General Logistics Systems B.V. (GLS) is a parcel services provider operating in Europe and North America.

History

The company was known as German Parcel when it was founded in 1989 by Rico Back, formed by bringing together twenty-five freight forwarders. Ten years later it was acquired by Royal Mail Group, which used it to form a new holding company: Global Logistics Systems (GLS). Between 1999 and 2002 a Europe-wide network of couriers was formed 'through acquisitions and the founding of companies in numerous countries', and in 2002 GLS was launched as a parcels delivery brand. In 2012, Global Logistics Systems B.V. was described as a subsidiary of Royal Mail Group Ltd: 'a holding company incorporated in the Netherlands which has investments in other operational companies based in Europe'. Between 2016 and 2020 GLS Group began to expand into North America: In 2017, GLS acquired the California-based parcel delivery company Golden State Overnight (GSO) Delivery Service, as well as Postal Express. GSO was renamed GLS-US in December 2019. In September 2018 GLS acquired the Canadian parcel delivery company Dicom, expanding operations in North America and Europe. In October 2021 GLS acquired the Canadian logistics company Mid-Nite Sun Transportation Ltd, operating under Rosenau Transport, further expanding into the Canadian market. In 2022 Royal Mail plc was renamed as International Distributions Services plc; together with Royal Mail Group Ltd, GLS Group became a

subsidiary A subsidiary, subsidiary company, or daughter company is a company (law), company completely or partially owned or controlled by another company, called the parent company or holding company, which has legal and financial control over the subsidia ...

of IDS plc.

Criticism

In 2010 the parcel service was 'passed' a review by the German Consumers' Organization. The handling and wrong parcel pick-ups were criticized. The review was repeated in 2014 with similar results. In November 2019 the German magazine

Stern The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. O ...

published statistics with a 'shock indicator/goods damaged' value of 44,4%. In mid-September 2016, hundreds of parcel delivery workers took strike action in the Italian cities of

Bergamo Bergamo ( , ; ) is a city in the Alps, alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from the alpine lakes Lake Como, Como and Lake Iseo, Iseo and 70 km (43 mi) from Lake Garda, Garda and Lake ...

Brescia Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...

Piacenza Piacenza (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Piacenza, eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with more ...

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

and

Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...

against GLS and its subcontractors to protest against poor working conditions. On the night of 14–15 September 2016, a van broke through a picket line formed by workers in front of the plant operated by GLS subcontractor SEAM in Piacenza. The van struck and killed Egyptian worker Abd Elsalam Ahmed Eldanf. It was reported that eyewitnesses heard the plant's Chief of Staff ordering the driver to break through the picket line. The Piacenza Prosecutor's office concluded that no strike or protest was taking place at that moment and therefore ruled the death was a car accident. The driver was subsequently released, prompting 7,000 workers to take to the streets in Piacenza and at other GLS offices in Italy, as well as from other firms.

References

External sources

* {{Authority control 1999 establishments in the Netherlands Logistics companies of the Netherlands Royal Mail