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One listener asked why did we stress so much that a 'German' firm DHL was in a news piece for the Today programme. The listener said that surely the important thing was that it was a "private" firm and that was the principal objection of public sector unions.
I don't think the piece was written in a way that was designed to stigmatise Germany. Clearly there is some concern that the private sector is running an important part of the NHS - transporting medical equipment around the NHS network.
That DHL is German-owned shouldn't affect the running of NHS Logistics. However, the fact that this company is also foreign-owned is an important detail that the listener might want to know about. They might be interested to know that profits from this venture could be heading out of the country to DHL's owner, Deutsche Post (the German Post Office).
There has certainly been a lot of interest in the way that so many foreign businesses have taken important stakes in British business this year. The key point here is not so much that DHL is German but that it is not British.
I also think that with some companies it's important for us to give a little bit of context to the story. Most people know that Ford is American and that BMW is German but many will not know about the ownership of DHL."
Comments
In today's global business world, does it really matter if DHL is German owned? Particularly considering that Germany and Britain are a part of the EU. As for the NHS and private business, the public sector has had decades to get things wrong and do them slowly.
I'm confident that DHL will do the job well as it is a business used to surviving in a competitive marketplace where second best is tantamount to bankruptcy. If they can do a better job or, in the case where the public sector is already doing an adequate job (not a whole lot of areas…), a more cost effective job then why should we get up in arms about it? The NHS is still there to provide healthcare to everyone from cradle to grave, right?
I didn't hear the article, since I don't reside in the UK, but I did learn that DHL was owned by Deutsche Post, thanks to your article.
Do I find it a bit shocking that a foreign-owned company would control a critical bit of infrastructure? Yes.
Should people get into a frenzy against said country? Nope. (So far the UK reaction to this is a lot less angry than the anger over the deals with China and Dubai regarding ports in the US.)
I think you've missed the point: does it *matter* that it's German?
It certainly matters that something that was once state-run is now private. Will service levels improve? Will it be cheaper, or will costs be creamed off into profits?
The fact that the company foreign-owned is irrelevant to those important questions, and only needs to be mentioned in passing.
Well I didn't know it was German but I knew it was foreign owned.
But if DHL can provide the same service but at a cheaper cost then good luck to them. However, will that mean if nobody is around to pick up the delivery that hospital staff will need to go to the depot to pick the items up?
hello I listen to the ´óÏó´«Ã½ in Lille North of France, what is the name of the south african band or music that we heard at 11:50 today (saturday) ???
thank you
First they got Rolls Royce, now NHS Logistics, what next "The Crown?" Is nothing sacred anymore? There may always be a Britain but will there be any British people who still own any of it? Whom did you say won World War II?
Surely, "The Crown" has been German for a few centuries. Whar nationality was George I? How many generations of Kings did it take for them to actually speak English?
Think on...