Delayed delivery times - New postal law reaches consensus among traffic signals.
The original article can be found on rtl.de.
Upcoming Postal Law: Delayed Mail Delivery, Higher Rates, and Stricter Oversight
A representative from a political party known as the Ampel alliance informed Reuters that a compromise on Germany's new postal law has been reached and it'll be discussed in the Economic Committee, with the Bundestag voting on it this week. It is expected that the Bundesrat will approve it on July 5th. The German Post Office, or Deutsche Post, is happy with the agreement but sees some "significant shortcomings" in the draft, according to their perspective. The postal company now wishes to promptly have a process for increased letter rates from next year.
Slower Mail Delivery Times
The new law would give Deutsche Post more time for letter delivery. At present, at least 80% of letter mailings in Germany must reach the addressee the following working day, and 95% must be delivered within two working days. With the new legislation, standard letter mailings will be expected to reach 95% of recipients within three working days after being mailed, and 99% within four working days. This will allow the postal service to stop using night flights for delivering letters. Simultaneously, reliability in delivery is expected to improve. "The draft law acknowledges the key realities of evolving postal markets and a more digital society," observed Deutsche Post. The company is asking for a speedy decision by the Bundestag and Bundesrat so that both employees and customers can have some much-needed clarity.
One Postal Worker Alone May Deliver Only Heavy Packages
The revised law will grant the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) increased authority. BNetzA will have the ability to take more effective action against anti-competitive pricing within the industry. During the debates in the Bundestag, there were some changes that affected work conditions. Packages weighing more than 20 kg can only be delivered by a postman on their own if they have "suitable technical aids" to do so. The specifics of what this entails will be determined by the government through an ordinance by the end of 2024.
Postal companies must also register with the Federal Network Agency in a provider directory. Their clients are then obliged to assess their subcontractors' reliability after three months and every twelve months. This measure aims to prevent the undermining of worker rights through the use of subcontractors. The rules are more stringent than initially planned in the government's cabinet resolution from December 2023.
