2009 week 43
TNT in the media - week 43
TNT boss: We can do Royal Mail job
19 October 2009
One of the Royal Mail's biggest competitors is looking to swoop in for business during this week's planned strikes, as last-ditch talks aimed at preventing the crippling walkouts take place.
TNT, the country's largest private mail company, wants to put its own postmen on the streets if the threatened national stoppages go ahead on Thursday and Friday.
Royal Mail bosses are to meet the Communication Workers Union (CWU) at an undisclosed location in a bid to halt the industrial action, which will cause delivery havoc for millions of people.
Relations between the two sides became increasingly fractious over the weekend when the company announced it was hiring up to 30,000 temporary staff to cope with the walkouts and the Christmas rush.
Union leaders are considering a legal challenge to the move and repeated calls for outside mediators to be brought in to break the deadlock.
Meanwhile Nick Wells, chief executive of TNT Mail UK, revealed his company was prepared to take on the national job, but admitted it would be "a massive challenge".
TNT relies on the Royal Mail for the final mile of its postal network, but has completed several trial runs in Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow which have seen postmen in orange uniforms make door-to-door deliveries.
Mr Wells told the Guardian: "If anyone can do it, TNT can. There are going to be operational challenges, we would be ridiculously naive to think otherwise. It's a massive challenge on a huge scale but the reality is we have the customers, appetite and resources."
A Royal Mail spokesman said on Sunday: "Royal Mail has had about 80 meetings with the CWU in recent months and we are continuing to talk to the union to try to avert their totally unjustified strikes. In addition (chief executive) Adam Crozier has invited (CWU general secretary) Billy Hayes to meet him more than a dozen times and Billy Hayes has not even responded."
CWU officials said they believed the recruitment of temporary staff during a strike was illegal and they had received backing from other union leaders.
Source: www.pressassociation.com
Antitrust Authority Investigates Poste Italiane
(translated from Italian)
Investigation follows TNT’s complaint regarding Postatime service
20 October 2009
Poste Italiane is in the Antitrust Authority's sights. Yesterday the Authority, which is headed by Antonio Catricalà, launched an investigation to determine whether or not the company put in place strategies to obstruct competitors in liberalized services, taking unfair advantage of the network for the universal postal service. The investigation, which must be completed by 18 November 2010, follows complaints lodged by TNT, a competitor.
"We confidently await the outcome of the investigation because Poste Italiane has always acted in compliance with the market and competition rules and in the interest of consumers," comments Poste Italiane's CEO Massimo Sarmi.
The Antitrust Authority will have to determine whether in fact Poste Italiane attempted to obstruct TNT's Formula Certa, a service that guarantees delivery of mail by a certain date and time. Furthermore, in 2009 Poste Italiane began offering a service (PostaTime) guaranteeing mail deliveries within a certain date and time and is alleged to have "offered PostaTime to a number of TNT's most important customers at low prices which can be sustained, according to the complaint, only thanks to Poste Italiane's integrated network," writes the Authority.
Source: La Stampa, www.lastampa.it
UAE Freight Volumes Set to Increase 25 per cent
21 October 2009
UAE freight is expected to increase by approximately 25 per cent over the next month in preparation for Eid Al Adha, says TNT Express.
With shoppers expected to flock to retailers over the festival, businesses will need to ensure the stock in available when and where it is needed. TNT Express, is therefore urging businesses to be prepared and beat the rush by arranging their deliveries early.
Of the 25 per cent, the express delivery company also estimates that about 80 per cent of the increased freight volumes represent outbound freight to Saudi Arabia. As one of the key hubs for delivery across the Middle East, the UAE serves as a central route to the region, supported by its efficient customs processes. For freight traveling with TNT, the company will employ its extensive Middle East Road Network (MERN) delivering to countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.
“Festivals and public holidays are always busy times, none more so in the region than the forthcoming Eid,” commented TNT Express country general manager for the UAE, Bryan Moulds. “Our MERN infrastructure certainly demonstrates its effectiveness over the month as our trailers head in large numbers for the border. From experience, we would like to urge UAE businesses and others around the region to make sure that they adequately prepare for stock replenishment in good time to ensure the delivery reaches its destination in good time and within budget.”
Moulds added, “TNT Express has seen great success here in the UAE, due primarily to our quality, reliability and ultimately the support of our customers’ needs, Eid being one of the times when they need us most.
Source: Khaleej Times, www.khaleejtimes.com