The Irish branch of the National Federation of Retail Newsagents (NFRN) has voiced its outrage that news wholesaler EM News is raising its carriage charge by 6%.
NFRN Ireland president Peter Steemers has stated that members are "shell shocked" by the hike, especially since EM News only a few weeks ago told its customers that any increases would be "low".
"With fuel prices at their lowest on record and no sign of any imminent increases, EM News ought to come clean and detail the rise in a transparent fashion. That way it would be clear to see that such an increase is not justifiable," he said.
Also, the manner in which EM News informed their customers of the increase has been labeled "faceless", as the wholesaler included an unsigned letter in its customers’ supplies instead of making a formal announcement.
"Now that its Head of Business, Barry Harvey, has gone it seems that having made such an unpalatable decision, no one at EM News is prepared to put their head above the parapet and be accountable," commented Steemers.
NFRN Ireland has demanded that wholesalers reveal their reasons for such increases in a transparent way, stating that if explanations are not forthcoming, it will seek a breakdown of costs via Freedom of Information requests.
He added, "If these companies think we will simply roll over, then they are seriously misguided."
© 2016 - Checkout Magazine by Brian Dermody
