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Postal News from November 2005
November 30, 2005 -- Air Cargo World has reported that "DHL plans to raise its express rates in the United States between 2 and 8 percent in 2006, keeping pace with price increases already announced by FedEx and UPS."
November 30, 2005 -- Expansion has reported that "The Spanish government is looking to shake up the national postal market and reduce the dominance of Correos y Telegrafos, the public operator. Correos controls 93 per cent of what is ostensibly a deregulated market and has exclusive contracts to provide postal services to the state, its single biggest client, which accounts for 20.5 per cent of Correos' annual turnover of more than 1.7bn euros. These contracts should actually be put out to tender on a cost and merit basis, the government has decided."
November 30, 2005 -- According to IPPMedia, "Tanzania Postal Bank's (TPB) customers who possess Uhuru Cards have a reason to smile, thanks to the bank's decision to bring banking services to their doorsteps."
November 30, 2005 -- Dow Jones has reported that "Singapore Post Ltd. Executive Vice President (Postal Services and Administration) William Tan Soo Hock retires at end-2005, after 13 years with the company. Following Tan's retirement, the postal services division will be led by Woo Keng Leong, senior vice president (Mail Business)."
November 30, 2005 -- The Republican American has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service says it has retrained workers at the post office after a second time- sensitive mailing from a community group was misdirected and delayed. An announcement of a Democratic party rally that was supposed to arrive three or four days before the Oct. 30 event showed up in mailboxes as late as two weeks after it was over. That snafu occurred about two weeks before the post office mistakenly shipped 10,000 solicitation letters from the fire department to Springfield, Mass., instead of processing them locally, causing the letters to go out more than a week late."
November 30, 2005 -- According to the Hillsboro Argus, "A Reno, Nev., man indicted last week for stealing Legos in Washington County may face federal charges after U.S. Postal Service inspectors served a search warrant at his residence Thanksgiving Day."
November 30, 2005 -- Greene County Online has reported that "More than $540,000 in checks the Greeneville Light & Power System has written are missing in the mail, according to an announcement made Monday by Bob Windham, the utility's controller. Windham told the GL&PS board of directors that 124 checks he wrote for payments on accounts for which GL&PS is a customer recently were misplaced in the mail."
November 30, 2005 -- The Associated Press has reported that "Postal carriers who had to be pulled off their routes on Monday because of bad weather were back at work on Tuesday. Advertisement But the district manager in Sioux Falls, Clem Felchle, said they might have trouble getting through some outlying areas that haven't been plowed yet. About 100 offices in the region remained without power on Tuesday, including a distribution center in Huron that has not had electricity or heat since Sunday night."
November 30, 2005 -- As the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has noted, "You don't have to be a film star or former president to get your mug on a postage stamp. Thanks to a few online vendors, mom, dad, kids, even Fido and Fluffy can enjoy a little philatelic fame. Like miniature versions of photo greeting cards, customized postage stamps are the latest trend in personal correspondence. Through U.S. Postal Service-approved vendors, including PictureItPostage.com, PhotoStamps.com and Zazzle.com, consumers can transform family photos and drawings into envelope-ready adhesives."
November 30, 2005 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
Osterreichische Post has again confirmed its expansion plansfor Eastern Europe. In a circular sent to company managers last week, CEOAnton Wais announced that "Osterreichische Post will be present fromPrague to Bucharest - and beyond". At present, acquisitions in Romania andBulgaria were under consideration and "even the Ukraine is in our sight".
The new Norwegian government has stopped the project for an early postalmarket liberalisation by 1 January 2007 decided by its predecessor. TheNorwegian Transport and Communications minister has said that "Themonopoly is still needed to finance unprofitable parts of the universalservice."
Switzerland's Federal Council has decided to not only open the country'smail market from 1 April 2006 (CEP News 47/05) but also to impose VAT onthe deregulated areas (letters over 100 grams).
The biggest private employer in the Netherlands, TNT N.V. andfour trade unions have concluded a new wage agreement. With a 29-monthvalidity, the agreement will have retrospect effect from 1 May 2005 andexpire on 1 October 2007. Under the agreement, Dutch TNT workers willreceive almost 3% higher wages.
Post Danmark is suffering from a growing problem of internal theft.
UPS has enjoyed significant growth in Austria and Hungary.
The MRU, founded in 1992, is the only consultancy in Europe, which has specialised in the market of courier-, express- and parcel services. For large-scale shippers and CEP-services in particular, the MRU provides interdisciplinary advice for all major questions of the market, as there are for example market entry, product design, organisation, and EDP.To learn more about the stories reported above, contact CEP News.
November 30, 2005 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "Deutsche Post logistics subsidiary DHL Danzas Air & Ocean is expanding in the Pacific Rim with a new $10 million distribution hub near Auckland airport, New Zealand. Earlier this year DHL entered into a joint freight venture with New Zealand."
November 30, 2005 -- DM News has reported that "DHL's recent customer service problems may benefit FedEx and UPS in their current quarters and into next year, according to a stock research report released yesterday by investment bank Morgan Stanley. However, though DHL's September hub integration was a disappointment, the company said the aftereffects won't cause a long-term deviation from DHL Express' overall financial objectives. In the Morgan Stanley report, DHL acknowledged losing several large customers -- $280 million of revenue, representing nearly 6 percent of its business -- because of difficulties after the integration of its air hub in Wilmington, OH, in early September. An earlier Morgan Stanley report said on-time delivery fell to 55 percent in some cases."
November 30, 2005 -- From the Federal Register: The Postal Service has posted a correction to earlier published International Mail rates.
November 30, 2005 -- KPHO.com has reported that "Local postal workers of the National Association of Letter Carriers plan on staging an informational picket Wednesday. They say the picket is not about stopping work, but rather an attempt to gather postal workers to inform the public about their current workload conditions. Union officials say because of staff shortages, postal workers often must work extremely long hours. In fact, postal carriers say their workload is so big, they are sometimes unable get to certain routes until hours as late as midnight."
November 29, 2005 -- UPS has announced a $2 million donation to support relief and recovery efforts for the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck South Asia last month.
November 29, 2005 -- DM News postal commentator Cary Baer expressed his "Shock of shocks. I just heard that the Senate decided not to fund the famous or was it infamous bridge to nowhere in Alaska. This despite the well-publicized pout and resignation threat on the Senate floor by Sen. Ted Stevens, R-AK. If this cataclysmic event can occur, perhaps it's not too late for something positive to happen to postal reform legislation. Or, perhaps, just to those financial elements of reform that we can all agree on."
November 29, 2005 -- From PR Newswire: "Harte-Hanks, Inc. has announced that its data quality services offering, Harte-Hanks Advanced Data Quality (ADQ), has been enhanced to include LACSLink, a United States Postal Service(R) (USPS) product that provides mailers with an automated method of obtaining new addresses whenever a rural-style address is changed to a city- style address. Such address changes are known as "911 address conversions."
November 29, 2005 -- AFP has reported that "The media magnate Rupert Murdoch predicted a gloomy future for newspapers, which he said are failing to adapt to the realities of the Internet. "Outside New York, it's all monopoly newspapers," Murdoch added. "Some have good work in them, but it tends to be over-written, boring and elitist, not a reflection of the general mood of the public. "And I think you're going to find their circulations falling more than they have already have."
November 29, 2005 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "TNT NV's Europost unit is planning to set up its own unified mail delivery system in Germany to close in on local rival Deutsche Post AG. Europost hopes to unite 120 of its 160 regional mail delivery partners in Germany under a single Europost franchise structure. Europost is 71% owned by TNT and 29% by Hermes, a unit of German mail order company Otto Versand."
November 29, 2005 -- The Malta Independent has reported that "Representatives from 41 European postal operators, including Maltapost, recently attended a meeting in Vilamoure, Portugal to adopt a revised strategy for PostEurop at its 19th Plenary Assembly. The revised strategy comes at a decisive moment in the evolution of the European postal environment. Towards 2009, when the European institutions will decide on the further development of the European postal market, important changes will have already thoroughly reshaped the postal industry landscape. The gathering was dedicated to positioning the European postal operators at the forefront of legislative and other developments."
November 29, 2005 -- According to the Newark Star-Ledger, "Trying to make life a little easier for its customers, the U.S. Postal Service is keeping some post offices open an extra two hours on weekdays and an extra three hours on Saturdays. The selected post offices -- about 280 of the 3,000 in the metropolitan New York and New Jersey region -- now close at 7 p.m. weekdays and 4 p.m. Saturdays."
November 29, 2005 -- DM News has reported that "The U.S Postal Service said yesterday that 17 million packages have been sent via the agency's Carrier Pickup service since it launched in February 2004. Carrier Pickup lets customers go online to request next-day package pickups. There is no pickup fee because the packages are picked up from the customers as part of the carrier's normal delivery route. Packages must be prepared with the appropriate postage and ready to go before they are picked up."
November 29, 2005 -- Myrtle Beach Online has reported that "A report of irritated eyes and throats had postal workers worried someone was sending dangerous chemicals through the mail. Turns out it was just pepper spray an employee used to keep dogs away. Dozens of county, state and federal officers along with a hazardous material team and a bomb squad rushed to the St. Helena Island post office after the report Monday morning, fearing a possible attack. The post office was closed for more than four hours."
November 29, 2005 -- The Journal of Commerce has reported that "Germany's Deutsche Post still expects its DHL unit to meet its long-term goals in the United States despite a negative financial impact from the integration of its air operations at Wilmington, Ohio. The company said on Monday that although the September hub integration was a disappointment, the effects should not be enough to cause a long-term deviation from the division's overall financial objectives."
November 29, 2005 -- Traffic World has reported that:
TNT Express is expanding its Middle East network with a new station inAl Ain in the UAE and a road express operations center in Abu Dhabi.Larger operations are expected in the Gulf region over the next twelvemonths. TNT Express said it will invest $810,000 in opening the newfacilities by the end of the year in response to growth in the region.
November 29, 2005 -- The Standard (via Hoovers) has reported that "United Parcel Service, the US delivery giant, is urging the Hong Kong government to speed up its open skies policy and hopes to capture the Japanese and Taiwanese cargo markets by launching daily flights in the near future."
November 29, 2005 -- As the Power Report has noted, "Postage is, by far, the highest cost in producing a mail piece. While assessing the efficiency of print and mail operations, IMERGE Consulting found that postage represented about 70 percent of utilities' total bill production cost. The average cost of producing a bill is about 40 cents per mail piece, with postage accounting for about 29 cents. The other major production cost categories are: paper, labor, insertion, and printing. These costs are solely for print and mail production and do not include all the IT costs for the creation and maintenance of the print streams. The cost of printing and mailing are significant when compared to the low cost of the electronic delivery channels."
November 29, 2005 -- According to the Wall Street Journal, "Federal Express illustrates how successful purpose brands are built. A job had existed practically forever: the "I need to send this from here to there -- as fast as possible with perfect certainty" job. Some U.S. customers hired the Postal Service's airmail; a few desperate souls paid couriers to sit on airplanes. But because nobody had yet designed a service to do this job well, the brands of the unsatisfactory alternative services became tarnished when they were hired for this purpose. But after Federal Express specifically designed its service to do that exact job, and did it wonderfully again and again, the FedEx brand began popping into people's minds. This was not built through advertising. It was built as people hired the service and found that it got the job done. FedEx became a purpose brand -- in fact, it became a verb in the international language of business that is inextricably linked with that specific job."
November 29, 2005 -- As the Las Cruces Sun-News has noted, "The U.S. Postal Service is an easy target for criticism. It is a huge bureaucracy that has gained very nearly complete independence from the government with its promises of efficiency that will upgrade its service. This service touches nearly every one of us every day. It experiences major challenges nearly every day with inclement weather, transportation, electronic failures and don't forget the vicious dogs. It also raises rates with regularity. But how long should it take for a letter mailed in Las Cruces to reach Los Angeles, Fort Worth, Albuquerque or even El Paso? Should there not be overnight delivery within the city of Las Cruces or Doña Ana County? How many days, weeks or months are required for a piece of mail from Anyplace, USA, to arrive at a Las Cruces address? Complaints about the local postal service seem to have gone unanswered far too long."
November 29, 2005 -- According to Air Cargo World, "In a sharp increase of its intra-Asia operations, DHL will start overnight express service between Tokyo and Shanghai using dedicated space on a Northwest Airlines freighter."
November 29, 2005 -- The Financial Times has reported that "Proposed price controls for Royal Mail have been delayed by its regulator amid wrangling over contentious plans to force the state-owned postal operator to implement significant efficiency savings."
November 29, 2005 -- The Edge Daily has reported that "Pos Malaysia Bhd's courier division, PosLaju, has expanded its total delivery destinations to 92 countries worldwide, following the addition of 30 new destinations. Delivery to the 30 new destinations under PosLaju's international services also known as expedited mail services (EMS), will take effect Jan 1, 2006, it said on Nov 29."
November 29, 2005 -- The Rio Rancher Observer has reported that "After making little progress with United States Postal Service officials, Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) has decided to go straight to the top. Last week, Domenici sent a letter to USPS Postmaster General John Potter requesting a meeting on additional post office locations in Rio Rancho."
November 29, 2005 -- The BBC has reported that "The consumer watchdogs for the energy and postal industries have been called "feeble" by a committee of MPs. In its latest report, the Public Accounts Committee said Energywatch and Postwatch have been heard of by only a tiny minority of consumers. It also said they were unimpressive and did not record how effective they were in helping members of the public. Both Energywatch and Postwatch said they did not agree with the committee's findings. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman, Edward Leigh MP, said the two watchdogs should cut their costs which have risen unjustifiably."
November 29, 2005 -- The Oberlin Review has said that "As the use of postal mail moves further toward becoming a lost practice, two College senior art majors are working to create a new perspective on the mail. Garrett Miller and Adam Morse recently began the Envelope Collective, an ongoing experiment that involves sending art, in envelope or other forms, through the mail."
November 29, 2005 -- According to the Madison Courier, the "Stamp increase isn't unreasonable."
November 28, 2005 -- Union Network International has told its members that "UNI is urging affiliates to press their governments to protect postal services in the upcoming trade round in Hong Kong. UNI has produced a model letter for postal unions to send to their government's trade representative. The aim is to underline union opposition to moves in the trade round in services (GATS) to open the door for private companies to challenge and undermine public postal services. Unions are also being urged to copy their protest by December 5 to Pascal Lamy, the new Director General of the World Trade Organisation in Geneva . In recent months the GATS talks have been stalled by the deep impasse on the general trade round."
November 28, 2005 -- The Kyodo news service has reported that "Just over a quarter of all post offices in Japan fell into the red in fiscal 2004 due largely to a profit decline of nearly 50 percent in the postal savings business, according to an estimate released by Japan Post on Monday."
November 28, 2005 -- B92News has reported that "Public counters at post offices and the Serbian Power Authority will be closed from midday to 1.00 p.m. today as workers stage a warning strike. Unions warn the strike will continue until December 12 if the Serbian parliament doesnÆt table draft legislation on distributing free shares for workers in public companies."
November 28, 2005 -- The Economist has reported that "Direct mail is losing its effectiveness. One of the biggest users of direct mail is the financial services industry, which spent around $2.5 billion on mail shots in America last year. Unfortunately, people seemed less interested than ever in signing up for new credit cards or insurance policies. The response rate from some campaigns has fallen to just 1.4%, according to America's Direct Marketing Association (DMA). In previous years it was well above 2%. When it comes to responding to ôdirect-orderö mail shots (signing up to an offer, as opposed to merely expressing an interest), the rate has fallen even more dramatically, to 0.7% from 3.5% in 2004. The problem seems to be too many envelopes cluttering too many mail boxes, ôleading many consumers to discard the blizzard of solicitations they receiveö, according to Advertising Age."
November 28, 2005 -- According to the Washington Post, "The Friday after Thanksgiving may be the kickoff of the holiday shopping season in malls and stores, but online, the big day is the Monday after Thanksgiving -- today -- when people go back to work."
November 28, 2005 -- As MSNBC has noted, "An Independent Pilots Association plan to picket outside The UPS Store locations in Louisville and other cities with large United Parcel Service Inc. operations is leaving some store franchisees frustrated. The union, which represents UPS pilots, took out a full-page ad in USA Today earlier this month, alerting customers that "informational picketing" was "coming soon to a UPS Store near you."
November 28, 2005 -- DM News has reported that:
November 28, 2005 -- As the Indian Express has noted, "Setting up a courier firm may not be an easy affair in a few months time. India might soon have a postal services regulatory law that would make licences a prerequisite for those who wish set up courier service. These changes are under way in the wake of the government planning to withdraw budgetary support to the postal department and make it a commercial entity."
November 27, 2005 -- According to PC World, "With the holiday shopping season approaching, Google has improved its Froogle product search and comparison shopping engine with a new feature that lets buyers find not only products available online but also local merchants that sell the desired products offline." Of course, you can always use Google to get a gander at some of your favorite catalogs.
November 27, 2005 -- Investments & Pensions Europe has reported that "The Swiss ministry of finance has appointed consulting firm Watson Wyatt to help it assess solutions to problems at the rail and postal pension funds. Watson will have to examine three options. The first is how to deal with the funds without state aid, which would involve higher contributions from employers and employees. The second would be the possibility of a single injection of funds. The third would be a return to the system of partial cover, with a minimal coverage ratio of 80%, a guarantee of the State and a remuneration of the technical overdraft."
November 27, 2005 -- Strategiy has reported that "Empost has partnered with Air Miles to deliver prizes to the winning participants of the new Air Miles promotion. Empost is the official courier company of Air Miles UAE since its inception in the UAE. Air Miles Instant Rewards Promotion, which is on from October 20 to December 31, 2005, gives away thousands of electronic products and Air Miles, besides a brand new Renault Megane, to Air Miles card-bearers shopping at selected outlets. Empost will deliver these prizes directly to the winners within 48 hours."
November 27, 2005 -- According to the Financial Express, "FedEx Delivers is a book you are unlikely to put down in a hurry. FedEx can be counted upon to deliver, without slipping up, every single time. FedEx Delivers gives us an inside look at one of the most important cogs in the world economy. The book is essentially a blueprint for building and sustaining an innovation culture that engages every employee. It looks at leadership practices that enabled the worldÆs leading shipping company to out-think and outperform its competition. Using firsthand accounts from top leaders at FedEx, the book explains how the company became a global powerhouse and one of the most trusted brands by using leadership practices that tapped into the creativity and commitment of its employees."
November 27, 2005 -- The Telegraph has reported that "A long-awaited review by Postcomm, the postal services regulator, that could see Royal Mail authorised to raise the price of a first class stamp from 30p to as high as 39p is expected to be published this week. The review will set out the terms on which Royal Mail is forced to face open competition when its 300-year-old monopoly ends in January."
November 27, 2005 -- The Seattle Times has reported that "The winter/spring issue of Puget Sound Consumers' Checkbook magazine includes a thorough guide to choosing a delivery service for packages and other mail. Puget Sound Consumers' Checkbook surveyed consumers in seven metropolitan areas and asked them to rate the four nationwide delivery services: DHL, FedEx, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service. Of the four, FedEx consistently rated highest, with 92 percent of those surveyed rating the company superior or adequate. It was followed closely by UPS, with 91 percent rating the company superior or adequate. The Postal Service received a superior or adequate rating from 88 percent of customers, followed by DHL with 71 percent. Interestingly, the Postal Service was rated substantially higher (relative to the other carriers) in the Puget Sound area than in other cities where the magazine surveyed customers."
November 26, 2005 -- WebIndia123 has reported that "Union Communications and Information Technology Minister Dayanidhi Maran today said clearance from the Planning Commission was awaited for the Rs 500 crore outlay sought for computerisation of Postal Departments across the country."
November 25, 2005 -- According to the Asahi Shimbun, "When discussing the pros and cons of postal privatization in Japan, people often refer to New Zealand's case as a prime example of failure."
November 25, 2005 -- According to StopTheACLU.com, "It is official, the United States Postal Service has now folded to the anti-Christmas PC movement. Postal employees are no longer allowed to say to customers Merry Christmas.÷ And if that isn t enough, no more Christmas stamps."
November 25, 2005 -- As TechWeb has noted, "Newspapers' print advertising increased by only 1.6 percent year-over-year in the third quarter, while online advertising jumped 26.7 percent, a trade group said. Spending for print ads totaled $11.4 billion in the quarter, the Newspaper Association of America said. Ad spending online remained a small percentage of the total advertising spend, reaching $518.9 million. Nevertheless, growth in online ads far outpaced print advertising. Online advertising has grown in popularity as advertisers develop better marketing techniques to target particular groups of consumers."
November 25, 2005 -- Silicon.com has reported that "Transportation player FedEx Express plans to equip 50,000 couriers located in 60 countries with wireless devices by 2008. The FedEx PowerPad, a Windows Pocket PC-based device, is Bluetooth-enabled and uses GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) connectivity. The handheld is able to capture signatures electronically, and couriers can access dispatch information without having to go back to their dispatch vehicles. The new FedEx PowerPad will replace the FedEx SuperTracker developed 20 years ago."
November 25, 2005 -- The Financial Times has reported that "A landmark proposal to open up the European Union's services market to cross-border competition passed an important hurdle yesterday, when a European parliament committee voted in favour of breaking down national barriers to service providers. The committee also voted to include so-called services of general economic interest in the scope of the directive. This means that providers of services such as postal delivery, water, waste, electricity and gas could in future face fewer obstacles when trying to win business outside their home state."
November 25, 2005 -- The American Postal Workers Union has told its members that "The APWU has received notification from the USPS that some operations at the facilities listed below would be consolidated, or that the facilities would be the subject of AMP (Area Mail Processing) studies."
November 25, 2005 -- As one columnist for Forbes put it: "Imagine a business where the more you use them, the more irritated you become with them. Now imagine that despite their poor performance, they probably will never improve or go out of business. Where does such a place exist? In the hinterlands of post-Soviet Russia? In a backwater of proto-capitalist China? In Fidel's Cuba? Try a post office in New York. The U.S. Postal Service is getting hammered by FedEx and UPS. Standing in line gives you lots of time to figure out why."
November 25, 2005 -- Les Echos has reported that "The Paris district court has said that it will not rule until November 29 on a challenge by French postal unions to the company agreement of Efiposte, the investment arm of the French post office (La Poste). The unions are asking for the agreement not to be applied to the transfer of 900 La Poste employees to that organisation's new postal bank."
November 25, 2005 -- Kyodo has reported that "The European Union expressed concern Friday over some aspects of the revisions to Japan's corporate law and the implications that privatizing the country's postal services may have on European banks and insurance companies operating in Japan, Japanese and EU officials said."
November 25, 2005 -- The Daily Post has noted that "a furious MP last night demanded the Royal Mail be stripped of its power to issue stamps if it continues to snub Wales."
November 25, 2005 -- According to the Asbury Park Press, "A plan to shift mail handling from the U.S. Postal Service's West Eatontown Processing and Distribution Center to Edison and Trenton will either save money and speed delivery or slow it down and cost more, depending on who is asked. Postal workers demonstrated in Red Bank on Monday to alert the public of the move, which postal officials said has already started and should be completed by spring."
November 25, 2005 -- Transport Intelligence has reported:
November 25, 2005 -- Here's an interesting piece from the National Association of Major Mail Users (NAMMU) to its mail-using members in Canada:
"Some high density Lettermail users are still scratching their heads following the news product strategy and specs for 2006 will not change, despite the clear signal given last year that mailers would be provided a new sort option to evaluate by January 2006. So what s happening? The lack of clarity and the one-sided rationale for rate increases, product spec changes, imposition of new work processes at will, the formulaic responses from government and Canada Post on the lack of involvement by business stakeholders in the forward planning and change process, still confound the mailing industry. Positive steps are being taken through the JUST SAY NO program and Impact 2006 Forums, to address with Canada Post and government the imbalance in the current business model."
November 25, 2005 -- FinFacts has reported that "Management at An Post has accepted the Labour Court's recommendation on the dispute at the company. The Communications Workers Union has agreed to recommend that its members accept the terms of the Labour Court proposal which calls on the company to pay overdue national wage agreement increases." See also RTE News.
November 25, 2005 -- The Business Standard has reported that "The proposed Indian Post Office (Amendment) Bill may spoil the party of India's Rs 3,000-crore express cargo industry. The Bill, which is slated for consideration in Parliament early next year, has recommended the creation of a postal board to regulate functioning of express cargo companies, with penal provisions and price-fixing powers. Sources said the Bill proposed to fix delivery charges of a courier company at a certain multiple of that for Indian Post, which might make the functioning of courier companies unviable."
November 24, 2005 -- According to The Register, "People responding to a promo run by delivery firm DHL were bombarded with a deluge of hundreds of emails this week. Firms responding to an offer of a free Blackberry in return for opening up an account with the packet delivery outfit were subjected to a packet storm because of flaws with some of the recipients' email systems, triggered by DHL's misguided decision to send out a message to 1,000 people directly instead of as blind carbon copies. An email sent out to the list generated a message storm. Glitches in email systems of three of the recipients generated a blitz of replicated emails."
November 24, 2005 -- According to Traffic World, "DHL, the world's leading express delivery and logistics company and the Official Express Delivery and Logistics Provider of Major League Baseball, today announced a three-year sponsorship agreement with the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum that names DHL the "Official Express Delivery and Logistics Provider of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum." As part of the partnership, DHL will provide the Hall of Fame with a comprehensive range of services to meet its express shipping and logistics needs. In addition, DHL will support the Hall of Fame with special deliveries to its headquarters in Cooperstown, NY throughout the year, ensuring that artifacts of historical relevance to the sport find a new home at the Hall of Fame."
November 24, 2005 -- The Connection has reported that "Normandie Farm owner Cary Prokos has spent nearly two years working to get county approval for a zoning change that will let him build a banquet hall on his restaurant property. Operating a restaurant means complying with strict zoning regulations, liquor control laws and food service standards. Prokos has contacted county leaders and federal legislators to complain about the William F. Bolger Center at the corner of Democracy Boulevard and Newbridge Drive, a United States Postal Service training facility that has opened its food and lodging services to the general public. "They have come out competing and making their own rules," Prokos said. "These guys have blatant and reckless disregard for all of our laws. They're just doing whatever they want to do there. They need to cease all operations open to the general public immediately. That's my position." Thanks to PostalNews.com for bringing this one to our attention.
November 24, 2005 -- The Postal Service has posted its October financials on its web site.
November 24, 2005 -- According to the Federal Times, "The American Postal Workers Union is gearing up to frustrate U.S. Postal Service plans to consolidate first-class mail processing operations at nine plants, most of them on the East and West coasts."
November 24, 2005 -- To enhance competition, ensure quality performance, shorten purchase lead-time, and to obtain the best value for our purchasing dollars, the Postal Service has opted to pre-qualify suppliers in the acquisition of relocation management services. Pre-qualified suppliers are those whose record of performance in the marketplace has demonstrated their ability to perform to consistently high standards of quality and reliability through a successful record of past performance. Quality may be demonstrated by previously providing high quality services and by maintaining a documented quality system. Reliability may be demonstrated through reference checks of current accounts.
November 24, 2005 -- Computing has reported that "The Post Office is implementing profitability analysis software to improve how it measures the effectiveness of new products and services. The company will start using the Predictive Planning tool from performance optimisation specialist ALG Software in January, largely to handle its diversification into the financial services sector."
November 24, 2005 -- As PublicFinance.co.uk has noted, "Royal Mail could be forced into bankruptcy by spiralling pension deficits that could reach ·6.25bn next year, chair Allan Leighton has warned. Leighton made the alarming admission shortly after reporting a 20.5% increase in operating profits, to ·159m, for the six-month period to September. The government-owned company has called on its sole shareholder to invest an extra ·2bn. Leighton has also asked for the strict price limits imposed on it by Postcomm, the industry regulator, to be loosened so that the firm can ride out cost increases. RM would like to raise stamp prices, for example, to cover increased costs."
November 24, 2005 -- Unison.ie has reported that "An Post's board of directors is due to meet today to discuss the latest Labour Court recommendation aimed at averting strike action at the company." See also Sunday Business Post.
November 24, 2005 -- The latest issue of the
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November 24, 2005 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
Surprise move on the Swedish mail market: the share price for private mail service Optimail AB was suspended after Posten Norge made an offer for the Swedish company.Apparently, the main shareholders are willing to accept the offer unless a better offer is received from elsewhere.
The MRU, founded in 1992, is the only consultancy in Europe, which has specialised in the market of courier-, express- and parcel services. For large-scale shippers and CEP-services in particular, the MRU provides interdisciplinary advice for all major questions of the market, as there are for example market entry, product design, organisation, and EDP.To learn more about the stories reported above, contact CEP News.
November 24, 2005 -- The U.S. Postal Service has announced that "New rate files in comma-delimited format are now available on usps.com/ratecase. These files are also available on Postal Explorer at pe.usps.com by clicking on Rate Case Information÷ in the left frame."
November 24, 2005 -- The Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service will meet in Washington, DC, at Postal Service Headquarters, 475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, on December 6, 2005.
November 24, 2005 -- The DM Bulletin has reported that "Royal Mail has appointed Ian Griffiths, group managing director of car parts firm GKN Automotive, as managing director of its letters business. "
November 23, 2005 -- From the Federal Register:
November 23, 2005 -- Personnel Today has reported that "Royal Mail s hopes of giving shares to its employees appear to have been dashed after it emerged that the Conservative Party has expressed misgivings about backing the necessary legislation. If the Tories oppose the plans, defeat in the House of Commons appears inevitable because of the huge opposition to the plan from Labour backbenchers."
November 23, 2005 -- Die Welt has reported that "Deutsche Post, the German postal service operator, has announced that it will restructure its network of outlets by closing up to 200 of its own post offices and by converting them into postal agencies based at retail outlets. Management highlights that the restructuring will not entail redundancies."
November 23, 2005 -- Business World has reported that "The Communications Workers Union has called off its threat of industrial action in the postal service. It has made the move as a result of a recommendation last night from the Labour Court aimed at settling the labour trouble at An Post. The Court's 10 page proposal, issued just after seven o'clock last night, calls on the company to pay the overdue wage rises due to workers under the Sustaining Progress Agreement. It also deals with a range of work practice changes. Crucially, however, it attaches no conditions to the payment of the wage increases." See also Online.ie and the Irish Independent.
November 23, 2005 -- WQAD.com has reported that "Letter carriers will begin delivering fliers in the East St. Louis area in an effort to help find a missing four-year-old boy and his 19-year-old pregnant cousin." See also the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
November 23, 2005 -- Transport Intelligence has noted that "DHL has developed a customized internet solution for Airbus in Germany for the management of parcels for in excess of 4,000 suppliers. The collection of up to 31.5kg items is now able to be ordered via a special logistics portal. Whilst suppliers benefit from the simplified shipment preparation, the aircraft manufacturer receives a better overview of the incoming goods and accounting procedures are streamlined."
November 23, 2005 -- Th e Newspaper Association of America has reported that "Advertising expenditures for newspapers and their Web sites totaled $12 billion for the third quarter of 2005, a 2.4 percent year-over-year increase, according to preliminary estimates from the Newspaper Association of America. Spending for print ads in newspapers totaled $11.4 billion, up 1.6 percent versus the same period a year earlier, while ad spending online continued its double-digit growth in the third quarter, increasing by 26.7 percent from the same period a year ago to $518.9 million."
November 23, 2005 -- The American Postal Workers Union has reported that "A U.S. Appeals Court has granted a Postal Service petition for a rehearing in a landmark court decision that invalidated return-to-work requirements for employees with absences of more than 21 days. The appeals court action vacates the July 19, 2005, ruling that had been hailed as a major victory in the fight to preserve workers rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)."
November 23, 2005 -- RJR94FM.com has reported that "The Postal Corporation of Jamaica is searching for ways to ensure more efficient delivery of express mail to the United States. The Postal Corporation is also putting in a computer based tracking system to enable it to track all its priority and express mail as they move overseas." See also Radio Jamaica.
November 23, 2005 -- From PR Newswire:
Symbol Technologies, Inc. has announced that Russian Post has selected Symbol's DS6608 two-dimensional (2D) bar code digital scanner, as part of its Point of Sale terminal upgrade project. The project is aimed to increase customer service efficiency by providing new standards and procedures that will accelerate operational business processes and reduce customer wait time in the Post Office. Symbol DS6608 digital imaging scanners will be installed in 6,000 Russian Post Offices located throughout Russia. Russian Post is deploying the digital scanners in order to improve its 'Express Money Order' service. Originating in December 1998, the service is used for accepting money orders from legal and physical entities in real-time across 54 regions in Russia, and then transmitting the information to banks through transaction centers.
November 23, 2005 -- The Asahi Shimbun has reported that "Tokyo police on Tuesday arrested three people who they said cheated post offices out of almost 14 million yen by cashing bogus international money orders. The forgeries are all copies of United States Postal Service (USPS) international postal money orders."
November 22, 2005 -- Les Echos has reported that:
November 22, 2005 -- The Business Standard has reported that "The finance ministry will no longer offer special rates to the department of posts for deposits under the Postal Life Insurance Fund and the Rural Postal Life Insurance Fund. The move will result in lower returns on investment for policy holders as the DoP will not be able to sustain its current interest and bonus rates, which are higher than market rates."
November 22, 2005 -- According to NewIndPress, "The Army Postal Service (APS) is virtually the heartline for service personnel who have been posted far away from civilisation and their families. It ensures that the handwritten paper envelope or the money order reaches the correct hands creating a permanent bond between the sender and receiver whether they are in the icy Himalayas or the Gangetic plain."
November 22, 2005 -- The USPS has made available to vendors and developers a
ZIP file which contains the final version of the postage statements which will go into affect on January 8, 2006, and
a spreadsheet which details what changes were made to the forms since the USPS sent them to developers in the fall.
November 22, 2005 -- Internet shoppers say the successful delivery of goods purchased online is critical to their overall satisfaction and loyalty to online retailers, according to a new survey commissioned by UPS. The survey, conducted for UPS by the national opinion research firm Synovate, found online consumers were overwhelming in their demand for high-quality delivery services.
November 22, 2005 -- Business Week has reported that "A Tokyo-based U.S. business lobby urged the Japanese government Tuesday to ensure Japan Post operates on equal footing with domestic and foreign financial institutions after privatization. Robert Grondine, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, said unless the postal giant competes on a level field with other private companies, there could be problems down the line."
November 22, 2005 -- According to The Scotsman, "THE Royal Mail has been urged to speed up improvement in the service it offers to customers in Edinburgh, after figures showed it still has one of the poorest delivery records for first-class mail in Scotland."
November 22, 2005 -- As Digital Lifestyles has noted, "The Internet was supposed to herald in an age of paperless offices, online browsing and tree-untroubling electronic mail, but it seems that when it comes to flogging goods, the trusty old print catalogue still rules the roost. According to new research from the Royal Mail, online retailers will be looking to stuff your letterbox full of paper catalogues before Christmas in an attempt to drive up sales over the festive season."
November 22, 2005 -- The Wall Street Journal has noted that "This season, several greeting-card companies are trying to fight the perception that a paper card that is signed, sealed, and delivered from the Web is less personal than a handwritten one. They say they've got the best of both worlds -- the convenience of the Internet without the impersonalization often associated with email greeting cards. The efforts come as the process of sending out holiday cards has grown increasingly tedious to a culture used to dashing off emails or making a quick phone call." Skip the middle man. Say "Merry Christmas" from your Blackberry. It's the "fair and equitable" thing to do.
November 22, 2005 -- Japan Today has noted that "Japan Post said Monday it booked a net profit of 998.4 billion yen in the April-September first half of fiscal 2005, up 2.77-fold from the year before, due to higher stock prices and cost reductions. The profit at the public corporation for postal services is 1.75 times larger than Toyota Motor Corp's group net profit of 570.5 billion yen in the same period."
November 22, 2005 -- The Albuquerque Journal has reported that "Political pressure is mounting in Rio Rancho's push for a new post office. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., wants to sit down with the postmaster general to talk about an additional post office for Rio Rancho. In a strongly worded letter Friday, Domenici said Rio Rancho's single post office can't keep up with demand in the growing city."
November 22, 2005 -- The Mirror has reported that "TWO greedy bosses of a delivery firm which dumped millions of items of mail in Britain's biggest-ever postal scandal were yesterday jailed for two years. Police believe Inderpal Narula, 33, and Royston Heaton, 42, netted at least ·3.2million as their company dumped 2,700 kilos of post daily over a year. Their firm Mail Logistics had a contract with Royal Mail to deliver post abroad. But undercover investigators watched in astonishment as the firm's forklift truck driver ditched the mail in skips." See also The Times.
November 22, 2005 -- According to RTE News, "The Labour Court is to issue a recommendation today aimed at bringing the long running dispute at An Post to an end."
November 22, 2005 -- According to Union Network International (UNI), "In March 2005, the former right-wing government in Norway got a majority in Parliament to vote in favour of its proposal to end the monopoly to distribute letters by 2007. The Labour Party, the Socialistic Party and the Centre Party voted against and published a joint statement declaring that they are in agreement to stop postal liberalisation in Norway and maintain the monopoly of the universal postal service in the country, if they would win the next general election. The three parties if winning would form a coalition government. At the general elections in September 2005 the three parties actually won the elections, formed government and the former government's deregulation plans for Norwegian Post has been put aside."
November 22, 2005 -- Transport Intelligence has noted that "DHL s express operations in the US seem to have hit further problems. Following the integration of Airborne Express into DHL s US network, customer service deteriorated to such an extent that management subsequently stated that it was losing credibility and incurring substantial costs in service recovery. Now, though, implementation of service at new facilities has created more problems, according to various sources. Morgan Stanley, the investment bank, has reported in a briefing note that a number of shippers have complained about service levels following the opening of a new hub in California. On time delivery levels had in some cases fallen allegedly to around 55%. With the holiday season rapidly approaching, DHL will be hoping that these problems are merely growing pains. The company s high profile entry into the US market, bringing it into direct competition with both UPS and FedEx, has meant that its performance has been under considerable scrutiny over the last two years. More recently the turnaround of the business has gone well, but the real test will come in the next few weeks as its operation has to deal with peak volumes. The pressure will be on management to prove that it is a real alternative to the market leaders, UPS and FedEx."
November 22, 2005 -- DM News has reported that "The U.S. transportation industry will have another strong year in 2006, paced by gains in the trucking sector, according to The Colography Group Inc. in its annual projections for the $98 billion U.S. expedited cargo market. The domestic air market will be muted, with shipment volumes rising next year by only 1.2 percent over 2005. The U.S. air export category, however, is expected to climb 7.3 percent in year-over-year shipment levels. Overnight letter shipping is projected to see a 0.6 percent decline because of e-mail and the migration of airfreight traffic to surface transport. Ground parcel and the less-than-truckload categories are expected to show shipment growth of 5.1 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively."
November 22, 2005 -- According to Business Week, "Drivers are suing to protest their status as contractors -- and gaining traction."
November 22, 2005 -- From the PR Newswire: "U.S. Postal Service international shipping labels can now be printed from eBay's website. "This means the best products, the best service, and the best value are now just a click away for eBay's international shippers," said Nick Barranca, Vice President of the Postal Service's Product Development group."
November 22, 2005 -- More in the Federal Times on the USPS' response to the Hallmark amendment concerning postal rates.
November 22, 2005 -- The Financial Express has reported that "'Express' courier operators are seeking an independent regulatory authority to regulate the written communications sector. This follows a move by the government to entrust the Department of Posts to register operators carrying out functions of collection, transmission and delivery of documents and parcels through a proposed amendment."
November 22, 2005 -- Pacific Magazine has reported that "More than 25 tons of US mail destined for the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia has been stuck with the PM&O shipping line since July. The balance of the mail is to be shipped to Majuro on the next Matson barge, which is scheduled to arrive on the December 14th, nearly five months after schedule."
November 22, 2005 -- NBC4.com has reported that "Some D.C. postal workers upset about working conditions at one mail facility have had their complaints answered. D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton toured their postal facility, and she examined some new equipment that workers say the building desperately needed."
November 22, 2005 -- According to its executive director, Richard Miller, the
International Mailers Advisory Group (IMAG) has been reorganized as a nonprofit association. Joe Schick, Director of Postal Affairs, QuadGraphics, was elected Chairman. Formed in 1997 as an international advisory group to the USPS, the membership comprised of large US outbound mailers and vendors - has been active in a number of cross-border issues. IMAG is the only trade organization in the country devoted specifically to the concerns of the international mailing industry. It is a founding member of the new Consultative Committee of the Universal Postal Union and has been directly involved in international address standards and other cross-border initiatives. The group works closely with the US Department of State and the World Customs Organization, consults with the USPS on product pricing and development and represents the international mailing industry at major domestic and international fora.
November 21, 2005 -- LeGree Daniels, a member of the USPS Board of Governors, had died.
November 21, 2005 -- Cambridge Evening News has reported that "ROYAL Mail performance in the East of England has improved dramatically, new figures reveal. The first six months of this financial year were characterised by significant improvements on last year's performance levels."
November 21, 2005 -- Unison.ie has reported that "The Labour Court is reportedly due to issue a recommendation in the dispute over pay increases at An Post tomorrow. Reports this morning said no agreement was reached during discussions with both sides over the weekend."
November 21, 2005 -- The Herald has reported that "Fame and influence haven't exactly been a part of the life of Primitivo Rodr guez, but now the social activist is putting his stamp on the world. The beaming face of this longtime rights activist and current adviser to the Federal Electoral Institute now adorns an unofficial United States postage stamp. In August, Ra l Ross, a Chicagoan who fought alongside Rodr guez to secure the right for Mexicans abroad to vote in Mexico, persuaded a private vendor authorized by the U.S. Postal Service to print 1,000 customized stamps featuring his colleague's face. The new stamp is part of an effort by immigrants in the United States to publicize the vote among expatriates, who will be allowed to vote by mail-in ballot. Organizers also hope it will ease mistrust between immigrants and Mexico's post office."
November 21, 2005 -- Forbes has reported that "Norway's state-owned postal service, Norway Post, on Monday announced an agreement to buy Sweden's Frigoscandia, a regional supplier of temperature-controlled transport of food and other products."
November 21, 2005 -- According to DM News, "Postal rates haven't gone up yet, but mailers are already preparing for the next rate case. Many say it will be filed in the spring and implemented in 2007."
November 21, 2005 -- According to Transport Intelligence, "It has been reported that DHL has acquired a 20-year lease on an office block based in New York, in a deal worth in excess of $181m. The seven-story building is next to the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel, allowing it good links with the immediate vicinity for parcels shipments. DHL will be able to move its headquarters to the building by the spring of 2006. Commentators believe that the company will also benefit from a greater marketing presence in the area which includes Manhattan."
November 20, 2005 -- The Mail has reported that "THE future of Royal Mail has been secured after the Government agreed to inject ·2 billion into the insolvent organisation. And for the first time in its 300-year history, workers are to be given a stake in the business. Financial Mail understands that the Government will 'gift' 20 per cent of the value of the business to its 200,000 workers. Each employee will be given shares worth between ·4,000 and ·5,000. After months of tough bargaining, Chancellor Gordon Brown has approved a deal to to pay ·2bn to subscribe for new shares in Royal Mail. The money will be used partly to plug a ·4.5bn pension fund deficit."
November 20, 2005 -- The Financial Times has reported that "A minister has moved to allay Labour MPs' fears that the government might stage a back-door privatisation of Royal Mail, telling them it will not renege on a manifesto pledge to keep the postal operator in public hands. Opposition to any change in ownership has grown. Nick Brown, a former cabinet minister and an ex-party whip, added his name to a Commons motion on the issue yesterday, taking the number of Labour signatories to 185, more than half the parliamentary party."
November 20, 2005 -- The Sunday Business Post has reported that "The Irish Postmasters' Union has highlighted what it claims is the crisis in the post office network. With 400 post offices having closed in recent years and more set to close, the days of the rural post office look to be numbered. General Secretary of the Irish Postmasters' Union, John Kane says action is needed if the postal network is to survive. If the network is not tackled in terms of someone putting the parts right very quickly, the network will disappear in the next five or ten years÷, said Mr Kane We feel the local post offices are an integral part of the social fabric of the community and in our view it s important and that it be preserved and indeed strengthened. But unfortunately the opposite is happening÷, he added." See also the Irish Examiner.
November 19, 2005 -- Ha'aretz has reported that "An agreement turning the Israel Postal Authority to a company has been recently drafted, as part of a general move to open the postal market to competition starting on January 31, 2006. Finance Minister Ehud Olmert said Saturday that opening the postal market to competition is part of the reforms the treasury had led in recent years for increasing competition in the Israeli market, with the intention of widening the variety of services offered to consumers, improving service quality and lowering service prices. "Competition will be better for Israelis and will widen the variety of products provided by the post service," Olmert said." See also the International Herald Tribune.
November 19, 2005 -- According to Lexington Institute fellow Sam Ryan writing in the Arizona Daily Star, "The Postal Service's captive consumers will soon pay more to mail a letter. The USPS has officially approved a 5.4 percent rate increase, which will take effect on Jan. 8. That will push the cost of a stamp to 39 cents. Unfortunately, this increase ignores Aunt Minnie, the ordinary consumer. Forty-six parties participated in this rate case. But only the Office of the Consumer Advocate represented ordinary consumers. And far from supporting the rate increase, the OCA voiced sharp criticism."
November 19, 2005 -- Ireland Online has reported that "Intensive talks aimed at averting possible postal disruption in the run up to Christmas are to continue later this morning. Union and management representatives have both indicated that deliveries will be hit if the latest round of conciliation talks fail to deliver on a deal."
November 18, 2005 -- The latest issue of the
PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
Hey! You've not been getting the weekly PostCom Bulletin--the best postal newsletter anywhere...bar none? Send us by email your name, company, company title, postal and email address. Get a chance to see what you've been missing.
November 18, 2005 -- The latest copy of the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. electronic governmental affairs newsletter is available on the NAPUS web site.
November 18, 2005 -- Les Echos has reported that "La Poste, the French postal service operator, has been fined 1m euros by the competition authorities. The reason for this is that the company had charged prices that benefited certain customers and its subsidiary Datapost, which specialises in sorting and mailing."
November 18, 2005 -- The Boston Globe has reported that "It's taking at least an hour longer than normal to get out the door these days at the central mail distribution center, where postal carriers, thigh-deep in holiday catalogs, sort and pack their loads before hitting the streets. Bundles stuffed with catalogs teeter on crates and carriages. Piles are stacked upon piles. The sheer volume has even veteran employees shaking their heads. Ed Kosta, 47, who walks much of his 234-house route in Melrose, delivered about 800 catalogs yesterday. ''People sometimes complain about all the catalogs they receive, but they will also question when they don't get their catalogs," he said. The phenomenal growth of Internet shopping has not cut the volume of glossy ads, as many analysts once predicted. Quite the contrary. It turns out that online retailing and catalog mailing have developed a symbiotic relationship: A catalog in the mailbox often compels consumers to go to their computers, marketing specialists say."
November 18, 2005 -- The Association for Postal Commerce welcomes its newest member:
Buhrs-Americas represented by Gary Harris.
November 18, 2005 -- Noticias.info has reported that "Reporters Without Borders today condemned a decision by the state postal service, Belposhta, to stop delivering seven independent newspapers to subscribers on 1 January. Earlier this month, Belposhta had announced its intention to terminate its contracts with three other privately-owned publications at the start of next year. In an interview for Radio Free Europe, Nasha Niva editor Andrey Dynko described the postal service s refusal to continue delivering the newspapers as a crime against Belarusian culture and as yet further evidence that the conditions do not exist for free elections to be held."
November 18, 2005 -- From the U.S. Postal Service: "New Rates and Fees tables in HTML and PDF formats for the price change effective January 8, 2006, are now available on usps.com/ratecase. These tables are also available on Postal Explorer at pe.usps.com. You can also link to the new Ratefold (Notice 123).
November 18, 2005 -- UPS has announced new 2006 rates for most U.S. small package services, including a 3.9 percent increase in commercial ground services and a 5.5 percent rise in UPS air and international services. The company also will reduce by 2 percent the index used to determine its air fuel surcharge, a move that will directly benefit customers as fuel prices moderate and the index pushes the air fuel surcharge below the current 12.5 percent cap. UPS is maintaining this cap despite dramatic jet fuel price increases. UPS remains the only express package delivery company to limit its surcharge to a maximum 12.5 percent in an industry where competitors currently are charging 20 percent or more.
November 18, 2005 -- According to FirstLogic's Chris Lien, "The United States Postal Service½ recently published its 2006 to 2010 Transformation Plan and in it they call for a 50 percent reduction of this UAA mail by 2010. While that may sound like a huge goal, I believe it is a very achievable. There are more tools widely available and recognized best practices in data quality today than there were in 1998 when the USPS½ did their cost study showing UAA cost them $2.1 billion. It's that application of those tools, though, that I think makes all the difference."
November 18, 2005 -- From the PR Newswire: "The Independent Pilots Association has given UPS until December 23 to finalize the contract it began negotiating with its pilots in October 2002."
November 18, 2005 -- As American Postal Workers Union president William Burrus has told his members, "The long-expected USPS network consolidation has begun in bits and pieces, with individual offices now being notified of changes to their mail processing operations. Over the past several weeks the union has received notification from the USPS of the planned consolidation of some operations÷ at 10 offices one week, followed by a dozen more the following week. Despite numerous discussions and our repeated requests over the two-year period of the contract extension, the USPS never presented a consolidation plan. Management finally acknowledged that it had abandoned the concept of a national plan and that future consolidation efforts would be directed at Area-wide efficiencies.÷ It is now clear that USPS management plans to alter the national network through a series of piecemeal changes. It is expected that in the coming months the Postal Service will inform the union of additional offices identified for change. "
November 18, 2005 -- The Greensboro News-Record has noted that "Add one more thing for local charities to deal with -- an increase in postal rates. While postage going up won't cripple charities, it's just another hurdle for them to face as they squeeze tight budgets. For some, mailings are an important fund-raising tool."
November 18, 2005 -- PostCom SALUTES St. Peterburg Times writer NANCY PARADIS, who wrote a response that was "dead-on" to a reader complaining about direct mail."
November 17, 2005 -- According to PostalWatch.org, "Postal officials continually claim that they have increased productivity and cut expenses by some $5 billion over the passed few years. Nothing could be further from the truth. The agency uses its own homegrown Total Factor Productivity (TFP) formula to claim steady improvement in productivity since 2001. However, the more generally accepted measurement of productivity shows far different results. For example, this more common method, which divides revenues by compensation expenses, shows productivity has actually decreased by 2.3% since August of 2004."
November 17, 2005 -- 4NI has reported that "Royal Mail has reported a rise in profits, despite a seeing a fall in earnings in its letter business. The group reported a 20.5% increase in operating profit to ·159 million for the first half of 2005/06 a ·27 million improvement on the same period the previous year. However, the Royal Mail s letters business, which accounts for around 76% of the group s revenue, made an operating profit of ·168 million a decrease of 3% on last year s figures. The fall came despite a below-inflation 1.8% overall rise in postage prices at the beginning of April." See also The Herald.
November 17, 2005 -- The DM Bulletin has reported that "Royal Mail has axed the role of Post Office chief executive David Mills and is restructuring its management in an attempt to fend off competition from rival postal operators. The company said that it will shortly announce the appointment of two new managing directors -- for the Post Office and Royal Mail Letters. While the Post Office was overseen by Mills, Royal Mail Letters fell under the jurisdiction of Adam Crozier, the group chief executive. Crozier will hand over control of the division to the new appointee, while Mills plans to leave the business at the end of this year."
November 17, 2005 -- ThisIsMoney has reported that "THE Royal Mail could be bankrupted by its massive pension fund deficit, chairman Allan Leighton warned this afternoon. As he unveiled a huge rise in profits he warned that the company had no way of filling a ·4bn pound hole in its pension fund without government help. The business, which has axed 33,000 jobs and outsourced some operations to return to profit, warned it could be bankrupted by claims on its pension fund which it said has more members than any other company scheme in Britain." See also The Guardian, The Times, and The Independent.
November 17, 2005 -- Ireland Online has reported that "A Government trouble-shooter tonight requested Labour Court involvement in the long-running bid to end the dispute in the postal services. The National Implementation Body (NIB) said during intensive talks with both An Post management and the Communications Workers Union it had become aware of significant differences of understanding."
November 17, 2005 -- Traffic World has reported that "Xpressdocs, a Fort Worth,Texas-based marketing company, said it is shifting all its shipping needs to DHL to FedEx, citing DHL service delays."
November 17, 2005 -- According to the New Zealand Herald, "Advertisers are often missing the mark when it comes to how consumers like their advertising delivered, a new study shows. The Colmar Brunton study, commissioned by New Zealand Post, found 49 per cent of consumers rated television their favourite medium for receiving brand advertising. Newspapers came in second with 19 per cent of consumers judging it their favourite medium for brand messages, and unaddressed mail was favoured by 12 per cent."
November 17, 2005 -- UNI has reported that "As business ethics are coming under growing scrutiny, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has emerged as a burning issue for CEO's and managers throughout the postal industry. The first European Postal Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was organised in Rome on 27 and 28 October 2005 by the Social Dialogue Committee (SDC) in the postal sector which operates under the umbrella of PostEurop, and UNI Postal and it was hosted by Poste Italiane. A high number of employer and Trade Union representatives from 24 EU Member States participated in this event, organised with the financial support of the European Commission. Representatives of EU candidate countries also took part in the workshop."
November 17, 2005 -- The Sunday Business Post has reported that "Minister for Communications Noel Dempsey has expressed optimism about the prospects for a resolution of the An Post dispute. Mr Dempsey said today that he was confident CWU and An Post could resolve their differences and avert serious postal disruption in the run-up to Christmas."
November 17, 2005 -- From the
U.S. Postal Service:
Plant-Verified Drop Shipment. Plant-verified drop shipment (PVDS) mailings will be verified and accepted by Postal Service employees as follows: PVDS mailings verified and paid for before January 8, 2006, will be accepted into the mailstream at destination entry postal facilities through January 23, 2006, if presented with appropriate documentation of verification and payment (PS Form 8125, Plant-Verified Drop Shipment (PVDS) Verification and Clearance). PVDS mailings may be verified and paid for beginning December 8, 2005, under the rates that take effect January 8, 2006, provided the shipments are not deposited at destination entry postal facilities until January 8, 2006, or later.
November 17, 2005 -- Asia Pulse has reported that "Japan Post has announced that it will revise its fee structure for wire transfer and payment services next April, raising charges on in-person transactions at post office branches in an effort to promote ATM use."
November 17, 2005 -- The CBC has reported that "Postal workers have begun to return approximately 75,000 pieces of undelivered mail to people in the Park Extension neighbourhood of Montreal. A letter carrier was arrested for stealing the mail and hoarding it in his apartment and cottage."
November 17, 2005 -- As the Washington Post has noted, "The clock ran out on revamping the U.S. Postal Service in 2004, and it looks like the clock could run out again this year. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.), chief sponsors of a bill that would overhaul Postal Service business operations, announced yesterday that postal officials support a key provision in their bill."
November 17, 2005 -- Gibbons Stamp Monthly has reported that "50 years ago, Australia acquired ownership of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australian stamps were brought into use and philatelic interest in the tiny group of islands was boosted. Richard Breckon discusses the early years of Australia s philatelic administration."
November 17, 2005 -- The Oklahoma Daily has reported that "The 35-year relationship between OU and training operations of the U.S. Postal Service could end some time in the next week. Richard Little, associate vice president for the University Outreach organization at OU s College of Continuing Education, said the future of the contract between the U.S. Postal Service and OCCE would be decided some time late this week or early next week. The contract initially awarded $9 million over two years to OCCE for a potential $45 million contract over the full 10 years. Over the past 10 years, the award ballooned to $78 million, due to the increasing scope of the NCED s mission."
November 17, 2005 -- The Asahi Shimbun has reported that "The steadily diversifying Japan Post will expand its business scope yet again with a joint venture in delivery of corporate documents. Its partner will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corp., which already provides similar services. The public postal corporation will compete for the service with Yamato Transport Co. and other distribution companies, which are aggressively expanding delivery of corporate documents."
November 17, 2005 -- As the Associated Press has noted, "Passenger airline pilots aren't the only ones feuding with their managements these days over new contract terms. Cargo airline pilots are, too. The disputes at shipping giants UPS Inc. and FedEx Corp., however, don't involve pay cuts, as both companies are offering wage increases. Beyond pay, these pilots say their benefits and work rules are just as important if not more important to fight for."
November 17, 2005 -- According to the Hattiesburg American, both UPS and Fedex are still fighting their Hurricane Katrina backlog. It said that "While private carriers are experiencing delivery problems, that's not the case with the U.S. Postal Service."
November 17, 2005 -- Here's an old name for you....The PR Web has a piece announcing that "Blueprint Technologies, Inc., an enterprise modernization firm, today announced that Norman Lorentz has been appointed its Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. Mr. Lorentz brings more than 30 years of public sector and commercial technology management expertise to Blueprint, and will play an instrumental role in helping the company plan for its next phase of growth in response to increasing market demand for EA solutions at both the federal and commercial level."
November 17, 2005 -- Gamasutra has reported that "A new set of stamps has been issued by La Poste, the French postal service, featuring images of several beloved video game icons. The set of 10 stamps, which retail collectively for 2.65 euros ($3.09 USD), is already available in French post offices and through La Poste's website."
November 17, 2005 -- According to Traffic World, "Unionized UPS pilots will begin informational picketing in front of UPS Stores across the country."
November 17, 2005 -- As a recent
Research and Markets report has noted, "RFID is an idea whose time has come in postal, courier and high volume light logistics. In the past, RFID has been used for little more than the evaluation of postal performance, using tags in a small percentage of letters, and the tracking of a small number of conveyances and vehicles. No longer. From DHL taking bids for RFID labels on one billion packages to Saudi Post tagging postal boxes, the big innovations are now happening. There is even a postal RFID system that completely automates the whole process of mail delivery from accepting the package to classification and dispatching. It has been successfully tested in Korea this year. For a complete index of this report click on http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c27931."
November 17, 2005 -- From MarketWire: "eFunds Corporation, a leading provider of risk management, electronic payments and global outsourcing solutions, announced today that it will provide payment processing switching services, debit gateway processing and back office solutions to the United States Postal Service (USPS). This new solution, which follows a previous software agreement signed in 2004, will be delivered through facilities management and debit gateway processing agreements that provide a flexible hybrid of in-house software and outsourced payment services. With the new agreement in place, the eFunds solution will drive transaction processing at more than 34,000 USPS locations and 65,000 point-of-sale (POS) devices nationwide once fully implemented. Other payments channels including the USPS' eCommerce business and its 2,500 Automated Postal Center (APC) self-serve kiosks will also be supported under this agreement."
November 17, 2005 -- Remember PostMag? Well the
editor, David Rawnsley, has reappeared in a role to help the African posts find funding for their projects. He tells me that they will have a new website up and running soon devoted to this subject. He will be providing his insightful commentary on how our industry is doing in helping out the many poor people in Africa who have no means of communication. You can find details of this initiative at the website of one of his partners Anabus www.anabus.com.
November 17, 2005 -- The New York Times has reported that former postmaster general Preston Robert Tisch has died of a brain tumor.
November 17, 2005 -- The latest issue of the
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF POSTAL SUPERVISORS POSTAL LEGISLATIVE UPDATE is available on this site.
November 17, 2005 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that: