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Postal News from August 2006:
August 31, 2006 -- According to CNET News, "It's no secret that newspapers are having a rough go of it, though a persuasive argument can be made that much of their problems are of their own making. Still, all hope is not lost--but some drastic and painful changes need to be made just to stay even in the hypercompetitive media landscape."
August 31, 2006 -- The Periodical Publishers Association has reported that "Postcomm, the independent regulator for postal services, has imposed a financial penalty of £9.62m on Royal Mail for breaching its licence by failing to properly protect the mail in its care. The penalty follows a review of Royal Mail's "mail integrity procedures", during which Postcomm found that some important features of Royal Mail's procedures were not being applied across the business."
August 31, 2006 -- The
United States Postal Service Sales Department presents the USPS Vendor Village at the Riviera Hotel & Convention Center Thursday, October 5, 2006 12:45 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. USPS is setting the stage to grow your business, improve customer satisfaction and create new business relationships. The USPS Vendor Village will be host to over 100 exhibitors and over 800 USPS Sales Professionals in a closed-event environment.
August 31, 2006 -- According to Gibbons Stamp Monthly, "Hungary Post are to launch a selection of prepaid envelopes and postcards on 1st September in order to make sending mail simpler. The items are not marked with a specific value which means that the products will still be valid despite any changes to postal rates in the future."
August 31, 2006 -- UPS Airline pilots represented by the Independent Pilots Association today ratified an eight-year labor agreement that runs through 2011. The 2,623 members who voted ratified the contract by a 13 percent margin, 56.5% to 43.5%. The contract covers 2,775 captains, first officers and flight engineers working for UPS Airlines.
August 31, 2006 -- According to Union Network International, "The President of Colombia, Álvaro Uribe Vélez, hit hard again on the Colombian trade union movement. At that exact time, through an executive order, he made public that he will wind up the Administración Postal Nacional (National Postal Administration - Adpostal), a public service institution created over a century ago."
August 31, 2006 -- The Irish Examiner has reported that "The union which represents post masters has claimed the sector is at crisis point, and it is calling on both the Minister for Communications and An Post to take action. The IPU says action is needed soon if post offices are to be saved. General Secretary John Kane says postmasters can't meet the cost of running their offices, are now resigning on a daily basis."
August 31, 2006 -- The PostalNews.com blog has reported that the Federal Times editorial staff have said the "Potter and the leadership of the Postal Service have a choice to make now. The IG report documents a strong case, depicting a public official who ran amok with his official credit card, sexually harassed fellow employees and abused his trusted position. If Potter doesn't think that merits criminal or other punitive action, perhaps it is time for a new leadership team to take charge of the U.S. Postal Service."
August 31, 2006 -- According to the Creative Bulletin, "While big players in the UK rentals market such as Amazon and Blockbuster are seeing their online market shares increase, the pure online rentals model is proving the most cost-effective. The fast pace of technology makes the postal-delivery method more likely to be superseded by more advanced forms of distribution in the future. Films are being downloaded through TV service operators such as Sky and NTL, for example, which must represent by far the most convenient method of delivering films to consumers."
August 31, 2006 -- According to Die Welt, "A spokeswoman for Deutsche Post, the German postal service operator, announced yesterday that her company was determined to keep Postbank, its banking subsidiary, for the foreseeable future. The announcement put an end to speculation regarding a potential sale of Germany's largest retail bank."
August 31, 2006 -- China Daily has reported that "Dutch postal services group TNT announced yesterday it will focus on express and postal services in China after it agreed to sell its logistics arm."
August 31, 2006 -- The Gulf Times has reported that "Q-POST'S role in taking the lead to improve the quality of mail handling among member countries of the Arab Postal Union (APU) has come in for praise from two visiting Universal Postal Union (UPU) consultants. T B Reddy and Lars Vesterlund, the two quality consultants of the apex body of global postal corporations, were in Qatar on an invitation from the postal authorities."
August 31, 2006 -- The Postal Rate Commission has approved an agreement to settle Docket No. MC2006-5 regarding "Periodicals Nominal Rate Minor Classification Change."
August 31, 2006 -- The Daily Mail has reported that "Royal Mail has been accused of cynically manipulating customers by claiming they might not receive vital information if they opt out of junk mail. Householders wanting to end the mountains of unsolicited letters that land on the doormat are being warned they risk missing important notices from local and central government. These could include public health warnings such as how to deal with an outbreak of bird flu or Home Office advice about terrorist threats. But yesterday the independent consumer body Postwatch described the threat - which angry customers say is blackmail - as 'completely untrue'."
August 31, 2006 -- According to Liberal.ca, "Liberal Critic for Crown Corporations John McKay is once again calling on Conservative Minister of Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities Lawrence Cannon to stand up for Canadian small businesses that rely on Canada Post's services to mail products to the United States. "Despite the public outcry Canada Post is still going ahead with its plans to introduce a new "light packet" service for all light weight non-paper items, hiking its rates by up to 100% of the current letter mail service prices," said Mr. McKay. "This kind of price gouging by a Crown Corporation is irresponsible and disappointing. It reflects a certain level of indifference towards Canadians."
August 31, 2006 -- According to
Murray B. Comarow, a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, Many hospitals have Morbidity and Mortality conferences, "M&Ms" in medical jargon, to review the treatment of patients who die. These sessions constitute a continuous learning process, helping physicians detect ineffective and counter-productive procedures. An M&M conference on the reasons the postal reform patient died would be an interesting experiment. I'd guess it would end up with multiple finger-pointing, with no agreement on root causes. On that somber assumption, I will take a shot at explaining why the eleven-year postal reform effort, which seems about to expire, has dissolved into disarray. It took a long time and many forces to achieve this unfortunate result."
August 31, 2006 -- According to Multichannel Merchant, "With Congress back from its summer recess next week, direct marketers will not have to wait long on the prospects of a postal reform bill."
August 30, 2006 -- Air Cargo World has reported that "DHL Express, the third-largest express carrier in the U.S. package competition, already had an 18 percent surcharge in effect for August. Its September fuel fee will be 19 percent. All three major overnight parcel carriers that compete in the United States have now said they were hiking their air fuel surcharges by a full percentage point in September."
August 30, 2006 -- The Business Standard has reported that "The industry ministry has said the proposed amendment to the Postal Bill, giving the department of posts the exclusive right over delivering letters weighing below 300 gm, was not justified. The ministry also said that the levy of 10 per cent on the turnover of courier companies was not a correct move. The ministry pointed out that the department of posts reached the remotest locations, unlike private courier operators."
August 30, 2006 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
Post Danmark achieved considerable growth with a 23% increase in net profit during the first half 2006 (89.1m euros). On the other hand, earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) fell by 5.7% compared to the first half 2005 to 99.3m euros. The turnover went up by 2.7% to 801.7m euros (780.9m euros).
The Norwegian post experienced a definite drop in result before tax during the first half 2006 to 69.8m euros (101.9m euros first half 2005) . The figures represent a 32% decline. The post said the causes were to be found in the discontinuation of state commissions and losses in the banking segment.
Posta Slovenife is working on a privatisation strategy, although a corresponding decision from the country's government is lacking as yet.
The Spanish postal workers' union is fighting privatisation of the post.
Only days after initial concrete rumours appeared did TNT sell its logistics segment to a private equity investor. US investors Apollo Management struck the deal by overbidding French investors PAI Partner at the last minute.
time:matters, which claims to specialise in courier, same-day and emergency logistics, is considering an extension of its services into Switzerland.
A brief test of Austrian parcel services commissioned by the country's Chamber of Labour has revealed performance deficits.
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.
August 30, 2006 -- The Federal Times has reported: "Do you need to increase the tax withholdings from your paycheck, add a dependent to your life insurance beneficiaries, or increase your contributions to your Thrift Saving Plan account? Or do you want to check out job opportunities at your office or elsewhere in the U.S. Postal Service? By the end of this month, Postal Service employees will be able to do all of the above simply by logging on to their home computers or one of 400 computers at kiosks in larger postal facilities throughout the country."
August 30, 2006 -- The Rogers Hometown News told its readers that "Newspapers will be stuck with an enormous rate increase next year for mail delivery because the postmaster general doesn't want his child to have to work for a mere $ 36 an hour. To Potter, the biggest price increase in history is justified not because the postal service is doing a better job (it isn't ) but because postal workers deserve higher wages. That 1 cent per second wage — which calculates to $ 36 an hour or about $ 75, 000 a year — just isn't high enough."
August 30, 2006 -- From PR Web: "Why is the United States Postal Service, USPS spending billions of dollars to automate product handling and logistics across the nation? Because it's committed to being the final delivery services for media, books, mail order prescription and other small parcels for the home and businesses delivery service. Their business continues to mushroom and their expanding "small parcel" shipment volume presents $100's of millions in new business opportunity to existing mail pre-sort and parcel processing centers that jump on board and take advantage of this market opportunity."
August 30, 2006 -- LetsRecycle.com has reported that "The amount of junk mail delivered to householders looks set to increase dramatically, with an agreement expected this week to scrap existing limits. It emerged today that the Communication Workers' Union, which represents all staff in the Royal Mail, is in talks to abolish the three-items-per-week limit on the delivery of "unaddressed" mailings. These are mailings that send publicity to "the occupier", rather than a named individual at household addresses."
August 30, 2006 -- The Retail Bulletin has reported that "Nearly one in three Postal Orders sold are now being used to pay for goods bought by online and home shoppers. The Post Office® has calculated that £104 million worth of Postal Orders will be sold to fund the UK's online and home shopping boom this year."
August 30, 2006 -- WTSP has reported that "The U-S Postal Service has announced plans to close a postal center in Tampa in March. A mail processing center in Fayetteville, North Carolina, will also close that month. The agency has closed 43 of its 55 remote encoding centers since 1999 because of improvements in technology. Automated equipment can now read more than 90 percent of mail. Meanwhile, the Postal Service is expanding a facility in Charleston, West Virginia, and plans to hire more than 100 workers there. The Charleston facility currently employs 350 workers who manually read addresses that automated machines cannot read."
August 30, 2006 -- From the Federal Register: "The Postal Rate Commission has determined that Stamped Stationery the Postal Service offers to the general public meets the definition of a ``postal service.'' This order institutes a mail classification docket for the purpose of developing classification language and a fee schedule for Stamped Stationery. Conducting this docket will allow interested persons to participate in developing appropriate classification provisions and fees."
August 30, 2006 -- According to the New York Times, "The decision by the Federal Reserve to stop raising interest rates earlier this month was "a close call," according to minutes of the Fed's Aug. 8 policy-setting meeting that were released yesterday. The minutes show committee members debating whether the economy was already slowing down enough to contain inflation, and not reaching an unequivocal conclusion."
August 30, 2006 -- The Telegraph has reported that "The Royal Mail is failing to give customers sufficient information on how to avoid receiving its junk mail deliveries."
August 30, 2006 -- Dublin People has reported that "An Post has strongly denied allegations that plans to remodel the postal service will be to the detriment of working class areas on the Southside. Mail delivery in Ballyfermot will be affected from this week as routes are redesigned. The changes to the service have been met with criticism from Sinn Fein, who claim that An Post's plans are part of a larger scheme to downgrade services in working class areas."
August 30, 2006 -- According to the Daily Mail, "A junk mail revolt was underway last night as Royal Mail was accused of blackmailing millions of householders into receiving unwanted post on their doormat every morning. Customers driven to distraction by the daily flood through their letterbox have been flocking to an opt-out offered by the postal giant whcih promises to weed out junk mail. But they have been angered by a letter sent by Royal Mail to applicants which contains a veiled threat that if they decide they do not want to receive unwanted post they will miss out on key Government information too."
August 30, 2006 -- In a letter to the editor of the Washington Post
[see below], Mail & Jobs Coalition executive director
Peter Miller wrote that "According to its 2005 annual report, the Washington Post consumed 350,600,000 pounds of newsprint (175,300 tons). Divided among 694,100 daily subscribers that works out to 505.11 pounds per reader per year. It's absurd, of course, to value either the Post or the mailstream on the basis of poundage -- a standard of common sense Mr. Kelly easily ignores."
August 30, 2006 -- According to the New Standard, "With the United States Postal Service on a financial upswing, its workers are looking to leave an era of concessions behind." Upswing?? What upswing?
August 30, 2006 -- The Peterborough Evening Telegraph has reported that "ROYAL Mail is urging more small businesses who use postage meters to take advantage of a £30 million discount by resetting meters to reflect a price reduction, following the introduction of the new pricing system."
August 30, 2006 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "DHL has announced it has broken ground on a new, modernized service centre operation near O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, IL. DHL will invest $7 million in the new 78,960-sq.-ft facility, which will serve DHL's local pickup, delivery and sorting operations. The new DHL Chicago service centre is expected to be operational by early 2007."
August 29, 2006 -- Workforce Management has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service is reaching the first milestones in streamlining its HR operations in an initiative called PostalPeople. The USPS has integrated 73 of its 80 districts into a shared services center handling benefits, retirement, separation and management hiring."
August 29, 2006 -- From the Washington Post: "Junk Mail Weighs on Their Minds."
August 29, 2006 -- American Postal Workers Union William Burrus told his members that "An editorial by Gene Del Polito, president of PostCom, has been widely distributed in the postal community, and has elicited a range of commentary. I have responded directly to the initial editorial and intend to include my response in the next issue of the APWU bimonthly magazine. But it is important that I also explain to the membership the logic behind the APWU's general position on labor/management/mailer issues."
August 29, 2006 -- According to The Recorder, "Yet another opportunity has arrived to try and decide whether the Post Office really does operate in its own never-never world because, lo, and behold, it has announced that it is making yet another strike, the first since, hold your breath, May 1, 2004 with a new pricing schedule to be unveiled on 4th September 2006."
August 28, 2006 -- Easy Bourse has reported that "Japan Post said Monday it will nearly double the number of post offices offering customers investment trusts to 1,155, starting Oct. 2, the Kyodo News Agency reported. In addition, the government-backed postal services provider will begin enabling holders of accounts for investment trusts to make additional purchases and cancel or alter the type of investment tool via the phone or Internet next year, the news agency said. Japan Post has described sales of investment trusts as one of the revenue pillars for postal savings banks and over-the-counter service providers at its nationwide offices, which will be created when its 10-year privatization process starts in October 2007, Kyodo said."
August 28, 2006 -- From the U.S. Newswire: "The head of the National Association of Letter Carriers urged the U.S. Postal Service today at the opening of contract negotiations to build on an improved labor relations climate and reward letter carriers with a "fair" wage increase and continued benefits for helping it become a profitable and productive government agency. NALC President William H. Young noted that the Postal Service has eliminated the debt of $11.3 billion it had in 2001 when the current contract began. The Postal Service has turned an $8.4 billion profit over the past three years, he added. "Letter carriers expect to be rewarded for their contributions to the success of the Postal Service," Young said."
August 28, 2006 -- The Economic Times has reported that "The grand old department of posts and telegraphs will soon be opening its doors to the private sector. For the first time in its century-old history, the postal department is planning to allow private participation in day-to-day core operations. According to sources, the first privatisation bid of the department will consist of appointing a network of franchisees in more than a dozen catchment areas. The idea of privatising parts of postal services was moved for the first time by the ministry of communications and information technology around March last year. After several rounds of discussions, the ministry is now learnt to be keen on adopting franchising as a model. "The government is looking at franchising as an optimum option to expand access to basic postal facilities without increasing dependence on budgetary resources," according to an India Post official."
August 28, 2006 -- The Gloucester Citizen has reported that "Royal Mail is urging all bus-inesses to reset their meters and franking machines to share in a £30 million postal price reduction. The new pricing structure, which was launched last Mon-day, includes a 1p reduction of the price of first class post for meter users."
August 28, 2006 -- The Jamaica Gleaner has reported that "The recent terrorist plot to blow up several aircraft in the United Kingdom and the rising demand for global security may eventually influence changes in mail regulations regarding content and packaging. Acting Postmaster General/CEO Michael Gentles has warned. Speaking to The Gleaner/Power 106FM News Centre, he indicated that one possible development on the heels of the foiled bomb plot is that all packages intended for the mail may be subject to visual scrutiny."
August 28, 2006 -- di-ve news has noted that "At the beginning of July, the European Commission published a study undertaken at its request by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) in order to assess, in each member state, the impact on the universal postal provision of a full liberalisation in 2009. Based on the conclusions of this study, the Commission shall submit by 31 December 2006 "a report to the European Parliament and the Council accompanied by a proposal confirming, if appropriate, the date of 2009 for the full accomplishment of the postal internal market or determining any other step in the light of the study's conclusions". The PWC survey states that the opening of the market will have a significant impact on the operator providing the universal service as well as on the universal postal service itself in most of the member states."
August 28, 2006 -- Gulf News has reported that "Emirates Post has announced that registered mail will carry barcode instead of postage stamps, starting from September 1, to automate and speed up registered mail. During a one-month trial period, customers will have the option of using stamps or barcode, provided they pay extra for the stamps. However, from October 1, barcodes will be compulsory on all registered mail."
August 27, 2006 -- According to The Economist, "Of all the "old" media, newspapers have the most to lose from the internet. Circulation has been falling in America, western Europe, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand for decades (elsewhere, sales are rising). But in the past few years the web has hastened the decline. Advertising is following readers out of the door."
August 27, 2006 -- PostalNews.com editor Brian Sheehan has asked: "Why do postal employees hate their customers? I know that many of the commenters would protest that it isn't their customers that they hate, it's the Big Mailers. Which is one of those strange things about the postal service. Why do union heads like Bill Burrus seem to despise the people who are paying most of their salaries? The most obvious answer seems to be simple short-sightedness."
August 27, 2006 -- As the Boston Globe has noted, "As a cavalcade of other companies have joined Netflix by shipping various discs through the mail, the mailbox has become a central part of the home entertainment ecosystem, along with the flat-screen TV, the DVD player, the PlayStation, and the stereo."
August 27, 2006 -- The Associated Press has reported that "FedEx Express, operator of the world's largest cargo airline, has reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with its pilots."
August 27, 2006 -- In a letter addressed to the President of PostCom,
American Postal Workers Union President William Burrus wrote: "I read your PostCom editorial dated Aug. 17, 2006, and have elected to respond. I attribute your failure to understand the objectives of the American Postal Workers Union to my communication skills - or lack thereof - and take full responsibility. But because your opinions are circulated widely and are well-read, I believe it is important to address your concerns."
August 27, 2006 -- As the Orlando Sentinel has noted, "The grandiose package that was passed into law this month supposedly will fix the arcane system so companies no longer promise to provide pensions they can't deliver. But many of the provisions have transformed baffling calculations into perplexing ones. It's clear some companies are going to have to pump in millions of dollars to bolster their pension plans."
August 27, 2006 -- The Telegraph has reported that "Royal Mail has embarked on a wholesale clear-out of its property portfolio. The move is part of the group's attempt to become more commercial in the wake of the opening up of the postal market to competition earlier this year. It is looking to dispose of 130 of its disused post offices, sub post offices and delivery centres that are loss making. It will also transfer of ownership of a further 180 properties to a commercial buyer. The move comes after Royal Mail executives revealed that a commercially viable postal network would comprise just 4,000 post offices, compared with the current 14,500."
August 27, 2006 -- The Times has reported that "AN POST, the postal and retail group, has agreed to pay €20m in arrears owed to its employees under the last national pay agreement. The chief executive Donal Connell's move to end a long-running dispute is a softening of the line adopted by his predecessor, Donal Curtin."
August 27, 2006 -- According to the Boston Globe, "It seems that nearly everyone in Britain has a horror story to tell about the country's beleaguered postal service, the Royal Mail. Bashing Royal Mail has become something of a sport in Britain, with such websites as Hellmail.co.uk springing up to organize the resentment. But change is afoot, as the postal service is being pushed and pulled into the world of competition."
August 26, 2006 -- According to the Montreal Gazette, "Workers at Canada Post's mechanized sorting centre in Quebec City are still smarting four weeks after the operation's closing and relocation to Montreal."
August 26, 2006 -- Traffic World has reported that "The two biggest players in the U.S. express package market, FedEx Express and UPS, both said they will push their fuel surcharges for overnight air parcels to 17 percent in September, from 16 percent now. DHL Express, the third-largest firm in the U.S. package competition, has not yet announced its September fee but has an 18 percent surcharge in effect for August."
August 26, 2006 -- According to the Louisville Business Journal, "Before there was Worldport, United Parcel Service Inc.'s star on the Louisville map was the Ashbottom Road facility where packages are sorted for truck transport. But times change, and the world's largest shipper needs more room for Worldport, its largest international shipping hub, located at Louisville International Airport. To clear room for the $1 billion Worldport expansion Atlanta-based UPS announced in May, UPS plans to relocate work done at the 941-employee Ashbottom Road ground hub." Notice how you don't read that "UPS employees are aghast, and are conducting a letter writing campaign to their Members of Congress."
August 26, 2006 -- Reuters has reported that "Hearst Corp. on Friday said it will stop publishing its magazines SHOP Etc. and Weekend, saying that they failed to meet performance metrics the company set for them. Hearst, one of the largest U.S. magazine publishers, said that SHOP Etc. will cease after its October issue and Weekend after its September issue. The company also cited challenging economic conditions, a tough newsstand environment and rising paper and postal costs. The announcement follows the closure of several other print magazine titles by Lagardere's Hachette Filipacchi Media, privately-held Conde Nast and Time Warner Inc.'s Time Inc. Hachette and Time Inc. both canceled print titles aimed at teenaged girls but continue to feature them on the Internet."
August 26, 2006 -- The minutes of the August 2006 meeting of the
Mailers Technical Advisory Committee have been posted on this site. You also can find the presentations given at this MTAC meeting on the Postal Service's RIBBS web site.
August 26, 2006 -- Easy Bourse has reported that "Argentina has extended the deadline for returning the country's postal company to private control for the fourth time in two years. There is little indication that the government is seeking buyers or that it will relinquish state control of a service it acquired under what was officially described as a short-term "transitional" arrangement in November 2004. According to a decree published Friday in the Official Bulletin, the new date for calling a public tender for Correo Argentino is now July 31, 2007. The old deadline had been June 30, 2006."
August 25, 2006 -- The latest issue of the
PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
August 25, 2006 -- WHOI has reported that "Thousands of unemployment checks have been lost. For the second time this year, the U.S. Postal Service has misplaced money heading to out-of-work residents in Illinois."
August 25, 2006 -- WRAL has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service will close a facility in Fayetteville in February 2007, eliminating 189 jobs. The Remote Encoding Center opened as a temporary site in 1994. At the facility, workers manually read addresses that computers can't read. However, officials said that improved technology has created mail-sorting machines that can read virtually all addresses, eliminating the need for the human help."
August 25, 2006 -- The
Mailers Council, the largest coalition of mailers and mailing associations, has released
a new research paper outlining the benefits of a standard implementation period of at least 90 days, longer in more complicated cases, when the Postal Service raises postage rates.
August 25, 2006 -- In an order issued by the Postal Rate Commission in the matter of Stamped Stationery, the PRC said that "Based upon a review of the record, the Commission concludes that stamped stationery is a postal service. The Commission will initiate a mail classification proceeding for the purpose of receiving a request from the Postal Service to establish a classification and fee schedule for stamped stationery. The Commission identifies stamped stationery as a candidate for new, flexible pricing techniques. The Postal Service is urged to explore such options, although the proceeding will sunset if a request is not received in timely fashion."
August 25, 2006 -- Posted below are new reports that have been posted on the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General website. If you have additional questions concerning the report, please contact Agapi Doulaveris at 703.248.2286.
August 24, 2006 -- KOLD-TV has reported that "The U-S Postal Service is phasing out its take-a-number system for post office customers. It says simply waiting in line for the next available clerk saves more time. It's already removed the numbered-ticket system from post offices in Tucson, and it plans to do so statewide in the coming weeks." Give credit where credit is due. The branch dumped a dumb practice when they knew it wasn't working.
August 24, 2006 -- According to the Arizona Star, "If you're heading to the post office, don't expect your number to be called. Local U.S. Postal Service branches cut out the numbered-ticket system Monday, opting to make customers stand in line and wait their turn. The line system will take effect at post offices statewide in the coming weeks. Before Monday, each postal customer would take a number slip and wait to be called by employees."
August 24, 2006 -- The Financial Express has reported that "Revenue of Indian postal services has increased to Rs 4431.85 crore in 2004-05 from Rs 3297 crore in 2000-01, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday. Replying to supplementaries, Minister for Communication and IT Dayanidhi Maran said while volumes of ordinary mail have reduced due to advent of technology (emails and cheaper telephone calls), the Indian post has registered increase in revenues on back of higher traffic of business post."
August 24, 2006 -- According to the Euro Weekly, "ANGRY traders in Mallorca claim their businesses are under threat because of poor summer postal services on the island. Some claim they have not had any deliveries in more than a fortnight – even though they are expecting cheques and bills to arrive. They also claim the post office is losing valuable items and accuse postal workers of failing to deliver parcels and letters."
August 24, 2006 -- KRIS-TV has reported that "A former postal worker who was caught with thousands of pieces of stolen, undelivered mail in a motel room has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison."
August 24, 2006 -- As The Guardian noted:
August 24, 2006 -- As the Financial Times has noted, "I haven't yet attempted to post a letter under the new size and weight pricing regime, but since it seems that many post offices aren't too clear on the rules I can imagine the chaos that is about to be unleashed. Not so much for senders of letters, but for recipients of correspondence deemed to have been incorrectly stamped. It's particularly annoying to get one of those cards inviting you trek to the sorting office (opening hours to suit them, not you) to collect and pay (£1 plus the underpayment on the stamp) for a letter without knowing from whom it came."
August 24, 2006 -- From U.S. Newswire: "Contract negotiations covering wages and benefits for 224,411 city delivery letter carriers in all 50 states and U.S. jurisdictions begin on Monday, Aug. 28 when the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) (AFL-CIO) and the U.S. Postal Service open bargaining on a new National Agreement. The current five-year contract expires Nov. 20."
August 24, 2006 -- Negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement between the APWU and the USPS are scheduled to begin Aug. 29, 2006, union President William Burrus has announced. Management and union officials are expected to present opening statements and establish a schedule for future meetings. The current contract expires Nov. 20.
August 23, 2006 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
Poste Italiane has been ordered to pay a 1.6m euros fine. Following intensive deliberation, Italy's competition authority Autorit Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato last week decided to impose the fine, having found that the post had abused its dominating position in the mail market.
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.
August 23, 2006 -- The Business Journal of Jacksonville has reported that TNT N.V., the Dutch parent company of TNT Logistics North America, has agreed to sell its worldwide logistics business to an international private equity firm for $1.9 billion. The sale completes TNT's strategy to exit the logistics industry and focus on its higher yielding European postal and global parcel express businesses. David Kulik, CEO of Jacksonville-based TNT Logistics North America and group managing director of the global logistics division, will become CEO of the new company when the sale to Apollo Management L.P. is completed. There is no word on what the new company will be called." See also Easy Bourse.
August 23, 2006 -- From the PR Newswire: "For six decades, the U.S. Postal Service and Highlights for Children, Inc. have delighted young readers in America by delivering 1 billion copies of Highlights for Children magazine to help children become their best selves. This achievement was celebrated today as both organizations presented the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum with one of the very first copies of the magazine, printed in June 1946, and a copy from the 1 billionth print run of the August 2006 issue, printed in June. The magazines will be preserved at the museum where they will complement the museum's existing anthology of significant postal history, publications and philatelic collections."
August 23, 2006 -- According to postal commentator
Gene Del Polito, "The APWU behaves as if it sees no social redeeming value whatever in network realignment. Their opposition to facility evaluation and the prospects of employee redeployments is more knee-jerk than well-reasoned. It would seem that the APWU is willing to accept nothing less than status quo. Of course, you'd never know that it's mindful that status quo will come at a cost that ultimately will harm the very constituents it says it represents."
August 23, 2006 -- PostWatch has posted on its site a summary of Royal Mail's service performance scores.
August 23, 2006 -- According to Handelsblatt, "Five German hauliers are planning to compete with German postal services group Deutsche Post on the German market for letter services. Diehl, Militzer & Munch, Honold, G.L. Kayser and Cretschmar Cargo have set up Xanto, a Munich-based letter transportation network. Xanto will provide nationwide transportation of letters, but will leave the actual delivery to regional service providers. Management said that it would offer its services at prices lower than Deutsche Post."
August 23, 2006 -- The National Postal Mail Handlers Union and the U.S. Postal Service have started their collective bargaining process.
August 23, 2006 -- The Japan Times has reported that "Japan Post said Monday it will start selling customized photo stamps Sept. 1 to try to promote postal mail amid a steady rise in e-mail traffic."
August 23, 2006 -- Gulf Times has reported that "THE Qatar National Bank (QNB) has signed an agreement with Qatar General Organisation for Standards and Metrology, Urban Planning and Development Authority and Real Estate Registration Department enabling customers to pay fees and other charges electronically through Points of Sales (POS). The benefits of using e-cards include eliminating the need for postal stamps, facilitating the accounting process, solving the problem of authentication, introducing an ideal payment method for company representatives and holders of large amounts of money and reducing the burden of conducting manual calculations."
August 23, 2006 -- Card Technology has reported that "PostFinance, the online-banking division of Swiss Post, Switzerland's postal service, plans to distribute large numbers of smart card readers to its customers next year. A spokesperson for Vasco Data Security International, Inc., the U.S.-Belgian company that will provide the readers, says PostFinance will use the devices to authenticate the identity of customers who conduct transactions through the bank's Web site."
August 22, 2006 -- According to Socialist Worker Online, "Over 1,000 Royal Mail workers in four distribution centres across England have voted in favour of industrial action against heavy-handed management handling of changes to mail circulation."
August 22, 2006 -- Easy Bourse has reported that "Buyout firm Apollo Management LP is on the verge of capturing the logistics unit of Dutch postal and express mail company TNT NV after an eleventh-hour trumping of bid favorite PAI Partners of France." See also MSNBC.
August 22, 2006 -- Be sure to check the PostInsight web site. There you can find two new background papers that form part of Pitney Bowes "Electronic Substitution for Mail" research program.
August 22, 2006 -- AllAfrica.com has reported that "The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) is to present for approval by the Council of Ministers a proclamation draft prepared by the Ethiopian Telecommunications Agency (ETA). The proclamation is to re-establish the ETA as the Ethiopian Communications Authority. As an authority, it will not only be regulating the Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC), which the agency has been doing since its creation in 1996, but will also monitor the Express Mailing Service (EMS) and the Ethiopian Postal Service (EPS)."
August 22, 2006 -- From Business Wire: "Teradata, a division of NCR Corporation, has announced that China Post Express Mail Service (EMS) Bureau has selected Teradata's active data warehouse as the foundation for its new track-and-trace system. The new system will help make China Post competitive with the world's leading express delivery companies in terms of quality of service and core business competencies."
August 22, 2006 -- From the U.S. Postal Service: "Postmaster General Jack Potter has announced that Al Iniguez, recently named Executive Director, Energy Initiatives, will be retiring in October. Julie Rios has been selected to replace Iniguez in his new post. Rios is currently completing a two-year assignment as Market and Quality Director for the International Post Corporation. Prior to that, her assignments included Product Information Requirements Manager and acting Postmaster of Columbus, OH."
August 22, 2006 -- Be sure to check out the WindowBook postal blog. It does a nice job of sharing some very useful information with its users.
August 22, 2006 -- According to Butler Mailing Services president
Todd Butler, "Optical disks in the mail were initially perceived by postal management as a short term volume boost, an oddity. When problems arose in the automated processing of DVDs, operation managers were told by USPS marketing to deal with the mail they were presented. If that meant manual processing was required for some segments of this mail stream, then operations needed to provide the necessary services. The resulting costs from processing this non-automated mail (accepted at automated letter rates) have been built into the base costs used to establish the proposed First Class rates."
August 22, 2006 -- As the Economist has noted, "Amazon is highly secretive about its plans, but the online industry expects it soon to launch a service for downloading films and television shows. Anyone tell Netflix? Guess that'll mean fewer DVDs in the mail. Of course, with the way the Postal Service wants to price this stuff, it would be leaving the mail anyway.
August 22, 2006 -- According to Business Week's chief economist, "The biggest danger is a slowdown in productivity growth. Currently productivity is rising at roughly a 2.5% rate on a year-over-year basis. If it continues at that pace, then the Fed's task of avoiding a deep and prolonged recession becomes relatively easy, since the economy and incomes will keep growing even if employment dips a bit. But if productivity growth slows, then even a mild drop in jobs can cause production to fall and start feeding on itself." Productivity growth over at the Postal Service is VITAL to keeping postal rates within the bounds of inflation. Wonder if the unions know that.
August 22, 2006 -- From PR Newswire: "Historically, companies have distributed paper-based compensation plans with an accompanying cover letter via postal mail to individual sales reps and required them to review them and indicate with a signature whether they accepted or declined the plans. This approach is inefficient and time- consuming as overburdened compensation administrators struggle to first distribute the plans and then chase down completed plans in order to archive them. This process then repeats itself annually, and in some instances more frequently, with hundreds if not thousands of individual comp plans. Now Informatica can manage this process entirely online within Xactly Incent."
August 22, 2006 -- The
National Association of Major Mail Users has alerted its members about an upcoming meeting where Canada Post and the mailing industry will present and review the impact of the 2007 rate case and process, as well as the strategic development of all major postal products and services. If you do business in Canada, this is a vital session you won't want to miss. Register today!
August 22, 2006 -- According to The Chattanoogan, "The Outdoor Wire reported on a confrontation between Zazzle, an online marketer that sells customized postage stamps as an "official licensed vendor" for the U.S. Postal Service, and REACT Consulting Group of Olympia, Washington. REACT boss Ed Owens wrote Postmaster General John Potter protesting Zazzle's acceptance of stamps that supported the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) while simultaneously rejecting a stamp that called sportsmen "America's first conservationists." The reasoning behind the rejection was the reason Owens was so steamed."
August 22, 2006 -- According to the Atlanta Business Journal, "UPS is back in federal court with the Internal Revenue Service. Three years after finishing a protracted legal battle over the taxable value and ownership of an operating subsidiary, United Parcel Service Inc. is requesting a $21 million to $41 million refund on its 1994 income tax."
August 22, 2006 -- Scoop has reported that "QAS, a leading supplier of address management solutions, is expanding its Asia Pacific presence by opening an office in New Zealand. Located in Auckland, the new office will be headed up by Angela Buckley, business development manager, New Zealand who will be reporting into Glenn Parker, managing director, QAS, Asia Pacific. As part of its launch, QAS has signed a strategic alliance with NZ Post to gain access to its Postal Address File (PAF), a database of 1.8 million addresses which will enable QAS to cleanse and match addresses in its customers' enterprise databases to ensure they are accurate and compliant. One of the reasons QAS has established the office is because of New Zealand Post's new four-digit postcode system. This system creates significant opportunities for QAS to assist local companies in converting their customer databases."
August 22, 2006 -- The Detroit News has reported that "Since Kurt Skarjune moved to the Mystic Forest subdivision in Commerce Township in 2003, it seems as though he has received everyone else's mail but his own. "I've been conscientious about returning the stacks of mail delivered to me that aren't mine, but I can't say the same for anyone else," Skarjune said. "It is very frustrating, especially in this day and age with identity theft being so prevalent. After learning other neighbors were facing similar problems, Skarjune contacted Walled Lake Postmaster Rosemarie Tarwacki. Skarjune contacted Ken Rogers with the U.S. Postal Service's Consumer Affairs and Claims Office because he felt his efforts at the local post office were futile. "It was the same story there," he said. "The problem would cease for a couple weeks, then creep back up."
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August 22, 2006 -- According to the Express & Star, "The Royal Mail has come in for a fair amount of criticism over the way it has introduced new postal charges - and the reasons for them. On the one hand, the posties are saying that charging for mail by size rather than weight alone will not bring them any more money. But on the other hand, why would any organisation implement a sea-change in its pricing strategy and spend presumably hundreds of thousands of pounds publicising the fact if they were going to lose out financially?" See also The Times
August 22, 2006 -- EDP24.co.uk has reported that "So for those accustomed to the interminable and seemingly motionless lunchtime wait to send a package, renew car tax or pay a bill, anything which could delay the process further is bound to be greeted with trepidation. Perhaps then it is unsurprising that, as Royal Mail's new charges were introduced, a spokesman for the Communication Workers' Union, which represents postal workers, warned of "post rage" as people struggle to get to grips with it." See also the Oxford Mail.
August 22, 2006 -- Thanh Nien News has reported that "FedEx, the world's largest express delivery company, has been appointed a Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) affiliate as an authorized agent in Vietnam. Under the three-year contract, Post Office Express Joint Stock Company (PCN) will mostly handle air cargo services for the US-based company which has had a presence in Vietnam for over a decade."
August 22, 2006 -- From the Federal Register: "The Postal Service proposes to require mailers to use polywrap film meeting one set of specifications when using polywrap on automation-rate flat-size mailpieces. Comments must be received on or before September 21, 2006."
August 22, 2006 -- According to Slate, "When higher costs squeeze them, most companies face two choices. They can raise their prices, risking the wrath of consumers and the loss of market share to cheaper competitors. Or they can sacrifice profits to keep prices steady and retain market share. But these days, some companies have found a third way: fuel surcharges."
August 22, 2006 -- The Journal of Commerce has reported that "New expectations are for slowing economic growth around the world, according to the latest World Economic Survey prepared by CESifo and the International Chamber of Commerce."
August 21, 2006 -- Material Handling Management has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is running low on pallets. An unprecedented shortage of plastic pallets used by bulk mailers has led Paul Vogel, v.p., network operations management, to find new ways to resolve this ongoing challenge. User awareness of the problem is one way Vogel plans to get the government's pallets back. Threat of arrest and conviction is another. Most of his tactics fall someplace between these two extremes."
August 21, 2006 -- GISUser has reported that "Ordnance Survey has announced the launch of a British Standard designed to improve the way street, land, property and address data is identified and indexed. BS 7666 : 2006 defines how information about locations should be supplied for IT systems so that it can be shared more easily across and among organisations. The standard builds on previous schema by introducing a new section on postal delivery points and offering greater flexibility for cross-referencing of all data through the notion of unique identifiers."
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August 21, 2006 -- What do blue jeans, DVDs, moisturizer and athletic shoes have in common? They are among the American products that Chinese consumers desire most, according to a UPS survey of 1,200 middle-class consumers in six Chinese cities. The second annual UPS survey of Chinese urban consumers - often referred to as "Chuppies" - reaffirms their demand for high-quality U.S. products and unearths more detailed insight into their buying preferences and demographic differences. UPS, which flies to more points in China than any other U.S. airline, commissioned the survey to help its customers do business in the world's fastest-growing market. "The survey highlights the need for small-to-mid-sized businesses to be prepared and focused on exactly what it is they want to accomplish by entering ChinaThe most sought-after products in this year's survey were American videos/DVDs, music or books and consumer electronics - which also were the top categories in the 2005 survey. For full survey results and other information about doing business in China, log onto www.pressroom.ups.com/chinasurvey.
August 21, 2006 -- As the Wall Street Journal has noted, "The magazine industry has been struggling to attract dollars from advertisers who are chasing young people as they migrate from mainstream media to Web sites, cable television and niche publications. As media fragment, so do the advertising dollars away from industry stalwarts like Time and Newsweek. Lately, however, one of the reasons magazines have been willing to pour resources into their online operations is that advertisers have shown themselves willing to start spending money on the Web. Many magazine companies are hoping to sell package deals to advertisers both online and in print, with the notion that editors are creating content that will drive readers back and forth between the two."
August 21, 2006 -- The Hong Kong Information Service has reported that "Over 20 new gift sets will be available through the Hong Kong-Mainland Gift Fulfilment Service. They include flower bouquets, flower baskets and cakes, priced from $288 to $1,261 including delivery charges, to more 2,000 Mainland cities. Hongkong Post and China Post teamed up in 2004 to launch the service, which provides a convenient way of sending gift sets to the Mainland. Product catalogues and order forms are available at any post office. Completed forms can be returned to any post office, or by fax or post. Customers can also place orders via the Hongkong Post Internet shopping mall ShopThruPost."
August 21, 2006 -- According to the Financial Times, "Radical plans by Royal Mail to charge customers different rates according to the density of deliveries in each geographical area have been attacked by business. The dominant postal operator is today launching its biggest price overhaul in decades, which will charge customers according to the size, thickness and weight of mail, rather than just weight alone. But Royal Mail has also applied to Postcomm, the postal regulator, to extend zonal pricing to some bulk business mail from April, albeit with a six-month transition period."
August 21, 2006 -- The Guardian has reported that "Royal Mail says 80% of all mail would cost the same or less to send, but some prices would increase. Under the new system, called pricing in proportion (PiP), the mail will be split into three size categories: a standard letter envelope, an A4 envelope that will be known as a large letter, and a packet that will be charged accordingly. Royal Mail says it costs more to sort, handle and deliver big envelopes and packets, so light but bulky items were priced below cost, whereas heavy items were generally overpriced. PiP will apply only to 'domestic' postage - items posted within and to destinations in the UK. Royal Mail's international mail services are not affected. Other countries already use PiP, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, Japan and Germany."
August 21, 2006 -- The Azeez Jaffer story continues to reverberate. This time in USA Today.
August 20, 2006 -- As the Charlotte Observer has noted, "These mail handlers are prepared to deal with challenges a bit more extreme than unruly dogs and bad weather. Fifteen Army reservists of the 312th Adjutant General Company were honored at a mobilization service Saturday afternoon at a U.S. Army Retention Center in Charlotte as they prepared to depart for a yearlong tour of duty overseas. The soldiers, part of the 81st Regional Readiness Command, are in charge of processing and handling mail -- one of the biggest morale boosters for mobilized troops."
August 20, 2006 --"A prominent Qatari has called for privatising the country's mail services. Hasan Ibrahim al-Jifairi, in a letter addressed to the Qatar Postal Corporation, has sought the ending of monopoly in mail services. "Monopoly of mail services by Q-post is unjustified and is killing the spirit of competition", al-Jifairi, a former regional manager of Gulf Air, told Gulf Times."
August 19, 2006 -- The Guardian has reported that " Workers protested across the country and handed out thousands of leaflets against plans to close post offices and transfer services to WH Smith stores. Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which is already balloting hundreds of workers for industrial action over the move, and supporters picketed WH Smith stores across the country. They also urged shoppers to boycott the high street giant. Thousands of leaflets were handed out warning that staff will lose their jobs and be replaced by inexperienced employees on "poverty" wages."
August 19, 2006 -- From the Wall Street Journal: "Verizon Communications Inc. is considering an offer for its land lines in three New England states from FairPoint Communications Inc. as well as other bidders. Verizon, of New York, is looking to shed land lines that are expensive to maintain as it upgrades its network with fiber and starts selling Internet-based services rather than focusing on traditional phone service. Union officials have complained that any land-line sale will result in a decrease in customer service. They have rallied politicians to send letters to Verizon executives asking the company to keep the lines." [A union fighting a network redesign....Now that has a familiar ring to it.]
August 19, 2006 -- The Press and Journal wants to know: "The Royal Mail was something approaching a shambles before undergoing a radical overhaul in recent years, and is now exceeding its targets for both first and second-class deliveries. But should the management feel the need to shout it from the rooftops when it succeeds in doing only what it's supposed to?"
August 19, 2006 -- As the Journal Times put it: "With all fingers and toes crossed, Racine County is hoping to receive a really, really big package from the U.S. Postal Service — a package so big it would occupy 30 to 50 acres. The USPS plans to build a new regional distribution center that will handle all mail for Southeastern Wisconsin. The agency that stops at neither rain nor sleet, and sometimes not even at barking dogs, is looking for a site in this part of the state."
August 19, 2006 -- According to The Telegraph, "Post offices are not ready for Monday's revolutionary shift in the way that mail is priced, the Government's postal watchdog said yesterday. The decision to charge for mail based on size rather than weight could result in chaos at post offices, Postwatch said." See also the BBC.
August 18, 2006 -- The latest issue of the
PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
August 18, 2006 -- AllAfrica.com has reported that "A consultant of the Universal Postal Union, Gunter Bohn, currently visiting Liberia, has disclosed plans to revamp the entire postal system of Liberia. Addressing reporters recently at the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, Mr. Bohn who is the LogCon Management Consultant, said there was a need to rehabilitate the country's postal system and to open sub-offices in the 15 counties of Liberia."
August 18, 2006 -- Quad/Graphics has announced that it has purchased Craftsman Press West, a privately held commercial printer in Reno, Nev. The acquisition immediately expands Quad/Graphics' geographic capabilities to the West Coast, giving it a competitive position in every region of the country.
August 18, 2006 -- ChannelNewsAsia has reported that "The Infocomm Development Authority is looking at ways to introduce competition in the postal service sector in Singapore. The authority is seeking industry and public views on whether the basic mail services market should be liberalised. It also wants to hear about the growth opportunities and service innovations that can arise if greater competition is introduced. All views and comments should be submitted in writing to IDA by 12 noon (Singapore time) on 29 September 2006. IDA will then consider all submitted inputs before issuing its final policy decision. The public consultation paper can be downloaded from http://www.ida.gov.sg, under the sections "Policy & Regulation", "Consultation Papers"."
August 18, 2006 -- Mark Acton was sworn in today as a member of the Postal Rate Commission for a term of office extending until October 14, 2010. Commissioner Acton was nominated by President George W. Bush on November 7, 2005 and confirmed by the United States Senate on August 3, 2006. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Acton served as Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Postal Rate Commission assisting in managing all aspects of agency operations.
August 18, 2006 -- Expansion has reported that "Spanish postal service operator Correos is aiming to expand internationally, with particular emphasis on Latin America in its business strategy. While Correos hopes to improve its competitiveness, it recognises the impossibility of competing with the main international postal operators, such as UPS, Fedex and Deutsche Post. It has therefore decided to focus on the Asian and Latin American markets."
August 18, 2006 -- As Traffic World has noted, "As manufacturers extend supply lines, craft global procurement strategies and ship more goods to the United States from Asia, they increasingly seek logistics professionals with strong academic credentials to manage their international supply chains. Likewise, retailers and other importers seek skilled professionals to manage distribution networks designed to move goods from container ports to American consumers more quickly and efficiently."
August 18, 2006 -- According to the PressDispensary, "With the current heightened security at UK airports placing major restrictions on hand luggage and recent reports of over 20,000 bags going missing, air travellers' confidence in the system has been severely shaken. This could explain why centres run by international delivery specialist, Mail Boxes Etc. ( MBE - http://www.mbe.co.uk ), are reporting an increase in the number of packages containing valuable items - traditionally carried in aircraft cabins – which are being sent overseas by holidaymakers."
August 18, 2006 -- Life Style Extra has reported that "UK postal service Royal Mail said it broke a record for delivering first class mail in the first quarter of 2006/7. The state-owned group said 94.1 pct of first class letters posted between the end of March and early June arrived at their destination the next working day, well above its 93 pct national target. Second class mail also beat its 98.5 pct target, with a 99.1 pct performance over the same three-month period -- its best first quarter result on record. Mail services used by larger businesses also exceeded their targets, including Mailsort bulk business mail services, Presstream for magazine and catalogue mail, and PPI (Postage Paid Impression) services for mail posted in pre-paid envelopes."
August 18, 2006 -- IT Business has reported that "Most customers don't pop into their local UPS store to browse the shelves. "Our typical customer is coming to us for a specific purpose, to pack something or ship something," said Malcolm Houser, executive vice-president and COO of The UPS Store. But one of the toughest things to do is get your sales staff to cross-sell and up-sell, he added. So the company turned to digital signage as a way to educate its customer base about additional offerings, without having to spend a lot of money. After looking at seven different products, it chose Cci's Retail Digital Media to provide digital signage at the point-of-purchase in retail locations across Canada."
August 17, 2006 -- From the U.S. Postal Service:
Effective September 1, 2006, we are revising 202, 233, 243, 503, 507, 707, and 708 of the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), to allow mailers to use a new barcode on automation rate letters. The Postal Service-developed "4-State Customer Barcode" is a new barcode that mailers may use to encode routing and tracking information.
Automation-rate letters must have a valid delivery point barcode (DPBC). As of September 1, 2006, mailers who are Confirm service subscribers or Address Change Service (ACSTM) participants may use either a 4-State Customer Barcode or a DPBC on automation-rate letters. While neither Confirm nor ACS services are new, mailers will be able to access these services by using the new 4-State Customer Barcode.
OneCode ACSTM users must use 4-State Customer Barcodes on First-Class Mail letters to access the "Address Service Requested" ancillary service. For ACS mail, the 4-State Customer Barcode will include a numeric Business Entity Identifier in place of the ACS participant code as well as a unique numeric mailpiece identifier instead of the mailer keyline. Complete specifications for 4-State Customer Barcodes are defined in the Postal Service publication USPS-B-3200, which is available at http://ribbs.usps.gov/OneCodeSOLUTION.
Revised standards in DMM 503 will allow mailers to use a 4-State Customer Barcode instead of a PLANET Code barcode for OneCode ConfirmTM service. Mailers accessing OneCode Confirm and OneCode ACS also will be able to use 4-State Customer Barcodes instead of DPBCs for automation rate eligibility. As our technology evolves, we will accommodate additional mail classes, processing categories, and endorsements. We also revise DMM 708 to provide an overview for 4-State Customer Barcodes.
August 17, 2006 -- 6abc.com has reported that "Hundreds of angry postal workers are making a special delivery to their bosses in the government in the form of a protest at this hour. They are rallying over what they call "serious problems" with mail service in the past few months. They blame equipment changes and personnel cuts made since operations moved to the new Southwest Philadelphia postal center. They say the new technology is unreliable and workers are complaining about frequent equipment breakdowns at the new center The U.S. Postal Service says there were problems at the new center when it first opened in November, but that service has improved dramatically since then."
August 17, 2006 -- The U.S. Postal Service is about to begin contract negotiations with its four largest unions. Current contracts with the National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO (NALC), American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO (APWU), National Rural Letter Carriers' Association (NRLCA), and National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU) all expire at Midnight Nov. 20, 2006. This is the first time the Postal Service has separately negotiated new contracts with all these unions at the same time.
August 17, 2006 -- According to postal commentator
Gene Del Polito, "There are days when you've just got wonder: What's up with the APWU? Here is an organization that is supposed to represent the long-term best interests of a key sector of the Postal Service's employees in a manner that best insures continued employment. Yet, nary a week goes by without seeing something in the electronic or print media that reflects a union that is hell-bent on ensuring its members' extinction."
August 17, 2006 -- The Wall Street Journal has reported that "Giant printer R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. is entertaining offers to be bought by leveraged buyout firms, people familiar with the matter said yesterday. The Chicago-based company -- with a market capitalization of $7.4 billion -- is a logical target for these buyout shops, which seek companies with steady cash flows that can be used to pay down debt used to fund an acquisition. At least two buyout groups are considering offers, said one person familiar with the matter. One group is comprised of Carlyle Group, Madison Dearborn Partners and Thomas H. Lee Partners. A second bidding group includes Blackstone Group and Texas Pacific Group, according to another person familiar with the matter."
August 17, 2006 -- After fervent debate on the 18th Biennial Convention's third day, APWU delegates adopted a resolution to study "efforts and procedures and processes" that would help bring the National Postal Mail Handlers Union into the APWU as a new department.
August 17, 2006 -- From U.S. Newswire: "William H. Young, a member of Central California Coast Branch 52, was reelected today as president of the 300,000-member National Association of Letter Carriers at the union's 65th biennial convention at the Las Vegas Convention Center."
August 16, 2006 -- The Staten Island Advance has reported that "United Parcel Service plans to re-evaluate its policy whereby drivers do not deliver packages to the doors of tenants in five Staten Island housing complexes."
August 16, 2006 -- The Street has reported that "Decades after it underwrote the creation of U.S. commercial aviation, the Postal Service continues to reduce its reliance on the nation's passenger airlines -- and the switch is costing the domestic carriers hundreds of millions of dollars."
August 16, 2006 -- According to The Guardian, "The Royal Mail introduces its fiendishly complicated new letter pricing system next Monday. Instead of the existing, simple system of pricing by weight, letters will also be priced by size. The price of sending a letter will, in future, require four calculations: weight, height, width and depth. Whatever way you look at it, the new pricing rules are daylight robbery."
August 16, 2006 -- The DM Bulletin has reported that "'Pricing in proportion' (PIP) has been touted as the biggest change to the postal service since the debut of the adhesive postage stamp in 1840. Its introduction has sparked debate across the direct marketing industry, with many worried the changes will have dramatic implications for campaign costs as well as the execution of mailings themselves. The Royal Mail's new rules particularly affect charity, business-to-business and FMCG direct marketers who send out samples in bulky packs. The effects of the changes range from the relatively trivial - folding A4 letters to get them into the cheapest letter format - to more fundamental considerations concerning creativity. PIP will shape the landscape of the direct marketing industry in coming years. Like or loathe it, over the coming months marketers and agencies will be navigating the limitations it imposes."
August 16, 2006 -- According to the Irish Post, "Minister for Communications Noel Dempsey is examining two reports from ComReg which analyse the feasibility and cost benefit of introducing postcodes in Ireland. The Minister described the results as positive and made no secret of his desire to introduce postcodes to Ireland as soon as possible."
August 16, 2006 -- The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that Australian "federal MPs will have almost $60 million to bombard voters with flyers, leaflets, fridge magnets, posters and other material before next year's election."
August 16, 2006 -- WDBJ7 has reported that "Self checkout lines are becoming more and more popular at grocery stores, and the U.S. Postal Service is working to join the trend of encouraging people to do it themselves."
August 16, 2006 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
`
Finland's Posti Oy show considerable turnover growth.
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.
August 16, 2006 -- According to the Wall Street Journal, "After years of hesitation, some of the largest wireless companies in the U.S. are starting to allow advertising on their cellphone networks, with the hope that these small screens eventually will rival the Internet as a powerful marketing venue. It remains unclear whether consumers will tolerate ads, and some technical complications stand in the way of producing ads that work on a variety of tiny screens and networks. Advertisers and phone companies also have yet to figure out a formula for setting ad rates. Consumers may be more willing to accept advertising if they get information and entertainment on their cellphones for lower fees, or free." Free? You mean...like most mail delivery service?
August 16, 2006 -- From PR Newswire: "TeleManagement Technologies, Inc. (TTI) today announced that the United States Postal Service - Office of the Inspector General has begun to implement their WinBill IT expense management software system at their Arlington, VA. Headquarters. The USPS-OIG serves to prevent and detect fraud, waste and employee misconduct, and promote efficiency in the operations of the Postal Service."
August 16, 2006 -- According to the Caymanian Compass, if you "Want to keep family, friends and business colleagues in the loop about the new postcode? The Cayman Islands Postal Service wants to help. Over the next three weeks the CIPS will provide postbox renters with two postcards, an Addressing Guide brochure and a personalised refrigerator magnet, said a CIPS press release. This Thursday, postbox renters will be receiving two postcards showing their correct return address including the new postcode. The return address shows the proper way to address mail coming to the Cayman Islands. Customers will be responsible for purchasing the postage necessary to mail the cards."
August 16, 2006 -- According to the Middletown Press, "When it comes to the mail, it seems that the Middletown Post Office has adopted an attitude of "better late than never." Some businesses, like the Godfrey Memorial Library, were not receiving mail at all during their normal business hours. Instead, the staff was letting in the carriers after-hours. Middlesex Chamber of Commerce President Larry McHugh pointed out another major problem with the Post Office. According to McHugh, First Class mail has been taking up to three to four days to get from one Middletown address to another."
August 16, 2006 -- According to the Globe and Mail, "Airlines, railroads, shippers and truckers are among this quarter's worst-performing U.S. stocks, and their performance may foreshadow more widespread losses. United Parcel Service Inc., the biggest company in the 20-stock average by market value, recorded its worst one-day drop ever in July after reducing its profit forecast. The industry's slump suggested to some investors that economic growth is slowing. For followers of Dow Theory, an indicator developed in the 19th century, the decline set off a warning that the market may be poised to fall."
August 16, 2006 -- The Times of India has reported that "In a dramatic attempt to wipe out the Rs 1,000 crore deficit that India Post currently runs, it has started work to set up a bank. Tentativelycalled the Post Bank of India, sources say it will start operating with 30 branches towards the end of this year - next year on the outside. During the course of the 11th five year plan, the idea is to open 1,500 branches across the country. In many ways, the move mirrors a transformation that was engineered by the Italian postal service."
August 16, 2006 -- Chennai Online has reported that "The Dept of Posts (DoP), has entered into a unique marketing tie-up with TVS Finance and Services Ltd (TVSFS), a company in the TVS Group. The arrangement envisages the DoP selling loan products in its capacity as franchisee of TVSFS. TVSFS is a leading player in the retail finance market with a basket of products comprising loans for purchase of TVS two-wheelers, consumer durables, personal computers and a recent foray into micro finance. The company has a strong presence in many districts of south India, Rajasthan, Western UP and Uttaranchal. It has a large customer base and successfully cross-sells various products to its existing customers."
August 16, 2006 -- CBS3 has reported that "Both postal workers and residents of Southwest Philadelphia are furious because of mail that's being delivered late or not at all. The problems started when the postal service moved its regional mail-sorting center from downtown to a new facility on Lindbergh Avenue. Residents of Southwest Philadelphia received their mail on Tuesday around 3 p.m.., but they say the deliveries have been uneven. Some residents have complained about receiving their mail when the sun goes down, and others have received mail that wasn't intended for their household."
August 16, 2006 -- 24dash.com has reported that "Workers in four Royal Mail distribution centres have voted in favour of industrial action over allegations of "heavy handed" management, threatening disruption to post deliveries, it was announced tonight. The Communication Workers Union said 1,000 of its members in Essex, London, Nottingham and Crick in Northamptonshire backed a campaign of action after accusing the company of imposing changes to working practices and failing to honour agreements."
August 16, 2006 -- According to the Financial Times, "The Global Fund to fight Aids, TB and malaria yesterday unveiled plans to raise money through voluntary levies from users of the postal services and other forms of communication, Andrew Jack reports. "Hope spreads faster than Aids" will from this autumn organise levies on special postage stamps and franked mail, with plans to extend the principle to private courier services, text messages and e-mails."
August 16, 2006 -- As American Printer has noted, "Among all the bad news for print markets, direct mail remains one bright spot. Annual spending on U.S. direct mail advertising is approximately $60 billion a year, and it's growing at a healthy clip: seven to eight percent a year. In 2005, companies and other groups sent out 100 billion pieces of direct mail, up 16 percent from 86 billion pieces in 1999, according to the United States Postal Service. There are a number of reasons for the growth of direct mail, but it really boils down to one very simple fact: Direct mail works. Thus, advertisers and marketers continue to use it. It provides something tangible, convenient, colorful and persuasive. After all, print is a medium that must be delivered to the reader physically, and mail is the most common method for doing so. Nearly half of everything printed gets mailed, the vast majority of which is direct mail."
August 15, 2006 -- Bloomberg has reported that "Deutsche Post AG, Europe's largest postal service, is seeking damages of 105 million euros ($134 million) from Deutsche Telekom AG stemming from its purchase of some logistics centers from the phone company six years ago. Deutsche Post is seeking 37 million euros in damages based on ``alleged warranty claims'' from an agreement in 2000, Deutsche Telekom said in a filing to U.S. securities regulators yesterday. Deutsche Post, which initiated arbitration proceedings in May, wants additional compensation that Deutsche Telekom estimates at 68 million euros."
August 15, 2006 -- The Washington Post has reported that "Bargain shoppers know the value of the coupons that come in the Sunday paper or arrive in the mail in a baby-blue envelope -- 10 percent off of carpet cleaning or buy-one-get-one-free at your favorite neighborhood restaurant. Now, those coupons are available online -- courtesy of coupon dealer Valpak and Internet giant Google Inc."
August 15, 2006 -- According to SkyNews, "The Royal Mail has delivered more than one trillion letters across the UK since records began in 1839, research has shown."
August 15, 2006 -- The Arizona Daily Star has reported that "The U.S. Post Office in Vail was shut down for three hours Monday morning after diesel fuel additives leaked from a package, causing 12 postal workers to become sick."
August 15, 2006 -- From PR Web: "Cci, a leading global retail automation company, today announced that The UPS Store in Canada, the country's largest franchised retail network of business support services, has selected Cci's Retail Digital Media Solution over competitive offerings to provide dynamic digital video signage at point-of-purchase at select The UPS Store locations across Canada. This is a significant development in Canada's digital signage market as it represents a strong endorsement of the technology by a well established retailer and further strengthens Cci's leadership in fully managed, end-to-end digital video signage solutions for Canadian retailers."
August 15, 2006 -- The DM Bulletin has reported that "TNT Post has won the £2m-plus contract to distribute Ikea's catalogues to UK households over the next year and will, for the first time, be the sole distributor."
Augus