Slovenia’s state-run postal service is still preparing its privatisation strategy, which is to be decided on by the government after it is confirmed by the company’s supervisors, the chairman of the Post of Slovenia Ales Hauc said in an interview for STA. According to Hauc, the Post is well prepared for the liberalisation of postal services market, which is to take place by 2009.
Read MoreThe French post office, La Poste, is set to announce a 49 per cent rise in its net profits for 2005, to 557m euros, having been expecting just over 400m euros. An operating margin of 3.6 per cent is forecast (up from 2.8 per cent in 2004), broadly in line with the 3.5 per cent predicted in December. Chairman Paul Bailly should tell his board on Monday that turnover was up by 3.6 per cent to 19.35bn euros, with operating profits increasing by 35 per cent to more than 700m euros.
Read MoreThe Board of Directors of UPS today declared a regular quarterly dividend of 38-cents per share on all outstanding Class A and Class B shares. The dividend is payable May 31, 2006, to shareholders of record on May 15, 2006.
Read MoreTNT NV chief executive Peter Bakker said he expects his company to gain 15 pct market share in Germany within four to five years of 2008, when the country’s mail business is being liberalized, according to an interview in Welt am Sonntag newspaper. ‘If the market is really opened up in 2008, I believe that we will have 15 pct four or five years later,’ he said. He said TNT believes that Deutsche Post World Net AG will have to give up up to 40 pct of its local mail business to competitors once Germany’s mail industry is liberalized.
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Read MoreThe Royal Mail is set to unveil a surge in profits to pounds 600m later this month, but is in danger of being overtaken by a row over pay after unions turned down its latest offer. The Communication Workers Union has rejected a proposed 2.9 per cent pay increase and is seeking further talks with chief executive Adam Crozier. The CWU’s deputy general secretary, Dave Ward, said wages needed to be brought into line with the national average, which 2.9 per cent would not do. “We know it’s not going to happen overnight, but as a starting point it’s not enough.” But the state-owned group says it will not up “its very good offer”. A Royal Mail spokesman said: “It’s clearly above inflation and it comes against a backdrop of increasing competitive pressure on the business. In that context it’s a very good offer and a final offer. This is what we can afford.”
Read MorePolitical controversy over the future of the Royal Mail continued yesterday as the Liberal Democrats called on the Government to turn down the organisation’s request for Pounds 2 billion of investment. The Treasury is considering the appeal, which is linked to a controversial employee share ownership scheme backed by the Department of Trade and Industry. But Ed Davey, Liberal Democrat trade and industry spokesman, said: “Royal Mail is in financial crisis, but a taxpayer bailout is not the solution.” The Liberal Democrats want Royal Mail to be part-privatised, with the proceeds pumped back into investment in new equipment.
Read MoreThe German express and parcels industry is set for further consolidation in the next few years against a background of low growth in the mature domestic market and stronger growth for cross-border volumes. Meanwhile, trends such as rising B2C volumes driven by e-commerce and new technologies such as RFID will play even more important roles in the future. Those were the key messages from senior industry managers in a panel discussion at the recent “European CEP Congress” in Bonn.
Read MoreAn industry first offering from Royal Mail is set to shake-up the GBP1 billion same day delivery market by offering customers the ability to track the progress of their goods in real-time. The revolutionary service uses GPS satellite technology to track deliveries online. Royal Mail’s Sameday service allows customers to see the exact location of the vehicle carrying their items, even the speed it is travelling. The system is updated every 60 seconds to ensure ‘live’ tracking of an item’s progress. Gerry Farwell, Head of Supply Chain at Royal Mail, said: “Our new Sameday service is a real innovation for the delivery market. Integrating state-of-the-art technology and an innovative business model has enabled us to lead the charge on offering a Sameday service that provides the information on delivery progress customers are demanding.”
Read MorePitney Bowes Management Services (PBMS) – the outsourcing arm of mail and messaging systems company Pitney Bowes – has appointed Richard Thompson as managing director of its UK operation.
Read MoreThe DMA (UK) is to introduce an unaddressed mailing preference service, despite industry fears that it will penalise members. The unnamed scheme, due to launch in the next 12 months, enables consumers to avoid unaddressed leaflets and door-drops. However, DMA members have voiced concern that their mail will be stopped, while non- member’s will continue to be posted. An industry source comments: “In principle, the scheme’s a good idea. But in practice it runs the danger of failing to meet consumer expectations, because, quite simply, it won’t be able to stop a considerable amount of unaddressed mail.”
Read MoreTNT Post has announced a shake-up of its UK mail brands. The Dutch firm, formerly TPG, is merging its Circular Distributors and TNT Mail companies under the name TNT Post. TNT bought 90% of Circular Distributors, the free sheet and sample delivery firm in 2001. According to TNT Post, the move means it is the only company, apart from Royal Mail, that has the resources to deliver both unaddressed and addressed items. The company’s UK chief executive, Nick Wells, said: “The re-brand is an exciting and positive step forward for both companies as well as being extremely logical.”
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