Germany’s Bundestag has agreed reforms to the country’s Postal Act that will help to reduce costs and save resources for the incumbent postal operator. This is the first major reform to the country’s postal system since 1997.
Currently, Deutsche Post must deliver 80% of letters by the next working day and 95% by the following day. The new law will see the next day requirement scrapped and the introduction of a 95% delivery requirement by the third working day after a letter was sent.
The new laws will also provide a framework for an increase to the price of postage, which is to come into force in January 2025, although it is not yet known how much postal rates will increase. The current price for domestic delivery of a standard letter in €0.85 (US$0.91).
The law also amends rules around working conditions in the parcel industry, with a new directory of subcontractors created and maintained at the Federal Network Agency to ensure more transparency and help eliminate workers with problematic track records, according to The Local.
The reforms will also see postal delivery work tracked more closely, with data from delivery shifts – such as when a delivery person handed over their first and last parcels for the day – available to enable inspectors to detect violations of working hours.