DHL 2012 Annual Report Download - page 98

In many countries, the age structure and social structures are undergoing a notable
shi. To adequately identify and counteract the resulting risk relating to employees’ work
capacity and ageing, we have developed an analysis and planning instrument known as
Strategic Workforce Management, which supplies strategically well-founded answers
based on fact.
e Generations Pact entered into by Deutsche Post  with the trade unions is
geared specically towards demographic conditions in Germany. e Generations Pact
ensures that older employees can remain on the job whilst at the same time improving
employment opportunities for young people.
In , we paid particular attention to the share of women in management pos-
itions. As part of our Vacancy Commitment, we plan to ll   to   of all manage-
ment positions becoming vacant with women in the future.
According to estimates from the United Nations and the World Economic Forum,
there is a risk of chronic, i. e., non-contagious, disease increasing substantially all over
the world. We are responding to this risk with a health management programme, which
we continuously update.
Although we nd the nancial impact of these risks to be moderate, we see the
probability of occurrence as low due to the measures we have implemented.
Financial risks
We report on the management of nancial risks in the Notes to the consolidated
nancial statements. We do not consider the risks described therein to represent a threat
to the continued existence of the Group as a going concern.
Risks from pending legal proceedings
On  November , the Bundeskartellamt (federal cartel oce) initiated proceed-
ings against Deutsche Post  based on suspicion of abusive behaviour with respect to
agreements on mail transport with major customers. Based upon information from
Deutsche Post ’s competitors, the authorities initially suspected that the company had
violated the provisions of German and European antitrust law. Deutsche Post  does
not share this opinion. However, should the authorities nd their suspicions conrmed,
they may require Deutsche Post  to refrain from certain acts or impose nes.
e European Commission’s state aid ruling of  January  concluded the for-
mal investigation that it had initiated on  September . In its review of the funding
of civil servants’ pensions, the European Commission concluded that Deutsche Post 
had received illegal state aid. It said that the pension relief granted to Deutsche Post 
by the Bundesnetzagentur during the price approval process led to Deutsche Post 
receiving a benet, which it must repay to the Federal Republic of Germany. e
Commission also stated that the precise amount to be repaid was to be calculated by
the Federal Republic. In a press release, the European Commission had referred to an
amount of between  million and  billion. Deutsche Post  is of the opinion
that the Commission’s decision of  January  cannot withstand legal review and
has submitted an appeal to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. e Federal
Republic of Germany has likewise appealed the decision.
To implement the state aid ruling, the federal government on  May 
called upon Deutsche Post  to make a payment of  million, including interest.
Deutsche Post  paid that amount to a trustee on  June  and appealed the recov-
ery order. e payment made was reported solely in the balance sheet under non-current
Employees, page 
Health and safety, page 
Note 
Deutsche Post DHL Annual Report 
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