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Couriers working for Royal Mail subsidiary eCourier have organised a protest to seek better pay and improved working conditions. Almost 100 couriers gathered outside the company's headquarters in Whitechapel on Thursday. Among other things, the protesters are demanding compensation in the form of backdated holiday pay, union recognition and a pay package of 20 pounds per hour plus mileage allowance.

According to the couriers, they must take care of the maintenance of their bikes and purchase new ones themselves if necessary. The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) states that some couriers receive less than the minimum wage after the deduction of these costs and their travelling expenses.

In mid-October, the IWGB also accused Royal Mail of still wrongly categorising couriers as self-employed contractors (CEP News 42/24). A spokesperson for eCourier told broadcaster »itv« (14 November) that the company was offering couriers the option of gaining employee status (with rights such as holiday and sick pay) or operating as self-employed contractors. However, most preferred to work as independent contractors.

The acquisition of a stake of insurance group Generali in the Portuguese postal services group agreed in 2022 is now set to be implemented (CEP News 46/22). According to information provided by business newspaper »Jornal Economico«, the regulatory authorities have now given the green light to the transaction.

This means that Generali Seguros will subscribe to a 25mn euros capital increase of Banco CTT, equivalent to 8.71 per cent. At the same time as the acquisition, it has signed an agreement for the distribution of insurance products. In return, the Portuguese postal services group will receive 10mn euros annually in the first 6 years of the agreement, together with performance-linked commission payments if applicable. In addition, Pedro Carvalho, CEO of the insurance group, will join the board of Banco CTT as a non-executive member.

Help for visitors to the Great Wall of China who suddenly want something to eat or drink. The Meituan delivery service announced last week that it can deliver food and drinks as well as medical supplies from a nearby hotel within five minutes.

According to »CNN«, a drone flies with the ordered goods from the roof of a nearby hotel to one of the watchtowers on the Great Wall of China, where customers can collect their order. The delivery fee is 56 US cents, which is the same as Meituan's regular delivery price by road, according to the local news portal »Beijing Youth Daily«.