7 Feb 2005 - Second private operator prosecuted over dumping

Another competitor to Royal Mail will later this month face court action for throwing away mail. Postcomm, the industry regulator, will present evidence against an individual working for one of Royal Mail's rivals at Redditch, West Midlands. It will be the second prosecution of a new postal operator in two months as the regulator aims to ensure that service standards are maintained. Source: The Times

4 Feb 2005 - Federal states vote to end postal monopoly early

The German has voted to end the monopoly of German national postal services provider Deutsche Post earlier than planned. A majority of finance ministers from each of Germany's federal states voted in the Bundesrat to end the monopoly on 1 January 2006, two years earlier than proposed by the German government in the Bundestag. Source: Die Welt

1 Feb 2005 - UK Exel shares rise on takeover talk

Shares in British logistics provider Exel closed up 9 percent at a two-and-a-half year high on Tuesday on speculation it is the target of a takeover bid. The BBC reported that industry speculation has focused on United Parcel Services as the most likely bidder. Exel employs 109,000 people in more than 120 countries. Source: Journal of Commerce

28 Jan 2005 - Postcomm ruling triggers Royal Mail repricing

Royal Mail has been forced to overhaul its pricing strategy following a Postcomm investigation into anti-competitive practices. Postcomm concluded that two schemes - the catalogue customer reactivation and acquisition test, and the Mailsort 3 incremental ad promotion - were anti-competitive. Royal Mail has agreed to tighten up its internal compliance procedures as a result. Source: Precision Marketing

17 Jan 2005 - UK Royal Mail wants to enter German letter market

Royal Mail Group PLC wants to enter the German letter market via its GLS Holding unit once Deutsche Post World Net AG's delivery monopoly ends in 2007. Source: AFX International Focus

7 Jan 2005 - Deutsche Post renames foreign mail services

The international letter services of Deutsche Post, the German postal service operator, will now also undergo a change of name in Europe, from Deutsche Post Global Mail to DHL Global Mail. The group aims to increase the significance of DHL further as its international brand. Letter services in Germany will continue to be operated under the name of Deutsche Post. Source: Die Welt

3 Jan 2005 - Major carriers increase US rates

Rate increases for United Parcel Service Inc., FedEx Corp. and DHL will take effect today. Rates for UPS Ground, UPS Next Day Air, UPS 2nd Day Air, UPS 3 Day Select and international services will rise 2.9 percent. FedEx will also increase its shipping rates today; the cost of its FedEx Express service will rise 2.6 percent. Source: DM News

26 Dec 2004 - Germany to end monopoly in letter delivery

Germany does not plan to extend Deutsche Post's monopoly for delivering standard letters beyond the monopoly's current expiration date in 2007, a magazine reported on Sunday. Source: Reuters

24 Dec 2004 - French postal unions call for strike

The French trade unions FO, CGT and SUD have decided to protest against the proposed incorporation into French law of European directives on the liberalisation of the postal services market by urging employees of the French post office, La Poste, to stop work for 24hrs when the legislation comes before the French parliament on January 18. Source: Le Figaro

15 Dec 2004 - Royal Mail to refuse to accept mailings posted via Extra Territorial Offices of Exchange (ETOEs)

Royal Mail has announced that from 1 January 2005 it will refuse to accept under the terms and conditions of the UPU Acts, any items of mail received from ETOE’s, international offices of exchange operated by a national postal administrations but located in another country. At the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Congress in Bucharest a resolution was adopted which stated that mailings processed by ETOEs are not covered by UPU Acts. Source: Royal Mail Press Release

12 Dec 2004 - UK Royal Mail set for partial privatisation

Royal Mail Group PLC chairman Allan Leighton has won a private pledge from the British government that he can partially privatise the company, the Mail on Sunday reported. The paper said the decision was the price Leighton demanded for staying on at the company for another three years. Source: AFX International ProFee

11 Dec 2004 - UK Royal Mail to increase prices

Royal Mail announced they would raise the price of a first-class stamp by 2p to 30p from 7 April next year and the second-class stamp will stay at 21p. Source: Independent

10 Dec 2004 - Acquisition of Citipost by AMP

Alternative Mail & Parcels Investments Ltd (AMP) acquired the Citipost Group from Royal Mail on the 10th December 2004. Citipost Group is a niche Financial Research Distribution Company and AMP is a major player in B2B Catalogue, Directory and Publications distribution in the UK. Source: AMP Press Release

9 Dec 2004 - Irish postal workers 'facing Royal Mail takeover'

An Post will cease to exist and the Royal Mail will be handling all Irish postal services within a few years, if the current difficulties are not resolved, Communications Minister Noel Dempsey said yesterday. Speaking as up to 8,000 postal workers brought their grievances to the steps of Dáil Éireann yesterday, Mr Dempsey said, "I don't particularly want to see the Royal Mail delivering the postal service in Ireland in 2009 but that's what we're looking at unless people sit down around the table." Source: Irish Examiner

 15 November 2004 – Deltec fined £17,000 for delivering mail without a licence

The UK private postal operator Deltec International and its MD, Barry Ellis have been fined on 11 counts of delivering mail without a licence.  Private companies can operate freely in the international market but require a licence to provide services within the UK.  Source: Postcomm