Part of the basic service: letters are still sent by post

According to its own statements, Deutsche Post wants to continue to deliver letters and parcels throughout Germany.

There are no plans to withdraw from the so-called universal service and they want to “continue to make this important contribution to basic services,” the group said on Tuesday on request.

The company referred to an article in the newspaper “Welt”, according to which the company had plans to phase out the universal service.

The newspaper relied on information from the works council.

As a universal service provider, unlike its competitors, Swiss Post has to deliver items everywhere in Germany.

In return for this area presence, it pays no sales tax on income from letter and parcel delivery.

Industry experts consider it unlikely that Swiss Post will exit the universal service.

However, it is possible.

Then another company would be sought to take over the area-wide delivery.

If it came to that, the costs for consumers would in all likelihood increase.

In addition, there is no such alternative company in sight.

Swiss Post is by far the market leader in the letter and parcel business.

"Sustainable framework conditions"

The Federal Ministry of Economics intends to present key points for a reform of the postal law in the coming weeks.

A first draft law could follow at the end of the year.

The reform is very important for Swiss Post.

She hopes for rules that allow cost reductions.

In response to the "Welt" report, the company wrote that it wanted to "continue the conversion to a climate-neutral letter and parcel service".

For this you need sustainable "framework conditions that are currently being discussed in the context of the amendment of the Postal Act".

Walther Otremba from the Federal Association of Letter Services, in which postal competitors such as Pin AG from Berlin and Post Modern from Dresden are members, assessed the exit simulation games as an attempt by the Bonn-based company to influence the reform debate.

In his view, the current wage dispute, in which the Verdi union is demanding a wage increase of 15 percent and has organized warning strikes, also plays a role.

With the business games, a reduction in jobs is threatened.

It was a "bluff to intimidate the union and to prevent politicians from further liberalizing the postal market".