Because of the falling volume of mail, Swiss Post wants to change its letter system. If you want to have your letters transported quickly, you will have to dig deeper into your pocket for postage in the future. According to the board, the two-class system is already common in neighboring countries.
Deutsche Post DHL is considering switching the letter system to what is known as two-class letter delivery. "The consumer can decide at what speed his letter is transported. In terms of the range of services, I think that's a good step," said Group HR Director Thomas Ogilvie to the newspapers of the Funke media group. The principle whereby letters that are delivered earlier would be more expensive for customers exists in many European countries, Ogilvie noted. A reduction in letter delivery to just five days a week is not a goal that is currently being pursued.
The Post Human Resources Director was convinced that the letter is not a phased-out model, despite the recent decline in mail volumes in Germany. "Ultimately, the state needs a functioning letter service," Ogilvie told the Funke newspapers. However, the amount will continue to decrease. Swiss Post is therefore planning to use combined delivery, in which postmen also deliver small packages, to compensate for the decline. "In the country, parcels and letters are already delivered by one person. We could also extend the principle to more regions to keep the letter service affordable," said Ogilvie. Even if the parcel boom is currently returning to normal after the Corona period, there is still a lot of growth potential in online trading.
With a view to the amendment to the postal law planned by the federal government, Ogilvie spoke out in favor of expanding the delivery routes for letters. Currently, at least 80 percent of the mail items in Germany have to be delivered on the following working day on an annual average. "The Postal Act is 25 years old and was intended to promote competition. Since then, the number of daily letters sent has almost halved from 80 to 49 million," said Ogilvie. In a shrinking market, maintaining the primacy of promoting competition is wrong. Instead, it must be about promoting sustainability and employment relationships that are subject to social security contributions. For example, letters would be transported by night flight by plane, which could be omitted in the future for the benefit of the environment, according to the HR director. With a longer term, the volume of letters can also be better distributed over the week and peak loads can be reduced for employees.
