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Postal News from May 2006:
May
31, 2006 --
Be sure to check the PostInsight web site for the presentation by EMA President
Maynard Benjamin on "The Envelope – It Is More Than
A Document Cover – It's Your Brand!"
May
31, 2006 --
Postal Service teamwork, attention to quality, and international
mail-processing efficiencies in meeting customer needs were recognized today by
the International Post Corporation (IPC). The IPC awarded its “Certificate of
Excellence” in management and processing of international letter mail to the
U.S. Postal Service’s New York (JFK) International Service Center (ISC). The IPC
is a cooperative association of 23 national postal administrations and
operators—including the U.S. Postal Service—from North America, Europe and the
Pacific, whose mission is to provide assistance and expertise in developing and
improving international postal services.
May 31, 2006 -- PostCom Members! Be sure to see the
Open Letter to all PostCom members from PostCom board chairman Jim O'Brien concerning a recent meeting with the Postmaster General on issues of great concern to the membership.
May 31, 2006 --
BÖWE BELL + HOWELL has announced dramatic enhancements to its Enduro inserting system. EnduroÒ has been identified by many as one of the most efficient gripper arm inserters ever built, but BÖWE BELL + HOWELL pushed the technology forward once again. Effective immediately, an option to add pneumatic gripper arms on Enduro will be available. Future owners of Enduro can choose to employ either pneumatic grippers in up to 24 insert feeders or the current gripper arms, or mix the two technologies for maximum flexibility.
May 31, 2006 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
Schweizerische Post published quarterly figures for the first time. The core mail division suffered a marked turnover decline of more than 2% (19m CHF).
Denmark's Post Danmark increased its pre-tax profit by almost 25% (79.8m euros) during the first quarter. The net profit went up by over 41% to almost 60m euros, while the turnover increased by 4.2% to 418m euros.
Royal Mail ended the financial year 2005/2006 with a significant increase in profit.
Poste Italiane's CEO Massimo Sarmi puts his company's realistic market value at around 10bn euros.
The Spanish post Correos ended 2005 with a record result.
Belgium's La Poste is accommodating its customers with longer opening hours. From next week, 800 post offices will stay open until 7 p.m. at least once a week. The move comes in response to growing discontent among customers.
Austria's opposition party SPO has demanded a guaranteed 51% government share in Osterreichische Post AG.
GeoPost, which controls the DPD parcel network and the Chronopost express service, among others, increased consignment volumes by around 10% to 450 million items due to growing parcel volumes in most European markets and especially in Germany, Britain and Eastern Europe.
DHL plans to invest over 194m euros in the development of its Russian operations over the next four years.
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.
May 31, 2006 -- PostCom Members! The first issue of PostCom's newest member-only publication, the
PostCom Postal Policy Report, has been posted on this site.
May 31, 2006 -- The May 2006 report of the Universal Postal Union's
Direct Mail Advisory Board has been posted on this site.
May 31, 2006 -- According to the Sacramento Bee, "Congress should stamp out charity discounts for political mail."
May 31, 2006 -- The Natchez Democrat has reported that "Earlier this month, the United States Postal Service quietly announced plans for rate increases. The announcement left us with a funny taste on our tongues. Despite the fact that more households exist in the U.S., the number of first-class letters has declined. Theoretically, that would mean less demand that might lead to reduced overhead. Of course, that would be logical and the postal service — nor any quasi-government agency — has ever been accused of letting logic get in between their needs and your wallets. Beyond the 3-cent increase proposed for first-class stamps, the boys in blue have taken aim on another, small-town staple — small newspapers."
May 31, 2006 -- The New York Times has reported that "The FedEx drivers here were growing bitter, with some complaining that management had strained them to the breaking point by assigning them 150 home deliveries a day. Eager to improve matters, they looked to join the Teamsters. FedEx says that the union push is an anomaly and that the majority of the drivers are happy and oppose unionization."
May 31, 2006 -- The Times has reported that "GOVERNMENT departments are being told to stop sending letters via the Royal Mail because it does not offer the same value for money as its rivals, despite its huge subsidies. The Government wants to cut £30 million from the cost of delivering post and is urging departments and councils to consider using one of the eight private-sector suppliers. The commercial rivals are UK Mail, DHL, Special Mail Services, Lynx, The Mailing House, DX and TNT, formerly the Dutch state postal service."
May 31, 2006 -- AFX has reported that "Deutsche Post AG chief executive Klaus Zumwinkel told journalists last night that he has no plans to relinquish majority control of the company's Postbank AG unit in the mid-term."
May 31, 2006 -- Bloomberg has reported that "Deutsche Post AG, Europe's biggest postal service, probably won't have all its stock freely traded for another few years as KfW Group sells its stake in pieces, Chief Executive Officer Klaus Zumwinkel said."
May 31, 2006 -- The Wall Street Journal has reported that "Austria's state-owned postal service, Osterreichische Post, shrugged off a drop in Austrian shares that coincided with its initial public offering and priced its stock at the top of its proposed range."
May 31, 2006 -- KTIV-TV has reported that "In a letter to Postmaster General John Potter, Iowa Senator Tom Harkin called on the Postal Service to delay the final decision regarding the proposed consolidation of the Sioux City Mail Processing Facility until its decision making process is reviewed by the Inspector General and the Sioux City community. Senator Chuck Grassley and Congressman Steve King joined Harkin in signing the letter. Specifically, Harkin, Grassley and King called for the proposed consolidation to be put on-hold until the Postal Service develops a rational methodology for making judgments concerning the consolidation, until a solid business analysis is both conducted and fully vetted with the community, and until the Postal Service's Inspector General can comprehensively review the methodology, analysis, and business case used to justify this proposed consolidation."
May 31, 2006 -- As the Financial Times has noted, "For a microchip that measures just a few millimetres across, RFID has already caused a fair degree of controversy. The radio tags – used on anything from pharmaceutical products to sea containers – have prompted campaigns by privacy groups, street demonstrations in continental Europe, and conspiracy theories a-plenty."
May 31, 2006 -- The Moberly Monitor-Index and Evening Democrat has published a list of FAQ's about In-County Mail.
May 31, 2006 -- AM 940 Montreal has reported that "Rural residents left in the lurch by the sudden loss of home mail delivery are appealing for political help as Canada Post continues to shut down country mail routes for health and safety reasons. Some New Brunswick residents, including seniors and people with disabilities, were told by Canada Post on Tuesday they will have to make 40-kilometre round trips to get their mail. "We feel like second-class citizens," said John Moreau, who lives in a farming community about 20 kilometres from the Fredericton post office where his mail is now being held. "There has been no consultation, no public forum whatsoever. We've just been abandoned."
May 30, 2006 -- Expatica.com has reported that "Belgian Post will expand its services from 6 June following a damning report from consumer watchdog Test-Aankoop. The watchdog said a recent study revealed services offered by the postal authority have declined in recent years. In response, The Post has decided to keep 800 post offices open in future until 7pm one day a week. It also promised to reduce waiting times at its branches."
May 30, 2006 -- Stuff.co.nz has reported that "The changing housing situation in New Zealand has called for a change in the way New Zealand Post delivers our mail. More than 450,000 new addresses have been created since 1990 and New Zealand Post communications spokesman Richard MacLean said new suburbs and the lifestyle market of apartment and rural living have necessitated "zip codes". The New Zealand Herald reported New Zealand Post will announce tomorrow its new four-digit system that will divide the country into 1800 different zones."
May 30, 2006 -- The Monitor has reported that "The postal union and area business leaders are opposing a plan that would send all of the Rio Grande Valley's mail through Corpus Christi. Local union officials and business leaders worry the consolidation would cost some local postal workers their jobs, delay local mail delivery, replace local postmarks with the Corpus Christi postmark and delay postmarking altogether. Postal officials have said the fears are unfounded."
May 29, 2006 -- From PR Newswire: "The U.S. Postal Service commemorates the world's largest stamp show -- the Washington 2006 World Philatelic Exhibition -- by issuing the Washington 2006 souvenir sheet on Memorial Day. The commemorative stamp sheet contains reproductions of three historic United States postage stamps originally issued in 1923 -- the $1 Lincoln Memorial, the $2 U.S. Capitol and the $5 Statue of Freedom that stands atop the Capitol's dome. They are produced from the original 1923 dies created by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and issued in their original denominations. The sheet will only be sold on-site at the Washington 2006 World Philatelic Exhibition, at the Washington Convention Center, May 29 through the closing of the show on June 3 at 6 p.m. ET. The sheet may also be purchased by calling 800-STAMP-24."
May 29, 2006 -- The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that "Australia Post is mulling a new e-letterbox concept that may help it bridge the widening gap between snail mail and email. The new Electronic Bill Provider (EBP) currently being evaluated by the postal authority, would seek to establish an "email address for life" for anyone opting to receive bills and statements online rather than through their letterbox."
May 29, 2006 -- Canada.com has reported that "Canada Post is reviewing the way it delivers mail to rural areas as a result of a growing number of health and safety complaints from the drivers who put mail in rural boxes."
May 29, 2006 -- The Economic Times has reported that "The "humble" post office is desperate for a makeover, even though it is unclear whether financial regulators would give the go ahead. Given a choice it will convert itself into bank, and cut a strategic deal with the private player."
May 29, 2006 -- MaltaMedia has reported that "On 10 March 2006, Maltapost plc submitted an application to the Malta Communications Authority (MCA) for a revision in its current tariff structure. In its proposal Maltapost plc requested an increase of 2 cents for a local letter weighing up to 50g (also known as a standard letter), which at present is 7 cents. This meant also that each additional weight-category would increase by 2 cents. The MCA is proposing a 1 cent increase in the 0-50g weight-step, while maintaining the additional weight-categories at their current levels, after it took into account various considerations."
May 29, 2006 -- New Vision has reported that "POSTAL administrators should improve services in order to compete with the emerging technology, Wilfred Musinguzi, Posta Uganda's general manager for marketing and sales, has said. Musinguzi said in the next five years, 10%-20% of letters delivered by post in industrialised countries, would be replaced by other means of communication. However, he said the new technologies are not accessed by everybody in Africa. Musinguzi said all communication enterprises will have to contribute to content in the multimedia world."
May 28, 2006 -- National Geographic News has noted that "Some people want fresh eggs or poultry, others just want a quirky pet. Whatever the reason, just about any U.S. resident can get live young chickens in the mail." [Who needs Confirm, when you can use chick eggs to determine the timeliness of mail delivery?]
May 28, 2006 -- According to VietnamNet Bridge, "Vietnam will keep the doors closed to foreign investors in network infrastructure but will open up more opportunities in information technology and fast postal delivery as talks close with the US on major World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments. Vietnam has agreed to open its markets to 100-per cent foreign-invested fast delivery services in the next five years. A first joint-venture between Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) and Germany-based DHL Vietnam is scheduled for next year with total capital of 7 million euros, 51 per cent of which is sourced from DHL. The US had made the greatest demands yet for access to the local post and telecoms market, and Vietnam will draw up a roadmap for 100-per cent foreign-owned ventures."
May 28, 2006 -- As the Jersusalem Post has noted, "The new Israel Postal Company (www.israelpost.co.il) was established a few months ago, and its director-general is a nonpolitical professional who previously worked in the Postal Authority, its Postal Bank and Bezeq. Unlike some of his eight postal service predecessors who were fired, involved in numerous scandals or targeted in State Comptroller investigations, Avi Hochman has a BA in economics and a master's degree in business administration from the Hebrew University and earned an excellent reputation in private business (the Netafim company)."
May 27, 2006 -- According to the Journal of Commerce, "DHL has opened its new service center in Tirupur in Tamil Nadu, southern India. The express unit of Germany's Deutsche Post World Net expects consistent monthly growth of around 20-25 percent from the center."
May 27, 2006 -- The Independent has reported that "Zimbabwe's government on Saturday unveiled a proposed law that would give it the authority to monitor phones and mail - both conventional and Internet - to protect national security and fight crime. Rights groups say the bill is part of a government crackdown, which has included tough policing and political intimidation, to stifle criticism over a severe economic crisis many blame on President Robert Mugabe's policies."
May 27, 2006 -- AFX has reported that "Massimo Sarmi, CEO of the Italian post office Poste Italiane SpA, said the company is ready to be privatised and that estimates of a market value of about 10 bln eur are "realistic". Sarmi added that the post office is in talks with an international logistics operator over an alliance for the transport of parcels to and from Italy, on which it expects to reach an agreement by the end of the year."
May 27, 2006 -- AllAfrica.com has reported that "HEADS of Post and Telecommunication companies in the countries that form Pan African Postal Union (PAPU) have agreed to complement on each other's services and pledged to give the best services to the citizens in the region."
May 27, 2006 -- Union Network International has reported that "The Caribbean Subregional Seminar-Workshop of the FNV-sponsored Project on Research and Organizing of DHL Workers in Latin America and the Caribbean was held between May 16 and 18 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. This event completes the first stage of the Project primarily aimed at disseminating the contents of the project and identifying trade unions that are interested in, and more importantly, that are committed to working with UNI-Americas during the first two years of the Project (2006-07) to achieve the set objectives."
May 27, 2006 -- CityTV has reported that "A massive seizure of stolen items in the north-west community of Citadel has resulted in charges against two Canada Post employees. Dennis St. Arnault, 45, and Shannon Joy St. Arnault, 33, are accused of not making their deliveries. They've been charged with theft and possession of stolen mail after an investigation by Canada Post was brought to the attention of the police. They were arrested a second time and charged with theft over $5,000 after police found goods at a north-west Calgary store where one of the accused also worked. The recovered items include a hot tub, building materials and playground equipment."
May 27, 2006 -- The Philadelphia Inquirer has noted that "The politicians who worked to make it happen and neighbors who once fought its construction gathered yesterday to celebrate completion of Philadelphia's $300 million mail-sorting and distribution center. It is touted as the prototype for future postal operations, designed to increase efficiency and, with a cleaner, open feel, to reduce the stress of those who work there. As workers enter and leave the building, they see the city's skyline in the distance, and pictures of local scenes along the main corridor."
May 26, 2006 -- The latest issue of
the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
May 26, 2006 -- The latest copy of the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. electronic governmental affairs newsletter is available on the NAPUS web site.
May 26, 2006 -- Business First has reported that "Even before United Parcel Service Inc. completed its vast Worldport air cargo hub at Louisville International Airport in 2002, the company was hard at work on plans for handling future growth. But it wasn't until about 60 days ago that John Hindman, vice president of public affairs for UPS Airlines, contacted city and state government and economic development officials to put together specifics and inquire about incentives that would ease the way for the $1 billion expansion that UPS announced Wednesday."
May 26, 2006 -- Dow Jones has reported that "German logistics company Deutsche Post AG said Friday its subsidiary DHL will lower its package prices in Germany from Jul. 1, 2006."
May 26, 2006 -- As Military.com has noted, "On his second deployment to Iraq, Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Lamb admits that communicating with friends and family back home is easier thanks to a relatively new program: Moto Mail. ‘Moto' is short for ‘motivation,' and it's what U.S. service members like Lamb use as a means to keep contact with his friends and family back home. This roughly two-year-old program allows U.S. service members deployed overseas to receive letters via an electronic system. The letters are printed and enveloped at the military post office, and in the hands of the service member within 24 hours."
May 26, 2006 -- As the Associated Press has noted, "The most valuable single American stamp was originally worth only a penny. The 1-cent stamp, called a Z-grill, contains a picture of Benjamin Franklin. It will be featured at the Washington 2006 stamp show, which opens Saturday and runs through June 2 at the Washington Convention Center."
May 26, 2006 -- The Charlottesville Newsplex has reported that "Postal employees at the Charlottesville Processing and Distribution Plant are literally one in a million. The employees there were prestigious recognized for making their plant a safe place to work."
May 26, 2006 -- AFX has noted that "German state-owned development bank Kreditanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau (KfW)'s 41.6 pct stake in Deutsche Post World Net AG has attracted the interest of private equity and hedge funds, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported, citing financial sources."
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May 26, 2006 -- At the NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM: "Rarity Revealed: The Benjamin K. Miller Collection," Part I, from Saturday through Oct. 1. Continuing: "Networking a Nation: The Star Route Service"; "Airmail in America." Open indefinitely: "On the Road," a history of city mail vehicles; "What's in the Mail for You!"; "Moving the Mail"; "Binding the Nation"; "Customers and Communities"; "Artistic License: The Duck Stamp Story"; "The Art of Cards and Letters"; "Stamps and Stories." Open daily 10 to 5:30. 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE. 202-633-1000 (TDD: 202-633-9849).
May 26, 2006 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "Fred Smith, Chief Executive and founder of FedEx has launched a ‘thought leadership' project of the type usually associated with the big management consultancies. Coining the word ‘Access', Mr Smith has sponsored a consultancy to survey the quality of electronic communication and physical transport in economies around the world. It has established an index of ‘Access' by country, measuring different levels of development in each economy."
May 26, 2006 -- The National Association of Major Mail Users has noted that "The January 2006 re-structuring of Canada Post introduced a reorganization based on three lines of business: Transaction Mail (bills, invoices, notices, statements); Direct Marketing; and Parcels. PERFORMANCE (March/April 2006) features a concise overview of the new structure including the Corporation's view of competitive threats and strategies to defend and/or grow each business. You can read more about it.
May 26, 2006 -- From the Federal Register: "To improve service for Periodicals mail, the Postal Service provided mailers the option to prepare origin mixed area distribution center (ADC) bundles and sacks beginning October 27, 2005. This final rule adopts our proposal to make the preparation of origin mixed ADC bundles and sacks required beginning July 6, 2006."
May 25, 2006 -- The Washington Post has reported that "President Bush appointed a longtime scholar at the American Enterprise Institute yesterday to be his top domestic policy adviser, a post that has been vacant since February, when Claude A. Allen stepped down after being charged with stealing more than $5,000 in a phony refund scheme. Karl Zinsmeister, who has worked the past 12 years as editor in chief of the American Enterprise magazine, is slated to assume his White House post June 12."
May 25, 2006 -- KFOX-TV has reported that a new "Postal Advisory Committee hopes to stamp out mail problems in Las Cruces."
May 25, 2006 -- American Postal Workers Union William Burrus has told his members that "The APWU has been notified that the proposed consolidation of "certain operations" at five postal facilities in the Northeast Area has been cancelled, because they present no substantial opportunities to improve efficiency or service. The five facilities are:
In a May 22 letter to APWU President William Burrus, the USPS wrote, "After careful and exhaustive review, it has been determined that there are currently no significant opportunities to improve efficiency or service through consolidation of mail processing operations at the locations listed above. Therefore, no significant changes will be made at this time."
May 24, 2006 -- The Business Standard has reported that "Reliance Communication Ventures (RCoVL), the CDMA-based mobile service provider, has tied up with the Department of Posts to offer tracking of mails sent through EMS Speed Post."
May 24, 2006 -- Roll Call has reported that "National Postal Museum guests will soon be able to wind their way through the institution in a new wardrobe: their pajamas. The Smithsonian's National Postal Museum is set to launch Arago, a research Web site, on Saturday, allowing philatelists to enjoy the museum's vast collection from home."
May 24, 2006 -- PostCom Members!!
A special notice to all PostCom members on questions regarding
the Postal Service's implementation of new rates and rules has been posted on this site.
May 24, 2006 -- Be sure to check out "A Manifesto For Mail: Growth, Partnership and Innovation in A Changing Letter Mail Services Industry," a presentation by Tim Walsh Chairman FEDMA Postal Affairs Committee Vice-Chairman Postal Users' Group, which is posted on the PostInsight web site.
May 24, 2006 -- The AND Network has reported that "The Gambia Post Office has joined the list of semi-autonomous public enterprises in the country, following its transformation into the Gambia Postal Services Corporation (Gampost)."
May 24, 2006 -- Lockheed Martin has been awarded two contracts totaling $9 million from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to upgrade and increase the processing capability of the Remote Computer Reader (RCR) system.
May 24, 2006 -- PostCom Members!!
A special notice to all PostCom members regarding USPS plans on the implementation of the
4-state barcode on September 1, 2006, for letters has been posted on this site.
May 24, 2006 -- Shippers Newswire has reported that "Deutsche Post World Net, parent company of DHL, today said it will invest $250 million over the next four years to develop its express and logistics unit's presence in Russia. "Russia is a very successful market for DHL and we see great prospects for the future," said Klaus Zumwinkel, Deutsche Post World Net's chief executive officer and chairman."
May 24, 2006 -- Traffic World has reported that "Eurinpro opened a new warehouse for DHL Exel Supply Chain in Tiel, the Netherlands. DHL Exel will rent the warehouse from Eurinpro and use it for cross-docking, storage and value-added activities for its Dutch and international fashion and apparel customers."
May 24, 2006 -- Air Cargo World has reported that:
May 24, 2006 -- CCNMatthews has reported that "On May 28, 2006, Canada Post and the United States Postal Service will release a joint stamp issue that celebrates the 400th anniversary of French explorer Samuel de Champlain's 1606 voyage along the coast of New England to Cape Cod."
May 24, 2006 -- According to The Times, "THE main postal union is preparing for its biggest confrontation with Royal Mail in a decade, raising the prospect of a national strike within weeks." See also the Financial Times.
May 24, 2006 -- The Bahama Journal has reported that "Government is in the process of designing a number of initiatives which it hopes to introduce over the ensuing months as part of its government-online project, a programme aimed ultimately at improving the efficiency of various services offered by the government and accessibility to those services, legal advisor to the Ministry of Finance Rowena Bethel said Monday. One of the projects: a system that's going to permit persons to track online packages and registered mail that are sent through the Bahamas postal system."
May 24, 2006 -- The Haveeru Daily has reported that "President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has ratified the Post Services Act, which was passed by the People's Majlis at its 17th sitting of this year's first session. The Act was drafted to strengthen and increase efficiency of domestic and international postal services in the country. Among the objectives of the Act are making postal services more affordable and promoting competition in the sector."
May 24, 2006 -- As the Washington Post has noted, "Advertising might soon be pushing the envelope. The U.S. Postal Service is allowing companies to create their own branded stamps for first-class mail. Instead of flags, you can expect to see a company logo; instead of photos of famous Americans, you might see pictures of your local real estate agent."
May 24, 2006 -- The DM Bulletin has reported that "The Greater London Authority is to continue its contract with TNT Post for the door-drop distribution rights for free newspaper The Londoner for the third consecutive year, in a deal worth £1.3m."
May 23, 2006 --
Harte-Hanks, a global direct and targeted marketing solutions provider, announced today that it has expanded and enhanced its digital printing capabilities by acquiring certain assets of PrintSmart, Inc., a full-service print-on-demand (POD) provider, located here.
May 23, 2006 -- According to the Gainesville Sun, "It's time the White House ended this budgetary shell game."
May 23, 2006 -- According to The Guardian, "The threat of a national postal strike is set to come a step nearer when workers decide whether to set a deadline for resolving bitter disputes over pay and the future of the Royal Mail." See also the Financial Times
May 23, 2006 -- Scoop.co.nz has reported that "Postal workers campaigning for a decent wage rise are about to consider a new pay offer. Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little said that details of the offer, made on Friday night, were now being reported back to the union's 5000 members at New Zealand Post."
May 23, 2006 -- NBC-2 has reported that "After going two weeks without receiving any mail, some Lee County business owners along Youngquist Road want answers. Frank Higginbotham of Impact Glass, as well as other business owners, explained he has not seen their mail carrier in a couple of weeks."
May 23, 2006 -- The Mainichi Daily News has reported that "The fiscal 2006 net profit of Japan Post, the public corporation that runs the nation's postal services, is estimated to be over 1.9 trillion yen, far surpassing those of Toyota Motor Corp. and other major private companies, corporation officials said."
May 23, 2006 -- The Chicago Tribune has reported that "After months of straddling organized labor's two deeply divided sides, the Laborers Union on Monday said it was quitting the AFL-CIO, effective June 1."
May 23, 2006 -- News Today has reported that "Postal staff in the Chennai South division today began a protest against the decision of the department in not appointing temporary staff in place of those postmen who go on long leave. About fifty staff of the department gathered front of the regional post office in T Nagar and sat on a huger strike. They raised slogans against the management of postal department and the Union government."
May 23, 2006 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "UK express and mail group Business Post has announced its results for the last financial year. There was a collapse in profits in its Express division, but Mail performed strongly."
May 23, 2006 -- CBS 5 (San Francisco) has noted that "Most of us are familiar with the post office thanks to our mail carriers. But the post office also has a law enforcement branch that protects consumers from fraud and scams. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service spent $4.3 million to produce a series of DVDs that showcase none other than the postal inspectors themselves."
May 23, 2006 -- The Utica Observer Dispatch has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service has decided not to transfer any local mail-processing functions to Syracuse."
May 23, 2006 -- The Bay of Plenty Times has reported that "Bay people will be given area postcodes but 75 Tauranga mail sorters face losing their jobs under a technology revamp at New Zealand Post. A gradual roll out of new mail sorting technology will be introduced in the Bay in early 2007 - replacing the speedy flick of fingers with state-of-the art barcoding and sorting machines. Everyone with an address will also be given a postcode."
May 23, 2006 -- According to APWU President William Burrus, "On May 3, 2006, the Postal Service announced its intent to increase postage rates in 2007. This public announcement focused on the 3-cent increase in price of a First-Class stamp, to 42 cents, and the introduction of a new "forever" stamp. These public announcements and the analyses that followed all missed the most important story. That story is not the three-cent increase; how frequently rate increases have occurred; or the impact of computerization, e-mail, and cell phones on hard-copy communications. The real story is that this rate increase will begin the final chapter of transforming the United States Postal Service from a government service designed to foster communications among all the people into a tax-free entity intended to serve first and foremost as an extension of corporate advertising mailers."
May 22, 2006 -- Business Week has reported that "Germany's regulator will probe Deutsche Post's (-3.2%) package pricing as Hermes Logistik has claimed Europe's biggest postal service hampers fair competition with low prices."
May 22, 2006 -- From Business Wire: "GrayHair Software, Inc., a pioneer in the mail industry, announces a new United States Postal Service(R) rate comparison service called the GrayHair R2006 Calculator. The new R2006 Calculator reads in mail.dat files and computes postage at the current rates. It then applies complex algorithms to approximate the R2006 proposed framework rules and re-computes postage based on the proposed R2006 rates. The results are output in both detailed and/or summary formats and available via email, text or spreadsheet formats. GrayHair Software also can include a PostalOne! mail.dat validation report."
May 22, 2006 -- The Guernsey Press and Star has reported that "Bulk Mailers' Association chairman Rodney Brouard said that new Guernsey Post charges, sanctioned by the Office of Utility Regulation last week, could see island-based mail-order companies relocate to other more-affordable locations. Mr Brouard said that if bulk mailers pulled out of Guernsey, it would have a negative impact on the island economy. He said the industry was the biggest contributor to Guernsey Post and that it also supported freight companies and was a source of employment."
May 22, 2006 -- icWales has reported that "A Cabinet minister spoke out today against the prospect of privatising the Royal Mail as the issue threatened to spark a national industrial dispute and conflict within the Labour Party."
May 22, 2006 -- According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "The U.S. Postal Service and the bulk-mail industry are using new technology to lower costs and improve responses to mailed solicitations for sales, memberships, sales coupons and surveys."
May 22, 2006 -- According to UzReport, "Uzbekistan has invited Russian investors to take part in the privatization of the national post office Uzbekiston Pochtasi and Aloqa Bank."
May 22, 2006 -- According to the Progress Report, "When government does something right, we should celebrate and give it credit. The United States Postal Service seeks to increase the postage for the first ounce of first class mail to 42 cents in 2007, with increases also for postal cards, express mail, and other mailings. So that users may purchase stamps at the new rate in advance, the USPS has announced that it will issue "forever stamps" which will always pay for one ounce of first-class postage."
May 22, 2006 -- The Guardian has reported that "The Sunday Times reported Royal Mail was in talks with the two US companies over what it described as a ground-breaking European alliance. It said chairman Allan Leighton was still undecided which of the two companies to choose but was keen to use GLS to break into the postal markets in France and Germany."
May 22, 2006 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "According to the US Teamsters Union, approximately 300 DHL and ABX Air, Inc. employees demonstrated with Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa and other union leaders, to show support for ABX Air employees trying to build unions at their workplace. The 1,200 ABX Air aircraft mechanics and 5,000 workers in ABX Air's sort centre are attempting to join the Teamsters. The union's goal is to include all workers who deliver for DHL, including employees at ABX Air, DHL's major cargo carrier, under Teamster contracts. Already, around 12,000 workers in the DHL system are Teamsters."
May 21, 2006 -- As postal commentator
Gene Del Polito has noted, "the 2006 postal rate case is underway. That means that sometime in late Spring or very early Summer, new, higher postal rates will go into effect. The Postal Service already has started making the "sooner rather than later" noises that have long bothered the business mailing industry. It's not that they can't understand why rising costs eventually must be reflected as higher prices. Rather, it's just that they find exasperating that after 35 years under postal reorganization the Postal Service still doesn't understand the dynamics that drive its customers' businesses."
May 21, 2006 -- The Times has reported that "TWO of the world's biggest postal groups, Fedex Corporation and UPS, are in advanced negotiations to set up a groundbreaking European strategic alliance with Royal Mail. The Mail's CEO wants the European operations of Fedex or UPS to team up with Royal Mail's General Logistics Systems. GLS runs a pan-European parcels business and is Royal Mail's most profitable operation. Fedex already has an alliance with Geopost, the parcel and logistics company owned by La Poste, the French operator. This enables it to provide services in France and Belgium."
May 21, 2006 -- According to the Telegraph, "Royal Mail's chairman is close to winning approval for workers to get shares in the state-owned business."
May 21, 2006 -- From PR Web: "US-based global leader in Email to Postal address delivery services, ePOSTIT, announced the official opening of its Premium Paid services. These Premium Paid services are in addition to ePOSTIT's Free mailing service & can be used for customized bulk and business printing & mailing. ePOSTIT's Premium paid services provide an innovative tool to effectively utilize modern resources available globally through printing & mailing services. Launched in July 2005, ePOSTIT's free email to postal mailing service is the fastest growing non-traditional mailing service in the world. ePOSTIT is the first company to launch a global level free email to postal address delivery service which connects people in more than 15 countries. For more information about ePOSTIT's free mailing service, please visit the website at www.freepostit.com."
May 21, 2006 -- The Dallas Morning News has reported that "Nearly all of the U.S. Postal Service's mail finds its way to destinations with help from machines designed and produced in North Texas. The machines are built by Siemens Energy & Automation Inc., a unit of the German technology giant. Headquartered in a gleaming facility near Ameriquest Field, the company supplies the Postal Service with most of the machines it uses to digitally read addresses, slap bar codes on mail and sort letters to send them to the right place."
May 20, 2006 -- According to ATM Marketplace, "NCR Corp. and Poste Italiane, the national Italian post office, struck a multimillion euro deal for the deployment of 1,000 NCR Personas M ATMs. According to a news release, the new units dispense cash and provide bill-payment services. To pay bills, customers insert a giro payment slip into a special image reader that's integrated within the ATM. The image reader is called Postamat by Poste Italiane. Once decoded by the system, customers use an ATM or bank debit card to complete the transaction. The new ATMs are expected to be deployed across Italy this fall."
May 20, 2006 -- KCAU has reported that "Sioux City leaders and state postal officials stamped out the details should the Mail Distribution Center actually relocate to Sioux Falls."
May 20, 2006 -- AMEInfo has rerported that:
Emirates Post presented the Innovation award to Estonian Post at the prestigious World Mail Awards 2006 which were announced at a gala dinner in Paris recently, in the presence of over 250 senior postal industry executives.
May 20, 2006 -- The latest issue of the
PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
May 20, 2006 -- The latest issue of PostCom's
PostOps Update has been posted on this site. In this issue:
May 20, 2006 -- The latest copy of the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. electronic governmental affairs newsletter is available on the NAPUS web site.
May 20, 2006 -- According to UTV, "The performance of Royal Mail in Northern Ireland was tonight branded the second worst in the United Kingdom."
May 19, 2006 -- From Business Wire: "Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c37258) has announced the addition of Postal Services in Australia to their offering. The Postal Services in Australia report is an in depth study containing statistics, trends, forecasts and competitor information. This class consists of units mainly engaged in picking up, transport, and delivery (domestic or international) of addressed or unaddressed mail, packages and parcels. The activity includes the sale of postage stamps, collection of mail from public letter boxes or from post offices, sorting of mail, and distribution and delivery. It includes the activities of post office agencies."
May 19, 2006 -- The Guardian has reported that "Royal Mail and the government unveiled details yesterday of a framework agreement on an investment package aimed at allowing the company to modernise its postal sorting operations, restructure the Post Office network and tackle its £5bn- plus pension fund deficit. However, the agreement came in for sharp criticism from TNT Post UK, one of Royal Mail's rivals in the postal market, which was opened to full competition at the beginning of the year. TNT is threatening to refer the agreement to Brussels under European Union rules on state aid."
May 19, 2006 -- Edie.net has reported that "Millions of envelopes are asking to be recycled thanks to a new partnership between Royal Mail and Recycle Now."
May 19, 2006 -- Belfast Today has reported that "Royal Mail workers in Northern Ireland will each receive a bonus payment of more than £400 as a result of the organisation increasing its profits by 17.5 per cent last year."
May 19, 2006 -- According to the Financial Times:
May 19, 2006 -- The Mirror has noted that "THE boss who imposed a measly £9-a-week wage rise on postal workers has seen his own salary soar by £900 a week. Royal Mail chief Adam Crozier's £47,000 increase lifts his basic pay to £615,000. He is also one of three Royal Mail directors who shared bonuses of more than £1million in the past year for helping deliver record profits."
May 19, 2006 -- The March financial reports have been posted on the USPS web site.
May 19, 2006 -- The San Leandro Times has noted that "Approximately 30 "underutilized" neighborhood mailboxes will be removed from San Leandro next week by the United States Postal Service (USPS), mostly in residential areas. This will leave approximately 70 mailboxes still available around the city."
May 19, 2006 -- The Economic Times has reported that "India Post has decided to deduct tax on interest on senior citizen savings scheme (SCSS) at source. The department has recently directed its regional offices across the country to this effect. The tax would be deducted on retrospective basis. The scheme is in vogue since August ‘04 and therefore, post offices will deduct tax from this period, if applicable."
May 18, 2006 -- The Times has reported that "The Government sparked fresh controversy today as it promised a massive £3 billion cash injection to help Royal Mail modernise and tackle its pensions deficit - on the same day that the postal organisation reported a surge in profits for last year on record turnover of more than £9 billion."
May 18, 2006 -- DM News has reported that "The express delivery industry garnered the top customer satisfaction rating among many industry categories in first-quarter 2006, the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index survey found. Despite rising fuel prices, express delivery improved to a 10-year high of 83 on a 100-point scale, up 3 points from last year. FedEx, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service all registered modest increases. But the biggest gain was made by the aggregate of smaller express delivery companies, including carriers like DHL, whose score rose 5 points to 82."
May 18, 2006 -- Conservative.com has reported that "Responding to the news that Royal Mail will receive a £1.75bn package from the Government to help plug its pension fund deficit and pay for modernisation, Shadow Trade & Industry Minister, Charles Hendry said: "We will be questioning the Government in detail about this package. Before making this announcement, the Government should have established its vision for the future of the Royal Mail and the Post Office. "The Royal Mail has made major progress in recent years, for which the management and workforce deserve great credit, but it faces two particular challenges. "The Government needs to make a clearer case why the Royal Mail pension fund should be bailed out, when others have been left to sink or swim."
May 18, 2006 -- Kyodo News Service has reported that "Japan Post said Thursday that its president, Masaharu Ikuta, and six other executives will return part of their pay, staring in June, to take responsibility for unauthorized discounts carried out by the Nagaoka post office in Nagaoka."
May 18, 2006 -- From Business Wire: "Escher Group, Ltd., the leading provider of counter automation and business applications to the postal industry, today announced that Zimbabwe Posts (Pvt) Limited (trading as Zimpost) has selected RiposteEssential(TM) to automate its post office counter network. Zimbabwe is the fifth African country to select the Riposte(R) family of products to support a full range of postal, retail, government and financial services."
May 18, 2006 -- Traffic World has reported that "The contract negotiations between UPS and its pilots, which have been on hold since December, will shift to an informal process for now, said the Independent Pilots Association. IPA told its members that the National Mediation Board official overseeing their talks told the union she had decided "to not formally reconvene negotiations at this time."
May 18, 2006 -- From the Postal Rate Commission: The Postal Service has moved to suspend C2004-3 pending conclusion of litigation in Docket No. R2006-1. It claims that suspension will benefit participants and that delay will cause no harm. Participants dispute both claims. The motion is denied.
May 18, 2006 -- The latest
DMM Update has been posted on this site.
May 18, 2006 -- The Association for Postal Commerce welcomes its newest member:
ALG Worldwide.Com represented by Dave Tanis Executive Managing Director
May 18, 2006 -- From the PR Newswire: "CheckFree Corporation has announced the most recent results of its survey, "The Latest Consumer Billing and Payment Trends," conducted every nine months by CheckFree Research Services with The Marketing Workshop, Inc. and Harris Interactive. The survey, which tracks bill payment behavior, revealed that 69 percent of U.S. online households say they are paying at least one bill online, up from 56 percent in March 2005. This includes consumers who pay any bill from a single "consolidated" website, such as a bank, and those who pay individual bills at a "biller direct" website, such as a telecommunications or credit card company. Online payments are steadily replacing check writing as the way to pay bills among those surveyed -- with paper checks used for 37.5 percent of all bill payments and online payments used for 35 percent."
May 18, 2006 -- Is your marketing relevant in a global economy? Attend the DMA International Council at International Day 2006 to learn the best tools and strategies used by US companies expanding globally. Leading international marketers will discuss ways to enhance your current marketing mix through various formats and technologies. This daylong event will feature roundtable discussions, case studies and the opportunity to network with professionals who share your interests. For questions/inquiries, call DMA Customer Service at 212.790.1500 or e-mail customerservice@the-dma.org.
May 18, 2006 -- Innovation and strategy have been chosen as the main theme of the Asia Pacific Mail and Express Conference 2006 in Singapore from 3 to 5 Oct 2006. The Conference is an in-depth knowledge update and cross-industry information exchange experience among practitioners from the mail, express and logistics sectors, for generating new concepts and ideas. Check www.terrapinn.com/2006/mailexp for more details, or call Anna Lee @ +65 6322 2712 or mail to anna.lee@terrapinn.com for more information.
May 18, 2006 -- Need to know what's going on in the R2006 postal rate case? Check the Postal Rate Commission web site daily.
May 18, 2006 -- Logistics Management has reported that "United Parcel Service Inc., the world's largest package delivery company, said high fuel prices are forcing it to end a cap on the surcharge added to air shipments. UPS will remove its 12.5 percent cap on the fuel surcharge June 5, spokesman Norman Black said Tuesday. The company also will adjust a fuel-price index it uses, so customers aren't hit with the full effect, he said. Together, the changes raise the June fuel surcharge for air shipments to 16 percent, UPS said. Atlanta-based UPS and rival shipper FedEx Corp. use surcharges on worldwide air shipments to reduce the impact of fuel-price swings."
May 18, 2006 -- As Air Cargo World has noted, "Aviation officials in China say they will use air cargo services as the priority for opening the country to foreign competition, but the express cargo carriers appear to be making the country a priority on their own. Within days of each other last month, FedEx, DHL and UPS announced new initiatives on the ground and in the air in China, making their case that growth in the world's fastest-growing air trade market will only accelerate in coming years."
May 18, 2006 -- Politics.co.uk has reported that "Postal firm TNT, a rival of Royal Mail, has said it is "unfair" the government is investing £1.75 billion in the Royal Mail. A spokeswoman she was alarmed at the decision, which would damage new competition following the full liberalisation of the postal market on January 1st this year. It was unacceptable that competition is "distorted" by VAT and barriers such as this, she said, adding that this amounted to £77 per household, more than three times what the average family spent on postage in a year, and equivalent to one pence on every letter Royal Mail would carry for the next ten years."
May 18, 2006 -- The Communications Workers Union has warned its members of "Sting In The Tail" of Royal Mail investment.
May 18, 2006 -- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung has reported that "The German government has revealed that the letter monopoly of Deutsche Post, the German postal service operator, will end on 1 January 2008, irrespective of developments in other EU member states."
May 18, 2006 -- According to the Kodiak Daily Mirror, "A tug-of-war of sorts between the post office and patrons is erupting with tossed mail stacking up on lobby counters, then being put back in the same mailboxes where it originated."
May 18, 2006 -- Eyefortransport has reported that "Alitalia's cargo division has extended its contract with Traxon to include the company's Air Mail service. This value added product provides secure global electronic communication between postal services and carriers by the transmission of CARDIT and RESDIT messages via the neutral Traxon network."
May 18, 2006 -- Business World has reported that "The government's chief privatization officer quit on Tuesday "to pursue other interests in the private sector," leaving behind a long list of state assets and firms up for sale this year. Mr. Bengzon was able to sell one state asset, the four-hectare Manila Gas property in Paco, Manila, for P573 million to Robinsons Land Corp. He left behind the sale of the 48,832-square meter Makati property formerly occupied by the International School, the privatization of the Philippine Postal Corp., government television networks RPN and IBC, and the Al-Amanah Islamic Investment Bank of the Philippines, among other major items."
May 18, 2006 -- Supply Chain Review has reported that "The Asia-Pacific express and delivery market is the fastest-growing in the world, according to a new report by independent market analyst, Datamonitor. What's more China, the fastest growing market in the Asia-Pacific express and parcels delivery sector, is set to become the sixth largest express market in the world by 2010, provided it continues growing at an average 20 percent per year. China's express delivery market value to be US$3.5 billion (2005). According to Datamonitor, the driving factor behind China's growth is its increasing export activity with Europe and the US. Datamonitor express analyst Emilio Pedrinaci says China is increasingly being seen as the manufacturing centre of the world."
May 18, 2006 -- As one letter to the editor of the Herald Tribune put it: "have supported George W. Bush and his administration since he was first named as a candidate for president. Through 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq and his war on terror, I have been behind him 100 percent. That changed when I learned that he has snookered me and the American public by forcing the U.S. Postal Service to pay the military retirement benefits to its employees who happen to be retired military. We, the public, will soon be paying for his war through escalating postal rates. This is totally unacceptable. Why didn't he just ask for a tax increase to pay for his war, rather than hiding the cost in postage stamps? It's time for Bush to come clean."
May 17, 2006 -- Unison.ie has reported that "The Minister for Environment has said An Post could be used in helping to update the Electoral register."
May 17, 2006 -- Multichannel News has reported that "The U.S. Commerce Department is several weeks away from soliciting public comment on a $1.5 billion subsidy program to help consumers purchase converter boxes to run analog-television sets after the cessation of analog-TV broadcasting in early 2009. Congress also established a converter-subsidy program in an effort to mitigate the effects of the digital transition on millions of consumers who, according to the National Association of Broadcasters, possess 73 million analog-TV sets not connected to cable or satellite. With regard to subsidy eligibility, the law is broad, stating that "a household may obtain" two $40 coupons for the purchase of converter boxes, except that two coupons may not be combined to buy just one box." The NTIA is to deliver the coupons via the U.S. Postal Service. Coupons -- which must be obtained from Jan. 1, 2008-March 31, 2009 -- expire three months after issuance.
May 17, 2006 -- According to BetaNews, "Through a deal with Stamps.com, Adobe users will now be able to design print 'PhotoStamps' through a variety of the company's applications. The option would be included in Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition and Photoshop Elements 3.0 for Windows, as well as both Photoshop Elements and Photoshop CS2 for Windows and Mac OS X."
May 17, 2006 -- The Petaluma Argus Courier has reported that "The Petaluma Area Chamber of Commerce doesn't know how many copies of its "Petaluma Business" newsletter arrived late to members last week. But the group does know it's not the first time. "We've been having problems with the bulk mail facility of the post office for a few months now," said Onita Pellegrini, executive director of the Petaluma Area Chamber of Commerce."
May 17, 2006 -- The BBC has reported that "The Royal Mail is to get a £1.75bn cash injection from the government to help plug its pension fund deficit and pay for much needed modernisation. But the package will be less generous than the deal suggested by Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton. About £900m will be in the form of a loan with commercial rates of interest, which must be repaid by 2013. The other £850m is already on its books and the Royal Mail will be allowed to use it to shore up its pension scheme." See also the Daily Mail and The Guardian.
May 17, 2006 -- The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has reported that "An alleged case of mail theft by a postal worker in Winnipeg – one of the largest cases in the country's history – illustrates the increasing burdens and stresses of the job, her former union says." Gimme a break!
May 17, 2006 -- The Postal Service™ measures timely, reliable delivery for different products. Check out what it has to say.
May 17, 2006 -- Four years after opening the most technologically advanced air package sorting hub in the world, UPS today announced a dramatic expansion that will increase sorting capacity over the next five years by 60 percent to 487,000 packages per hour. The expansion plan for UPS WorldportSM, the sophisticated mega hub at the heart of the company's global transportation network, calls for the addition of three aircraft load/unload "wings" to the hub building followed by the installation of high-speed conveyor and computer control systems.
May 17, 2006 -- The Kyodo News Service has reported that "The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry plans to inspect Japan Post branches after an unfair bulk mail service deal was found at the Nagaoka post office in Niigata Prefecture."
May 17, 2006 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
The Greek post bank is offering 34.6% of its shares on the stock exchange....
ErgoGroup AS, a subsidiary of Norway's Posten Norge AS, has taken over 55.7% of quoted Allianse ASA....
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.
May 17, 2006 -- From MarketWire: "Endicia has announced that the Company has been authorized by the United States Postal Service (USPS) to allow businesses to create customized postage. Using PictureItPostage for Business, companies can easily create postage depicting their logo, new product, or advertising message."
May 17, 2006 -- From PR Newswire:
May 17, 2006 -- Noticias.info has reported that "TNT Post UK, the leading competitor to Royal Mail in the UK postal market, today announces the acquisition of the JD Williams courier network. This development provides an entry for TNT Post UK to Business to Consumer (B2C) and Consumer to Consumer (C2C) parcel and packet delivery markets, providing 80 per cent coverage in the United Kingdom."
May 17, 2006 -- Reuters has reported that "Dutch mail firm TNT NV said on Wednesday that its TNT Post UK subsidiary is acquiring the JD Williams courier network to offer consumer parcel delivery services in Britain. TNT, which competes with Royal Mail in the British postal market, did not disclose details of the transaction. JD Williams has 194 employees and more than 2,200 self-employed couriers that deliver 12 million parcels and packets per year to consumers in Britain."
May 17, 2006 -- Gulf Times has reported that:
May 17, 2006 -- The Taipei Times has reported that "The United States Postal Service (USPS) has agreed to revise all references to the nation on its Web site from "a province of China" to "Taiwan" as requested by the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA), the Washington-based pro-Taiwan independence group said. The postal service also issued an apology for having referred to Taiwan as a Chinese province, it added."
May 17, 2006 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "Dutch mail operator TNT Post, also the first Italian private mail provider, has acquired TMW Italia in order to strengthen its advertising mail offering. TWM Italia is a player in the distribution of "door to door" or unaddressed advertising material."
May 17, 2006 -- The Envelope Manufacturers Association Foundation has produced a white paper on "The Effect of the Military Service Obligation on the Budget Scoring of H.R. 22."
May
16, 2006 -- From the U.S. Postal Service:
May
16, 2006 -- According to postal commentator
Murray Comarow, "Some suggest that the forever stamp announcement was a
public relations ploy to deflect attention from pending substantial rate
increases. If so, it worked. The media focused on the forever stamp, true to
its general lack of attention to larger issues. Postal staff and consultants
must now seek to justify the decision, after the fact. I have a hunch they
will find such justification. Sound business practice, however, would have had
the Board do its homework first. This is one I can’t lay at the feet of
Congress."
May 16, 2006 -- The
Financial Times has reported that "Europe's third postal service
privatisation sets off today with the 49 per cent sale of Austria's
Österreichische Post."
May
16, 2006 -- From
Canada NewsWire: "R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced today that it
has expanded its North American print logistics operations with the opening of
a new mail consolidation facility -- featuring complete distribution
management services -- in suburban Dallas, Texas."
May
16, 2006 -- The
Associated
Press has reported that "The Supreme Court has decided not to revive
lawsuits by former employees of Washington mail center who were exposed to
anthrax."
May
16, 2006 -- From the
PR Newswire: "A team of students from Montclair State University (New
Jersey) have won the chance to give several Postal Service products a young,
fresh image. Montclair State's team, "P.R. Factor" was selected from among six
tri-state universities to take home the Grand Prize in the U.S. Postal
Service's first public relations contest, 'The P.R. Professional Experience.'"
Carpe diem.
May
16, 2006 -- The
Insurance Business Review has noted that "UK postal company Royal Mail is
believed to be poised to report the positive news that its profits have
increased to nearly GBP600 million for 2006. However, over the same timeframe
the company's pension liability has increased by GBP1.1 billion."
May
16, 2006 -- According to
The Mirror, "ROYAL Mail is planning to axe up to 40,000 jobs, union
leaders claimed last night. The warning comes as a pay dispute threatens to
wreck improvements to the postal service." See also
The Guardian.
May
16, 2006 -- As
DM
News has noted, "Washington Mutual Bank and the U.S. Postal Service have
temporarily suspended their Negotiated Service Agreement proceedings until May
25, according to a document filed with the Postal Rate Commission yesterday.
The parties said they want to review two recent PRC filings regarding NSAs, as
well as to make some revisions."
May 16, 2006 --
Mainichi Daily News has reported that "The Ministry of Internal Affairs
and Communications has decided to conduct nationwide emergency on-site
inspections at local branches of Japan Post, following an incident in which a
post office lost 2.7 billion yen through improper business practices."
May
16, 2006 --
Gulf Times has reported that "POSTAL employees should put in more efforts
to improve the quality of their services, said Q-Post chairman Ali Mohamed
al-Ali, addressing the opening session of the training of the 71st batch of
employees at the Q-Post Training Centre yesterday."
May 16, 2006 --
Bloomberg has noted that "Deutsche Post AG, Europe's biggest postal
service, said first-quarter profit rose a less-than- expected 5 percent as the
DHL express delivery unit struggled to integrate a U.S. acquisition."
May
16, 2006 -- WCSH6
has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service is hoping to fight back against
skyrocketing gas prices. They're unveiling the first hybrid postal vehicle in
the nation today in Boston."
May
16, 2006 -- The
Pittsburgh Business Times has reported that "Shipping giant United Parcel
Service has been named the country's top business brand in the American Brand
Excellence Awards 2006. Respondents said they ranked UPS highly for being an
industry leader, forward- thinking, easy to use, ethical, popular and a
growing company."
May
16, 2006 -- GovExec.com has
reported that "A small provision in the House version of the postal overhaul
bill would raise rates for customers sending single-piece parcel packages,
effectively giving a big payoff to U.S. Postal Service competitors."
May 16, 2006 -- According to
NDTV, "In probably the first move of its kind one government department
will be imposing a tax on another. The department of revenue which falls under
the finance ministry is going ahead with its plans to levy service tax on the
Department of Post which is under the IT ministry."
May 15, 2006 -- The
Financial Times has reported that "It has been a long time coming, but
Allan Leighton, the chairman of Royal Mail, is hoping for good news from the
government when the group unveils its results on Thursday. Ministers are
expected to give the go-ahead in principle for public investment to put the
former monopoly on a firmer financial foundation in the newly liberalised
postal market."
May 15, 2006 -- The
Associated Press has reported that "Austrian postal service
Oesterreichische Post AG said Monday it will sell off 49 percent of its shares
in an initial public offering to start Tuesday and run through May 30. The
state will retain a 51 percent stake in the postal service."
May 15, 2006 -- The
Yomiuri
Shimbun has reported that "Nagaoka Post Office in Niigata Prefecture,
which undercharged its clients, resulting in a loss of at least 2.7 billion
yen, used a sloppy calculation method to check the amount of mail brought to
the office to be delivered under the separate postage payment system."
May 14, 2006 -- Be sure to check out “The
Changing Boundaries Between Postal Operators and Postal Suppliers” Michael
J. Critelli Chairman and CEO, Pitney Bowes Inc. World Mail & Express Europe
Conference May 11, 2006 on the PostInsight web site.
May 14, 2006 --
ThisIsMoney has reported that "ROYAL Mail will unveil record profits of
nearly £600m - £1.6m a day - this week, triggering an incentive scheme that
will give its 180,000 employees a minimum bonus of £400 each. At the same
time, the Government is expected to give its support in principle to a radical
restructuring plan that would give workers shares in the business and about
£1.3bn to inject in the pension scheme."
May 14, 2006 --
The
Guardian has reported that "Postal unions say they will hold a national
strike ballot unless Royal Mail agrees to talks on plans for an overhaul of
the business that involves issuing shares to staff. Union officials are also
threatening industrial action over a pay claim."
May 14, 2006 -- The
Lakeland Ledger has noted that "The White House is insisting the Postal
Service pay military pensions, which the service must pass on through postage
rates, for those current and former employees. The dispute is a striking
example of buck-passing in Washington, and shows how the ballooning deficit
can trickle down to the everyday lives of Americans. Legislation before
Congress to reform the postal system would ease financial strains on the
Postal Service and cut future rate hikes, experts say, but President Bush has
threatened to veto it. A major reason is that the reforms would return postal
workers' military pensions to the Treasury."
May 14, 2006 -- According to
Air Cargo
World, "A split within union leadership ranks has put contract talks
between UPS and its pilots back into an indefinite recess, just as formal
bargaining sessions were set to resume in the coming week, said a key union
official."
May 14, 2006 -- The
Financial Times has reported that "Ministers are expected to give the
go-ahead for public investment in Royal Mail, the state-owned postal operator,
after being convinced by executives of the need for new technology and
equipment."
May 13, 2006 -- According to the
Atlanta Business Chronicle, "United Parcel Service Inc. on Friday
responded to a disability discrimination claim, saying the employee it let go
"posed a safety risk to himself and others" and was "unable to safely perform
the essential work functions of his job."
May 13, 2006 -- According to the
Bucks County Courier Times, "When Lorie and Rich Walsh sold their
Warminster house to Katina D. Joyce they filed a change-of-address form with
the post office and moved on. But more than five years later, solicitations
for credit cards kept coming for them at their old address, and according to
police, Joyce took advantage of the situation. She used the junk mail credit
offers to open an account in Lorie Walsh's name earlier this year, police
said. Using Walsh's Social Security number and date of birth, she had access
to the credit and the checks that came with it, according to court records. In
the span of about one week in March, Joyce is accused of cashing checks
totaling $4,550."
May 13, 2006 -- From
PR Web:
"“When over 64 million American households registered with the Federal Trade
Commission’s National Do-Not-Call Registry, companies that relied heavily on
telemarketing have had to scramble to find a way to reach their potential
customers,” said Lou Pine, Co-Founder and Senior Vice President of Business
Development for Permission Data (www.permissiondata.com). “This has led to
explosive growth in the online lead generation industry.”
May 13, 2006 -- 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
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May 13, 2006 -- The
Associated
Press has reported that "A metro Atlanta man trying to send
thousands of bricks to Congress as part of a protest against illegal
immigration says he's struck a brick wall in getting the Capitol's post
offices to deliver them to Congressmen."
May 13, 2006 -- The latest copy of the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. electronic governmental affairs newsletter is available on the NAPUS web site.
In this issue: Revised CBO Estimate Projects Five-Year Savings for Postal
Reform; Bookspan NSA and Postal Reform; Congressional Budget Mess.
May 12, 2006 -- According to
Louisville Business First, "On May 11, the EEOC filed a lawsuit against
Atlanta-based UPS alleging the shipping company fired a veteran employee with
a degenerative eye condition because of the disability."
May 12, 2006 -- The
Korea Herald has reported that "Korea Post was selected as one of the
winners of the World Mail Awards on May 10, for its integrated logistics
system and Internet Shopping Mall."
May 12, 2006 --
icSouthLondon has reported that "ROYAL MAIL does not always get the best
press but diligent posties have been praised after tracking down a Sandersted
couple to deliver a letter from Australia which had been wrongly addressed."
May 12, 2006 --
Air Cargo
World has reported that "Kitty Hawk, the company that runs the only
domestic freighter airline but recently branched out into air freight
trucking, said it will pay $5 million to acquire another airport-to-airport
trucking firm that operates in the western United States. The new Kitty Hawk
Ground subsidiary is acquiring "substantially all of the operating assets" of
San Francisco-based Air Container Transport, which operates
less-than-truckload air freight service mainly in California, Oregon,
Washington, British Columbia, Colorado, Utah, Illinois and Texas."
May 12, 2006 -- The
Financial Times has reported that "Deutsche Post is considering a share
buy-back and is increasing its dividend in an attempt to boost the performance
of stock in the German postal group."