays decision on mail market deregulation

Posted by | Apr 13, 2007 | |

The Dutch parliament decided to postpone its decision on the deregulation of the Dutch mail market until next week, but during its debate on the topic it became clear that a large majority will support the plan to liberalize the market as from Jan. 1, 2008.

The parliament discussed a proposal by Frank Heemskerk, Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, to liberalize the Dutch mail market, which until now is dominated by TNT NV. A large majority seems willing to support the plan, although members of the parliament asked for a bit more time to come to a final decision.

There were several amendments on the proposal and they have to be discussed first. TNT, which has a monopoly in The Netherlands on mail services for all letters up to 50 grams, is against an opening of the Dutch market from the beginning of 2008 because it fears that other European countries will likely wait longer to do so.

The German parliament has already agreed on deregulation of its domestic postal market. Various German government officials, however, have expressed doubts whether the country should pursue the plans, because the French government has said it doesn’t want to open up its postal market before 2012.

There is no fixed date by which E.U. member states need to have fully deregulated their postal markets. E.U. Internal Market and Services commissioner Charlie McGreevy proposed in October last year to open up the entire European Union market by Jan. 1, 2009, but this was met with protests from many member states and a formal decision has yet to be made.

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New Royal Mail service to unite dormant account holders with savings

Posted by | Apr 13, 2007 | |

A new service developed by Royal Mail could help banks trace customers with dormant savings accounts.

A 60 per cent success rate is being claimed by the postal service for a technique which can locate account holders who have moved home but have neglected to inform their banks.

Royal Mail uses information gathered over the last 16 years from its Mail Redirection service to ascertain the whereabouts of lost customers, and the method has already completed a successful trial.

The announcement comes soon after the Commission of Unclaimed Assets confirmed it was to redouble its efforts to unite dormant account holders with their money.

“People moving home without telling their financial provider is one of the key reasons for an account or investment becoming dormant and our unique information on people who have moved home over the past 16 years helps us identify them,” said Leonora Corden, Royal Mail’s head of market development.

It is estimated that GBP15 billion is currently deposited in dormant bank accounts in the UK.

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Computerised Posties

Posted by | Apr 13, 2007 | |

The UK’s postmen and postwomen are having their rounds assessed – by a computer program called ‘Georoute’.

Georoute is routing software, designed to maximise efficiency of collection and delivery arrangements for postal operators. Royal Mail is using Georoute to help improve efficiency by ensuring that routes are well planned.

There are potential problems however. Some postal workers say that it will be used as a method of timing walks without taking into account varying weather conditions and indeed the working speed of any particular postie, let alone extras like recorded or special delivery items which take extra time. Some even claim that it can be as much as an hour out.

To be fair, Georoute isn’t human. It can only work with the information supplied to it and since it doesn’t actually do deliveries itself, it does lack that all imprtant human factor. One wonders if the expence of introducing it will make sufficient savings to make it worthwhile but clearly its difficult to allocate or change existing postal walks purely on a paper map.

Computers are extraordinarily good at working out complex calculations that would tax even Einstein but to be really accurate, the software needs set figures to work from. Variables can only create ‘averages’ at best. The concern for postal workers is that it will be used to create set time frames in which they are expected to carry out their duties, that doesn’t take into account the variables, and could mean they are not paid fairly.

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Royal Mail helps trace dormant account holders

Posted by | Apr 12, 2007 | |

Royal Mail has developed a solution to help banks and building societies proactively trace dormant account holders using more than 16 million records from its database of home movers.

Using data compiled from its Mail Redirection service over the past 16 years, Royal Mail has tested its dormant account tracing service with a number of financial companies, with a success rate of up to 60 per cent.

The Commission of Unclaimed Assets’ yesterday launched a comprehensive campaign to reunite owners of dormant accounts with their money. This follows the Economic Secretary’s proposal to release unclaimed capital from dormant accounts to a newly created social Investment Bank charged with stepping up the fight against poverty and social exclusion. There is currently an estimated GBP 15 billion in dormant accounts across the UK.

“Tracing lost customers isn’t just an opportunity for financial organisations to demonstrate that they are acting fairly and responsibly towards their customers, it also represents a business opportunity. It will give banks and building societies the opportunity to re-establish contact with customers and encourage them to reinvest the dormant funds or consider other products. The ‘feel good’ factor of reuniting a customer with money they may not be aware of has the potential to improve customer relationships with their financial providers.”

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50,000 mail jobs 'set to be axed'

Posted by | Apr 11, 2007 | |

UP to 50,000 postal workers could lose their jobs in the biggest cuts in the history of the Royal Mail.

Almost a third of staff in the letters division could be hit, under plans to modernise the ailing business.

The cuts would be on top of 35,000 jobs which have gone through redundancies over the past five years.

This news comes as talks continue between union leaders and management over demands for a 27 per cent pay rise for working a shorter week. Royal Mail claim it would cost about GBP1billion, money it says it has not got.

An announcement is due next week.

There are reports that up to 30 per cent of full-time staff in the letters division could lose their jobs. With 160,000 people employed on Royal Mail letters, that would mean 48,000 cuts.

Royal Mail dismissed the reports last night, describing them as “speculation”. But they come at a worrying time for the postal giant, which has been forced to make major changes. Opening up the postal market to full competition, at the beginning of the year, has brought a sudden influx of foreign operators.

The new entrants have targeted the business customers who make up the vast majority of Royal Mail’s profits. Money made from bulk mail is used to subsidise the loss-making letters division.

Royal Mail announced an 86 per cent collapse in half-year profits in February, down from GBP159million to GBP22million.

The company loses GBP4million a week on its creaking network of post offices: for every stamped letter, it loses about 6p. Bosses say they have been forced to announce emergency plans to close the final-salary pension scheme to new entrants.

The Government has now stepped in to prop up Royal Mail finances, with a five-year, GBP1.7billion restructuring programme.

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