According to an insider, the traffic light factions in the Bundestag have agreed on new details of the postal law. This means that there may be longer waiting times for letters to be sent, but at the same time the letters should reach citizens more reliably.
This article first appeared on rtl.de
New postal law: Post wants higher postage
The compromise will now be discussed in the Economic Committee and then approved by the Bundestag this week, a representative of the traffic light coalition told Reuters. The Bundesrat is expected to approve it on July 5. Deutsche Post welcomes the agreement, but believes the draft still has “significant weaknesses”. The Bonn-based company now wants to quickly conclude the process of increasing postage from next year.
The letter should definitely arrive on the fourth day
The law is intended to give the post office more time to deliver letters. Currently, at least 80 percent of letters in Germany must be delivered the following working day, and 95 percent must reach the recipient after two working days.
In the future, 95 percent of standard letters should reach the recipient on the third working day after being posted and 99 percent on the fourth working day. This means that the post office can do without night flights for letter delivery. At the same time, however, delivery should become more reliable. “The draft law recognizes the essential realities of the changing postal markets and an increasingly digitalized society,” the post office explained. It is now counting on rapid adoption by the Bundestag and Bundesrat – also so that employees and consumers finally have clarity.
A delivery person alone should only be allowed to deliver large packages with the help of tools
The change in the law will also give the Federal Network Agency more powers. The Bonn-based authority will be able to take more effective action against “anti-competitive pricing”. During the discussions in the Bundestag, changes were also made to the working conditions in the industry. Packages over 20 kilos will only be allowed to be transported by a single delivery person using “suitable technical aids”. However, the government is to specify exactly what this means in its own regulation by the end of 2024.
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Delivery companies will also have to register with the network agency in a provider directory. Clients will then have to check their subcontractors for reliability after three months and then every twelve months. This is intended to prevent employee rights from being circumvented via subcontractors. The requirement is stricter than that provided for in the government’s cabinet decision of December 2023.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
