Service-oriented - Die Schweizerische Post

tions expected of us as an employer to
ensure the long-term pension fund benefits.
Over 900 million francs were
channelled into the Swiss Post pension
fund between 2005 and 2007 as financing
generally and specifically for the
change from a defined benefit to a defined
contribution scheme.
The acquisition of the German-based GHP
Group – as the biggest takeover Swiss
Post has ever completed – contributed to
our strategic development. GHP is a group
of companies active in the fields of
comprehensive dialogue marketing and
customer management. By developing
related services, Swiss Post aims to counter
the declining letter and parcel volumes
and to create synergies for its Swiss and
international business.
Swiss Post today and tomorrow
eregulation of postal markets is proceeding
apace worldwide. In Switzerland international
logistics companies compete with
Swiss Post in the area of parcels and letters
weighing over 100 grams where the
monopoly has been abolished over the
last few years. Unlike Swiss Post, our competitors
are not obliged to provide a costly
nationwide basic service and, because
they are not bound by the Public Officials
Act, they can adapt their wage costs and
employment conditions flexibly, in line
with the respective segments and geographic
regions. Swiss Post must use the
time still remaining to prepare for the
deregulated market and to become more
competitive.
On the technological front, e-substitution
is developing. Physical letters are being
replaced to an increasing extent by mod-
ern electronic forms of communication
such as e-mail and text messages (SMS).
The letter volume declined by 1.8 percent
over the past year. As the basic service is
financed in part from revenue generated
by the letters monopoly, this trend must
be monitored very closely. Moreover,
customers are using actual post offices
less and less often, which is forcing us to
adapt our post office network and also
to ensure that we have sufficient access
points.
This is the backdrop against which the
reform of postal legislation initiated by the
Federal Council in May 2006, will be implemented
( 7). For Swiss Post it is important
to provide an up-to-date, high-quality
basic service ( 6) in future too. The crucial
aspect will be the scope it will take, as
envisaged by politicians and inhabitants,
and how it will be financed. If we want to
retain a basic service on today’s scale, the
residual monopoly is the most efficient
financing option.
However, should the postal market be
completely deregulated, Swiss Post will
campaign to ensure fair conditions for
all market players. This means, above all,
adapting the basic service mandate to a
competitive level. To make Swiss Post
more competitive in those markets that
have already been deregulated, it is calling
for the abolition of the Public Officials Act
and the need to have employees bound
by the Swiss Code of Obligations and for
a change in the legal status of Swiss Post
to bring it into line with the shift in conditions
since the previous postal reform in
1998. However, the employees should not
be forced to bear the brunt of deregulation.
Instead, Swiss Post advocates standardizing
employment conditions throughout
the entire industry. If PostFinance is
to develop further and continue making a
substantial contribution to Swiss Post’s
results, it will need the possibility of engaging
in the lending business.
Annual Report Verantwor | Chairmtungsbewusst
an’s foreword 7
“ We will remain a progressive and
socially responsible employer,
even
in the face of increasing competition.”
Thanks
On behalf of the Board of irectors and
Executive Management I would like to
thank all our customers for their loyalty.
Particular thanks are due to our employees
for their dedication and motivation.
The results they produced on a daily basis
are among the best at an international
level, despite the difficult operating environment.
I would especially like to thank Rocco Cattaneo,
who is leaving the Board of irectors
after eight years. Nicola Thibaudeau
and Rolf Ritschard were elected as new
members of the Board. We were deeply
saddened to learn that Rolf Ritschard died
unexpectedly at the beginning of 2007.
Finally, I would also like to thank Karl
Kern, who retired as the Head of the Post
Office Network and as Member of Executive
Management at the end of 2006. The
post office network was modernized
under his leadership, between 2000 and
2006. I would like to wish his successor
Patrick Salamin every success.
Read more online
www.swisspost.ch/ar2006links
6) The Federal Council’s strategic objectives for
Swiss Post 2006–2009
7) Swiss Post before reform of postal legislation