The National Association of Major Mail Users has told its members that "As of August 1, 2007, the USPS (United States Postal Service) intends to enforce a new regulation that requires all commercial incentive mail destined for the United States to be run through CASS certified software, that validates against two additional databases: Delivery Point Validation (DPV), and new proprietary Locatable Address Conversion System (LACS) for address correction. Both the DPV and LACS are encrypted, and the USPS is restricting their use to the boundaries of the United States and its territories. All the software vendors are restricted from sending the address data updates to off-shore mailers, including Canadian mailers and service providers. This is a USPS business decision taken for control purposes over the data and any use thereof. It is not for privacy or homeland security reasons, as originally thought. The decision impacts mailers, International software vendors, VAM (Value Add Mailers), global organizations sharing workload, Call Centres - any business operation that needs to validate and update addresses in the United States. "

Mr. Murray Buchanan, Head of International Policy at Royal Mail, will give an informal presentation and briefing on the recently issued European Union Postal Directive which, among other things, calls for the elimination of national postal monopolies throughout the European Union by 2009. The briefing will be held at the offices of the Postal Rate Commission at 901 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C., at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 13. This event has been jointly arranged by Royal Mail, the Postal Rate Commission and the Department of State. All are invited. Please inform Steve Sharfman, General Counsel of the Postal Rate Commission, if you plan to attend this briefing, at the following email address: stephen.sharfman@prc.gov

The Wilmington News Journal has reported that "A union election set for today for nearly 470 DHL employees in Wilmington was postponed Wednesday by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The election was postponed pending an NLRB investigation of an unfair labor practice complaint filed last Friday by the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) against DHL Express."

American Postal Workers Union President William Burrus has instructed the union’s attorneys to make initial preparations for arbitration. [I'm SHOCKED!! Shocked, I tell you!]

Postalnews.com has posted an item noting that "Bill Lewis and NBA Jeff Kehlert have signed an agreement with the USPS to compensate the APWU members of the Trenton P&DC - 5.3 million dollars for time spent traveling to Kilmer P&DC, South River, Monmouth P&DC, New Brunswick CFS, Tom's River and the Lakewood VMF."

According to DM News postal commentator Cary Baer, "Rep. Henry Waxman, D-CA is expected to chair the House committee that has U.S. Postal Service oversight. The betting is that he will spend the bulk of the Government Reform Committee’s time investigating the Bush administration rather than pursuing postal reform. Changes in the Senate also don’t bode well for the USPS."

The Toronto Sun has reported that "A Canada Post tractor-trailer loaded with thousands of pieces of mail was refused entry into the U.S. after radioactive goods were detected."

The Voice of America has reported that "A prominent research center has published a survey showing the threat of bioweapons is serious and growing. The study comes five years after the discovery of deadly anthrax in envelopes and other containers sent through the U.S. postal system. The spores killed five people and sickened 22 others."

As DM News has noted, "When Postmaster General John E. Potter was looking for a new chief financial officer, he wanted an outsider with a fresh perspective. H. Glen Walker, the new USPS executive vice president and CFO, discussed this issue recently with trade reporters at the agency's headquarters here. Mr. Walker, a certified public accountant with 30 years of domestic and international financial experience, was named to his position in August after CFO Richard Strasser retired April 3."

The Guardian has reported that "The reliability of postal deliveries has reached record levels with more than nine out of 10 first class letters arriving a day after being posted, the Royal Mail has announced."

The DM Bulletin has reported that "Otto, the world's biggest mail-order company, is reviewing its UK eCRM account as it looks to encourage more customers to shop online, rather than using its paper catalogues."

According to Knowledge@Wharton, "Michael J. Critelli isn't one of the business world's high-profile CEOs. But his tenure at Pitney Bowes has lasted over 10 years, more than twice the average survival rate for Fortune 500 company heads. And those two facts, he noted during a recent Wharton Leadership Lecture, are probably not unrelated."

Welcome to PostCom Radio
Postal Podcast Number 5
Join PostCom President Gene Del Polito and Charles Prescott, Chairman of the Consultative Committee of the Universal Postal Union for a discussion on the UPU Strategic Planning Conference recently held in Dubai, the UPU and its future organization and governance, and the role of customers within the UPU.

Inquiring minds want to know: "What in blazes is Arago?" Check the National Postal Museum web site and find out.

The Envelope Manufacturers Association has released a paper entitled, Competition and Change in Envelope Manufacturing: Dealing With Global Trends. The paper addresses the way customers are understood and assessed in terms of their value to a company.

The Wilmington News Journal has reported that "A labor election is scheduled for Thursday among nearly 470 DHL employees in Wilmington. They will vote whether they want to be organized for collective bargaining by the American Postal Workers Union, by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, or neither. Eligible voters include all full-time and regular part-time workers employed by DHL Express Inc. at the DHL Air Park in DHL's Gateway, International Services, and Shipment Recovery Center departments. Excluded within those departments are all office clerical employees, maintenance employees, temporary, casual and seasonal employees, and all professional employees, guards and supervisors."

U.K. postal regulator, Postcomm. has begun a 30 day consultation on the proposed issue of a new long term licence to Mercury International Limited. Under the new licensing framework that took effect from 1 January 2006, Mercury International Limited's licence would: allow it to provide all types of postal service; be issued for a rolling ten year period; require the company to comply with codes of practice on mail integrity (safety and security of the mail) and common operational procedures (designed to ensure the multi-operator market owrks well in practice). The consultation document and draft licence are available on the Mercury International Limited consultation page. Printed copies are available from Postcomm at Hercules House, 6 Hercules Road, London, SE1 7DB. The closing date for responses is 24 December 2006.

RFID is already used in the postal and courier service for secure access by people entering vehicles and secure areas, in location of critical packages, tracking conveyances, vehicles and trailers. In the postal track at RFID Smart Labels USA Boston Feb 21-22, speakers will include the world’s largest postal authority, the US Postal Service and the RFID supplier with the longest track record in that sector, Lyngsoe Systems of Denmark. The global situation and future trends will be analysed by top experts and those attending will receive a free copy of the acclaimed IDTechEx report “RFID in Action 2006/7”.

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.

The Polish News Bulletin has reported that "Over 12,000 postmen going on strike spells trouble not only for millions of Poles looking forward to sending Christmas cards to their loved ones; the protest by employees of Poczta Polska has ruined the promotional strategy of a number of companies which rely on the state mail and has generally made life much harder for virtually all of its customers. At the same time, it uncovered the inefficiency of the state-controlled institution. Perhaps the strengthening competition will wake it from its slumber."

According to Cayman Net News, "Customers can now pay their Cable and Wirelss bills or top up their phones at Post Offices across the Islands."

The Associated Press has reported that "Israel's largest trade union began a sweeping general strike today, shutting down the country's only international airport and all the ports.Throughout the country trains came to a halt, government ministries kept their doors shut, rubbish began piling up and the postal, phone and electric services stopped."

Mediafax has reported that "Romanian prosecutors with the Supreme Court decided Tuesday night to take into custody for 24 hours international consultants Stamen Stanchev and Vadim Benyatov Don, charged with espionage in the privatization processes of some important Romanian companies. According to the Romanian Intelligence Service, or SRI, Stanchev allegedly met with officials within the Ministry of Economy and that of Telecommunications to obtain information about the offers forwarded by the competition regarding the privatization of electricity company Electrica Muntenia Sud, the National Radio Company and postal company Posta Romana.

Transport Intelligence has reported that "DHL has announced a new programme that will streamline cross-border shipping in North America. Specifically, the DHL North America Trade Lane initiative will expedite cross-border shipments, saving time and money for U.S., Canadian and Mexican companies participating in the $8.8 billion cross-border express and ground parcel shipping market in North America."

Triangle launched its Postal Benchmarking Club during the recent UPU Strategy Conference in Dubai. The inaugural group of small and medium sized Post Offices, ranging from Malta to South Africa, decided that the initial aims and objectives should be modest and that it was important to obtain some quick wins 'in starting to share best practice across the postal world'. The Postal Benchmarking Club will meet for the first time in the New Year via telephone conferencing, chaired by John Modd, Triangle Management Services’ Director of Mail. Triangle will be coordinating and developing the Club and is expected in time to expand the group into various sub-divisions of interest. The initial fee will be US $5,000 for founder members in the first year.

Reuters has reported that "Time Warner Inc., the world's largest media company, plans to offer services that let consumers download movies from the Internet that can be burned onto DVDs in 2007, its top executive said on Tuesday. The company would likely make these movies available for such services, including one service with Wal-Mart Stores Inc., on the same day its DVDs go on sale."

Transport News Network has reported that "Amtrak Express Parcels is set to deliver millions of packages for the government following the launch of a new mail service aimed at the thousands of Government departments and offices around the country."

The Standard has reported that "The cost of sending money instantly within the country has fallen by 50 to 70 per cent — for Christmas at least — following the launch of a new service by the Postal Corporation of Kenya. Posta Kenya yesterday launched PostaPay, a domestic service provided in partnership with US-based Afripayments Llc. The service is set to go international early next year."

Kenya Times has reported that "Information and Communications minister Mutahi Kagwe has advised Postal Corporation of Kenya(PCK) to improve on service delivery in order to cope with new market challenges. The minister said money transfer service providers should improve on efficiency and maintain reliable and cost effective services. Speaking yesterday during the launch of Posta pay services, Information and communication minister Mutahi Kagwe said that if local companies are to make a niche in the competitive market there is need for them to embrace the recent technologies at the market."

AllAfrica.com has reported that "The President of the Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry and Manpower (BOCCIM) Igbal Ebrahim, has advised Botswana Post to improve on their customer service or else they will not survive in the competitive market."

From WebWire: "DHL, the world’s leading global express delivery and logistics company, today announced a new program that will streamline cross-border shipping in North America. Specifically, the DHL North America Trade Lane initiative will speed and expedite cross-border shipments, saving time and money for U.S., Canadian and Mexican companies participating in the $8.8 billion cross-border express and ground parcel shipping market in North America."

According to PC Magazine's John C. Dvorak, "the Web is simply the next generation of news and information distribution, and it's also a print vehicle. I've lectured about changing media and, the way I see it, there are two distinct tracks to follow. One is linear media, stemming from the spoken word (TV, radio, stage, folktales, speeches, movies) and the other is random-access and searchable printed media (newspapers, books, magazines, the Web) stemming from the written word."

According to the BBC, "Christmas post in the south west is set to be delayed following a decision to hold a 24-hour strike at a mail sorting centre in Devon. The Communication Workers Union said members at the Exeter Mail Centre had balloted to walk out in a dispute over flexible working hours. The industrial action is due to take place from 1400 BST on 4 December, with up to 400 staff expected to take part. The Royal Mail said 450 managers would be brought in to provide extra cover."

Reporters Without Borders today condemned the removal of many independent newspapers from the list of publications to be distributed next year by the Belarusian state postal service, Belpochta, which has a monopoly of subscription press delivery and believes it can pick and choose what it delivers. The delivery ban will hit four national newspapers - Narodnaya Volya, Nasha Niva, Tovarich, Svobodnie Novosti Plus - and many regional ones, including Brestski Kurier, Vitebski Kurier, Borisovskie Novosti, Gazeta Slonimskaya, Intex-press, Lyahavitski Chas, Volnaye Hlybokaue, Hantsavitski Chas and Miastsovi Chas. “This is yet another bid by the Belarusian government to silence the independent press by depriving it of its means of existence,” Reporters Without Borders said.

From the U.S. Postal Service: "The U.S. Postal Service will deliver Express Mail on Dec. 24 and 25, helping families and customers across the country keep the “happy” in the holidays. The Postal Service expects to deliver 20 billion letters, packages and cards between Thanksgiving and Christmas, with the busiest mailing day expected to be Monday, Dec. 18, when more than 280 million cards and letters will be processed – more than twice the average processed on any given day. Total mail volume on Dec. 18 is projected to rise to 900 million pieces of mail, increased from 670 million pieces on an average day. About 100 million First-Class letters are processed daily. That number increases to about 150 million a day during the holidays. About 12 million packages will be delivered every day through Christmas Eve. The busiest delivery day will be Wednesday, Dec. 20."

Haaretz has reported that "The two largest Israeli banks, Leumi and Hapoalim, have requested to be allowed to participate in the state tender to integrate the services of the Postal Bank into the commercial banking sector."

The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that "A Liberal senator has accused Australia Post and some of its workers of playing dirty politics in the recent Victorian state election."

Spiegel has reported that "A large German trade union is accusing the Dutch logistics firm TNT Post of trying to take over the market using "child labor." But TNT is technically within its rights. The allegations play into the union's efforts to secure better wages for postal workers at the Deutsche Post."

After having become the focus of a recent Wall Street Journal piece on the fall-out from the 2006 elections, UPS public relations director David Bolger has been discharged.

From UPS: "Continuing its commitment to small businesses, UPS CapitalSM, the financial services arm of UPS, has become one of the nation's top lenders under the government-guaranteed 7(a) loan program of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)."

According to the Polish News Bulletin, "Legal experts believe that the Polish Post Office will not have to pay compensation for delayed post caused by recent strike action."

Financial Times Deutschland has reported that "Ver.di, the German trade union for the service sector, has threatened Deutsche Post, the German national postal services provider, with strikes across the board if the post office officials, which number around 60,000, have to work longer hours from 2007 without a wage increase by way of compensation. Rolf Buttner, head of Ver.di, announced at the weekend that there would be a major conflict if the working week was increased from the current 38.5 hours to 41 hours on January 1."

The Irish Examiner has reported that "over a quarter of post offices have closed down since 2000 and the entire network faces collapse in the coming years unless the Government addresses fears over declining business and a possible loss of social welfare payments."

From Market Wire: "A special version of Claritas Inc.'s popular You Are Where You Live (YAWYL) interactive website, is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Postal Museum as part of the newly-renovated "What's in the Mail for You!"

exhibit. The new display is supplied with data from Claritas' current PRIZM® NE lifestyle segmentation system, which classifies U.S. households into one of 66 unique neighborhood types or "segments," each with a different name. The system ranks segments in descending, socio-economic order from 'Upper Crust' to 'Low-Rise Living,' and provides a reliable framework for companies to market their goods and services."

Swissinfo has reported that "Several hundred Swiss Post employees have launched a series of public protests against planned job cuts and a controversial restructuring programme. The demonstrations in three cities across the country come ahead of a new round of negotiations next month."

The BOPA Daily News has reported that "Launching of a business and communication centre in Francistown is another step forward for BotswanaPost to keep pace with a competitive communication world says BOCCIM president Mr Iqbal Ibrahim. As customers became more sophisticated, Mr Ibrahim said, they demanded products that were tailored to their ever-changing needs and preferences. Mr Ibrahim, who officiated at the launching ceremony said BotswanaPost was a communication service provider, which specialised in mail conveyance and was therefore threatened by similar service providers that had faster, efficient and cheaper means of communication. Therefore, he said, BotswanaPost should view these challenges as opportunities for diversification of the service and product offering to ensure that BotswanaPost remained relevant and meaningful to the communities it serve."

The Hamilton Spectator has reported that "A charity for kids with cancer said it has lost thousands of dollars in donations because of a blunder by a Canada Post letter carrier. The postal employee misread 160 donation envelopes addressed to the Camp Trillium Childhood Cancer Support Centre on Queensdale Avenue as solicitation mail for general distribution. Rather than delivering the envelopes to Camp Trillium last Wednesday, the carrier distributed them to houses on his route like [unaddressed, unsolicited advertising]...mail."

The Associated Press has reported that "Belarusian authorities have warned a leading independent newspaper that it could face closure _ a move its editor on Monday described as part of government efforts to muzzle critical voices. The newspaper, which marked its 100th anniversary this month, had to change its offices four times this year after authorities barred it from the capital, Minsk. The state postal agency has refused to distribute the weekly, and authorities also have barred it from subscription."

Borders Today has reported that "A Selkirk boss was left incredulous after receiving a note from the Royal Mail saying he owed them a penny, writes Sally Gillespie. But Royal Mail mandarins then added a "handling charge" of 80p on his penny mistake and expect him to pay a further 81p on his first-class letter. That's a whopping 8,000 per cent surcharge."

From CCNMatthews: "Be kind to your letter carrier and "break the ice". Each winter, snowy and icy walks and steps present a danger to mail delivery personnel. Vancouver Island has recently experienced 30 centimetres of heavy wet snowfall. Every year, too many local postal workers experience slip-and-fall accidents as a result of slippery winter conditions. Canada Post urges homeowners and businesses to clear off their walkways and driveways to prevent accidents. "Property owners are responsible for clearing their pathways and sidewalks," says Bill Lynd, Safety Officer. "A lack of attention to these conditions may result in accidents and delivery delays, therefore customer attention and action to remedy these unsafe conditions is greatly needed and much appreciated."

As Business Week has noted, "Rather than becoming obsolete in the online age, he says, the old-fashioned catalog is the most effective way to make an emotional appeal to the consumer. And ultimately...the catalog is the best method to convince customers to go online. Sure, consumers may complain about the stacks of catalogs stuffing their mailboxes. But they're using them anyway, and their actions are speaking louder than their words to retailers."

Roll Call has reported that "A squabble among Republicans over spending bills makes it increasingly likely that the House will finish its business by the end of next week, with the Senate shutting down operations soon after." [What does this mean for postal reform? How about...I think I hear the fat lady singin'. Word has it that the House members of a recent postal reform confab presented its Senate partners with a list of changes they wanted to see the Senate make. From what we understand, these changes would have made mailers' hair stand on end. To paraphrase Pasquale Henry, "If this be postal reform...fuggedabotit."]

Neue Zürcher Zeitung has reported that "Several hundred Swiss Post employees have launched a series of public protests against planned job cuts and a controversial restructuring programme. The demonstrations in three cities across the country come ahead of a new round of negotiations next month. Trade union leaders said they would not give up their industrial action until they won assurances from the management that nobody would lose their jobs or have to accept salary cuts."

UPS Press Release: "As more and more consumers flock to the Web to purchase holiday gifts, the nation's top online retailers are once again turning to UPS and its fleet of jets, trucks and state-of-the-art package tracking capabilities to ensure that cyber-shopping is as easy as a mouse click this holiday season."

The State of New Jersey legislature is working on a bill that aims to create a credit card “do-not-solicit” list for certain senior citizens and other "vulnerable consumers." Essentially, it is a do-not-mail bill aimed at a particular market sector. The bill was reported out of committee with amendments in late October and a fiscal note was added in mid-November.

As the Daily Star has noted, "Letter carriers have been collecting food during the holidays for 15 years, and this year is no exception." [Despite any differences among the members of the postal community over issues such as postal reform, this humanitarian undertaking by the nation's letter carriers deserves everyone's highest praise.]

International Freighting Weekly has reported that "Road Freight DHL trials safety deposit store rooms A major UK high street retailer is trialling an innovative solution from DHL Exel Supply Chain to the expense and security challenges of through-thenight deliveries. TTN Airlock allows deliveries to be made into a secure store-room location at shops that serves as intermediary storage during out-of-opening hours. Using RFID technology, drivers can open the outside door of the store room, make the delivery, and re-secure the door on exit. A web-based CCTV camera system allows an operator to view the delivery in real time on a secure internet channel."

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) "is questioning Royal Mail’s lack of openness on its Pension Scheme as it performs dismally in rankings published by FairPensions."

El Pais has reported that "Hundreds of Spanish postmen and their families held a demonstration in Madrid yesterday in order to demand a 33 per cent pay rise for the 65,000 staff of Correos y Telegrafos, the Spanish postal service operator. Furthermore, they are demanding that a salary revision clause be introduced in their pay agreement in order to adjust salaries in line with the development of Spain's consumer price index."

The Associated Press has reported that "France plans to require “the maintenance of the sector reserved” if “the correct operation of the postal public utility” is not guaranteed by the negotiations in progress around the European postal directive."

Florida Today has reported that "contract postal units or CPUs, scaled-down versions of post offices can be profitable...."They give the public an alternative," said Debra Thompson, customer-relations coordinator at Melbourne's main post office. "With the addition of the Minton Chevron location, we've been able to meet demands at the West Melbourne branch without need for any expansions." Balancing post office locations can be a headache for the Postal Service which must compensate increased demand in a growing part of town decline in another. "No one is building new post offices any more," Thompson said. "The Postal Service has a lot of post offices that don't cover their operating expenses, but the location has been there forever. It's very hard to close a post office and build a new one, so CPUs are very cost-effective for us."

According to KuenselOnline, "A week ago a teacher in Mongar received two parcels sent by her sister studying in the US. When she opened the parcels, to her dismay, one of them had already been opened and the contents fished out. Upon enquiry, the Bhutan post officials in Mongar said that they handed over the package just as they had received it. She still wonders where the contents of the other parcel disappeared."

As the Washington Post has noted, "If the next Congress follows through on Democratic leadership promises to conduct aggressive oversight of the government, a to-do list will be waiting, courtesy of Comptroller General David M. Walker, the head of the Government Accountability Office....Reorganizing the U.S. Postal Service, which is under increasing pressure from the Internet and competition from private delivery companies. That raises questions about whether the Postal Service "can remain a self-financing government provider of affordable universal postal services in the 21st century," according to Walker....Examining the presidential appointment process. Congress needs to look at whether some political jobs require certain qualifications and experience, such as those involved in national and homeland security, and whether other political jobs need to be given independence from the White House to ensure professionalism and objectivity."

Transport Intelligence has reported that "The news agency Reuters is stating that TNT Logistics will commence marketing of a €730million corporate bond today, Monday 27 November. Quoting "sources close to the deal", Reuters is asserting that the bond will be split in to two groups, one of €430m maturing after 8 years, the other of €300m maturing after 10 years."

The Indian Express has reported that "The government’s plan to cap foreign investment in courier companies may hit a roadblock. The commerce ministry is opposed to the foreign direct investment (FDI) related proposal in the Indian Post Office Amendment Bill, after severe opposition from industry. Commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath, who received a letter from the Investment Commission chief Ratan Tata on this issue, has decided to oppose the Bill’s intent to impose a cap on FDI in postal services. At present, there is no such cap."

As the San Jose Mercury News sees it, "today, the clerk who asks ``will that be paper or plastic?'' might as easily be referring to whether you'll be paying with cash or check vs. a credit or debit card. But eventually Americans will be able to choose among high-tech alternatives that will transform how they shop, pay for goods, borrow money, dole out allowances, transfer cash around the globe and manage their finances. The process could reshape the financial services industry as banks, phone companies, cell phone manufacturers, financial networks and scores of start-ups vie to profit by making transactions speedier, simpler, safer and cheaper for consumers and merchants. It also will force Americans to weigh trade-offs between convenience and savings vs. privacy and security." [Of course, the bill for all of this will come...electronically. As will the payment.]

The Associated Press has noted that "Internet shopping knows no boundaries, not even for products made behind bars. Maryland Correctional Enterprises, the manufacturing division of the state Division of Correction, has put its 182-page catalog online. Now anyone can see, if not buy, hundreds of items the agency offers for sale to government agencies and Maryland nonprofit organizations. The catalog is at http://www.dpscs.state.md.us/mcem."

The Sunday Mirror has reported that "with Christmas less than a month away, the postal service is in total chaos. A Sunday Mirror investigation has revealed that the Royal Mail's new charging system is proving a disaster."

From PR Newswire: "Singapore-based company, World Marketing Group and The China Post, China's National postal bureau, collaborated to introduce the United States' most groundbreaking marketing ideas to Chinese business leaders at the Western Methods, Asian Applications Forums in Shanghai and Beijing."

Stamp of Approval. The National Postal Museum's newest exhibition, "Trailblazers & Trendsetters," gathers more than 75 pieces of

original artwork commissioned for U.S. postage stamps. The works, in pencil, ink and oil, were the basis for stamps of Marian Anderson, Judy Garland, Duke Ellington, Jonas Salk and Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, among others. Free. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE. 202-633-5555.

According to one writer for the Pensacola News Journal, "don't fall for the fodder for public consumption that tax dollars do not benefit the USPS. They do and always will as long as it is a federal monopoly."

Also from the Pensacola News Journal, "The local U.S. Postal Service distribution center will not move to Mobile, a U.S. Postal Service official said Friday. The decision means 280 area postal jobs will stay put, said Joseph Breckenridge, spokesman for the Postal Service in Northwest Florida."

According to 24dash.com, "Thousands of postal workers in London are set to be balloted for strikes after union leaders rejected a pay offer today. The Communication Workers Union warned that industrial action could go ahead just before the busy run-in to Christmas. The union's London region turned down a new offer on the London Weighting allowance and will now seek permission from the national leadership to hold a ballot."

The Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service will meet in Washington, DC, at Postal Service Headquarters, 475 L’Enfant Plaza, SW, on Dec. 5-6, 2006. The public is welcome to observe the board’s open session, scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 6 in the Ben

Franklin Room on the 11th floor. The Board is expected to discuss the following items: 1. Minutes of the previous meeting, Nov. 14-15, 2006. 2. Remarks of Postmaster General and CEO John E. Potter. 3. Committee reports. 4. Consideration of the Postal Service Fiscal Year 2006 Annual Report (Chairman James Miller). 5. Consideration of Final Fiscal Year 2008 Appropriation Request (Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President H. Glen Walker). 6. Capital Investment. · Flats Sequencing System – Phase I Program (Engineering Vice President Walt O’Tormey). 7. Tentative Agenda for the Jan. 9-10, 2007, meeting in Washington, D.C.

The Kyodo news service has reported that "Out of a total of 20,223 post offices nationwide, 14,404, or 71.2 percent, ran deficits in fiscal 2005 ended March this year, down 1.2 percentage points from the previous year."

VillageSoup wants to share "Ten things you many not know about the U.S. Postal Service."

The BBC has reported that "A film about a German scientist's ill-fated postal experiment in the Western Isles is finally being screened in cinemas after a long delay. The Rocket Post tells the story of a scientist who tries to send post between Harris and the island of Scarp in the run up to World War II."

The Periodical Publishers Association (PPA) has highlighted the continued importance of the mail channel to publishers’ business models and future viability, as part of its response to the postal regulator’s Strategy Review. The findings of the review will help Postcomm frame its regulatory strategy in the lead up to 2010 and beyond.

The Anchorage Daily News has reported that "Life was never easy on the North Slope, where ground fog rolls off the Arctic Ocean and blizzards strike even in summer. But it got harder in June, grumble residents in this Inupiaq village of 4,200. That's when, to save money, the U.S. Postal Service decided to change how bypass mail gets to Barrow. Designed to assist residents in Alaska's poor, isolated villages, the program subsidizes bulk-mail delivery. The postal service program loses more than $50 million a year to run it, an official said. Under the program, goods essentially travel first-class at parcel-post rates -- quickly and cheaply. Rural Alaskans have taken advantage of bypass mail to lower costs for everything from soda pop to auto parts to dog food."

The Associated Press has reported that "Wage talks between Poland's national postal service and unions collapsed Thursday, prolonging a stoppage of deliveries in many areas of the country."

As the Colorado Springs Business Journal has noted, "Business and personal shipping will get more expensive in 2007, and that’s bad news for some small businesses. The nation’s two major shippers, United Parcel Service and FedEx Corp., both publicly traded companies, have announced they will raise rates next year, and for UPS, the rate hikes will be the biggest in 16 years. The U.S. Postal Service also is expected to raise postage rates in 2007."

Business Edge has reported that "Canada Post will invest billions of dollars to modernize its postal plants across the country in coming years, says president and CEO Moya Greene."

TechCrunch has reported that "Kirkland, Washington based company Document Command Inc. has launched its consumer facing web interface for postal mail called Remote Control Mail. The service provides an alternative to PO Boxes, mail forwarding or waiting until you get home from the road to deal with your mail. The company receives your postal mail, scans the outside of what’s sent to you and provides a web interface to quickly sort through letters, bills, magazines and direct mailings. Users of the service are able to quickly view the front of anything sent to them and choose between having the items shredded, recycled, archived, opened and scanned or forwarded to wherever they are in the physical world."

Union Network International has reported that "Widespread anger has been expressed at the "gagging orders" put in place by La Poste – the Swiss postal service – which has instructed staff not to talk to customers about their branch closure plans. La Poste aims to close over 200 branches. The project goes under the bizarre name of Ymago."

Dow Jones has reported that "China will complete its plan to convert the savings bureau of its postal system into a savings bank by the end of the year. As China moves to turn its postal system into a $10 billion standalone company, it intends to turn the postal savings bureau - where people can deposit money into interest-bearing accounts - into the China Postal Savings Bank. The savings bureau, with CNY1.3 trillion on deposit, will become China's fifth-largest bank by deposits, according to the bureau's Web site."

The BBC Monitoring Service has repored that "The Council for Portuguese [emigrant] Communities (CCP) asked the government yesterday "not to approve" the abolition of the "postal subsidy", the 50 per cent contribution to the cost of distribution of Portuguese newspapers sold abroad, next year. The decision to eliminate the postal subsidy system for the regional press puts at risk the survival of several regional newspapers and cuts one of the links which the emigrants still maintain with the region they are from."

Channel NewsAsia has reported that "Singapore Post is setting the stage to expand its presence in Indonesia. It is linking up with Pos Indonesia on four initiatives: channelling services, remittances, logistics and direct mail. The two parties signed a collaboration agreement to work together on Thursday. In a joint statement, SingPost and Pos Indonesia said the collaboration is part of a strategy to leverage on each other's strengths for growth and expansion."

Sources inform ''Globes'' that the Ministry of Finance has valued Israel Post Ltd. at NIS 1 billion for the purpose of the company’s privatization. An external consulting firm valued the Postal Bank at around NIS 100 million only. Last September, the government decided to privatize Israel Post through an IPO followed by the sale of the controlling interest to an investor. Israel Post has a very large nationwide network, many real estate properties, an expensive equipment infrastructure, and currently has a monopoly, although the market is gradually being opened.

The Peninsula has reported that "The General Postal Corporation (Q-Post) has announced a rise in the subscription fees for post boxes, following a decision taken by the Council of Ministers in this regard. The rise will come to effect from January 1, 2007. This is the first increase in subscription fees over the past 20 years, Q-Post chairman and general manager Ali Mohammed Al Ali told Al Sharq. The last increase was in 1998."

The Associated Press has reported that "Sweden won European Union approval Thursday to pay postal service Posten AB 400 million Swedish kroner (€44 million; US$56.7 million) a year in 2006 and 2007 to supply basic cashier services throughout the country."

The Taipei Times has noted that "People who are eloquent and have poise often have a competitive edge in a job interview, particularly if they are seeking a career in which a pleasant appearance is widely expected, as with flight attendants or TV news anchors. But lawmakers yesterday wanted to know why eloquence and poise should be a concern for a clerk working in the postal service. People First Party legislators Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄) and Chao Liang-yen (趙良燕) posed that question to officials from the state-run Chunghwa Post Co in a press conference yesterday. They alleged that this year's Special Examination for Postal Service Employees, scheduled to be held next month, gives too much weight to the face-to-face interview portion of an individual's application."

According to the Rising Nepal, "The Universal Postal Union sees postal service not only as a service but also as a business. Therefore, it encourages governments of member countries to transform their postal services into an autonomous body so that they are able to manage their own affairs as an independent business organisation, without surrendering their social obligation of providing mail services to the people at an affordable price."

According to the Daily Mail, "A record 100 million goods ordered online will be delivered this festive season, the Royal Mail predicts. Retailers are braced for an upturn in both Christmas gifts and groceries bought via the internet compared to last year. The Royal Mail expects to deliver 30 million more festive online orders than it did in 2005." See also Sky News.

Business Week has reported that "United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp. are poised to close the year with a bang and the express package shippers have the Internet to thank, according to an analyst from HSBC Securities. While the trucking industry has endured a relatively disappointing peak shipping season -- hindered mostly by slowdowns in the automotive and construction industries -- UPS and FedEx stand to benefit from ongoing growth in Internet retailing."

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Net4Now has reported that "Businesses may be used to buying stamps or credits for franking machines but now an online postal service not only provides the stamp, but is also printing and posting letters on behalf of its growing list of clients. L-Mail.com is an online post office that accepts letters in an electronic format from its clients, either through its web site or via its automated integration account (an API for the more computer literate). The innovative service then prints and posts the letters on behalf of its clients via 23 global locations."

The Borsen-Zeitung has reported that "Deutsche Postbank, the banking subsidiary of German postal service operator Deutsche Post, is aiming to gain 1 million new customers in 2007."

European Digital Rights has reported that "At the end of September 2006, after a reorganisation of the postal codes system (CAP), the Italian Post (Poste Italiane), now a private company, as well as the Italian Ministry of Communications have changed the way in which one could access the postal code online , limiting it to just one entry at a time, without the possibility to access the entire database."

The Kenya Broadcasting Corporation has reported that "The Communication Workers Union wants unionisable employees of the Postal Corporation of Kenya to reciprocate the recent salary increment by increasing their production. The Union's general Secretary Benson Okwaro said the union and the corporation's management had signed an agreement that provides for a 13 percent salary increase for unionisable employees to be spread over a two-year period. Okwaro said the agreement also provided increases in house allowance, leave allowance, car loan facilities, transfer allowances and hardship allowances. In a statement, Okwaro called on employees to double their efforts in improving the corporation's production. He said the union is negotiating for time off for breast-feeding mothers while on duty."

AllAfrica.com has reported that "The Sierra Leone Postal Services has suffered a big loss and set back in its plans, Salpost's dream has been shattered by a court action which prohibits from proceeding with the construction of a building that would have been used for the training of staff."

To help U.S. commercial marketers understand the new postal rate structure and plan for new rates when they are anticipated to take effect next spring, Harte-Hanks will host a complimentary, scheduled one-hour Webinar on Thursday, December 7, at 2 p.m. EST. Direct mailers may register at: http://harte-hanks.com/Webinar.

AFX has reported that "The European Commission said the deadline for its inquiry into Austrian post office Oesterreichische Post AG's buy of a 74.9 pct stake in German logistics services provider Trans-o-flex GmbH is set for Dec 19. No financial details were disclosed for the deal."

As Business Day put it: "Just as it looked as though the South African Post Office was finally on a path towards financial stability, chaos has again erupted. This culminated last week in the suspension of group CEO Khutso Mampeule, following a series of allegations which raise serious questions about corporate governance at the organisation, about the role of the board and about how Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri has handled this crisis. And make no mistake, it’s a crisis. In the past two months, former Post Office CEO Maanda Manyatshe, who still holds some sway at the organisation, has been locked in a bruising battle with Mampeule. Both have attempted to gag the press; both have levelled outrageous allegations against the other and the board; and both are now out of their posts, with Manyatshe quitting as MD of cellphone company MTN and Mampeule now suspended."

The Prague Daily Monitor has reported that "The supervisory board of Ceska posta, the Czech Post Office, has approved a transformation from a state company into a joint-stock company, spokeswoman Dita Vaclavikova said. The board has empowered chief executive Karel Kratina to elaborate on the project that is based on an agreement with the IT Ministry, the founder of Ceska posta. "

Techworld has reported that "Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba.com Corp. has signed a deal with China Post, the country's postal service, intended to smooth the online shopping experience for Chinese consumers, the company said Wednesday. Under terms of the deal, Alibaba will offer consumers the option to ship goods purchased online through a service called e-Youbao, which will be operated by China Post, the e-commerce company said."

From the European Commission: "The European Commission has decided under EC Treaty state aid rules that the remuneration paid by 'Cassa Depositi e Prestiti' to 'Poste Italiane' for the distribution of postal savings books from 2000 to 2005 is consistent with market conditions and therefore does not constitute state aid. However, the Commission has opened a formal investigation under the state aid rules into the remuneration paid to Poste Italiane for the distribution of postal bonds. The latter remuneration may be higher than the market price and could therefore constitute an illegal subsidy. The opening of an in-depth investigation gives interested parties an opportunity to comment on the measure. It does not prejudge the outcome of the procedure."

Transport Intelligence has reported that "The World Trade Organisation has released highlights of its 2005 report giving an insight into how global trade developed throughout the year. Of all the major trading nations, China stands out with an increase of its merchandise exports of 28 per cent."

From the DeSoto Explorer: Here is the kind of message NO post should be happy about seeing a customer pass along:

The BBC Monitoring Service has reported that "The rise of the Internet and the rapid growth in the cost of delivering periodical publications were the topics at the centre of attention at a business forum of print media today. Editor-in-chief of Moskovskiy Komsomolets newspaper Pavel Gusev "named the federal postal service as "the main smotheror of press freedom in Russia", which is pushing publishers of periodicals to the brink of extinction with its astronomical prices. In his opinion, only close cooperation between the regions and the centre, along with the creation of their own delivery services, will allow the print media to stay afloat."

The Evening Standard has reported that "One in eight customers are being charged the wrong postage since Royal Mail's new pricing system was introduced, research has claimed. The survey reveals 12 per cent of items sent in an investigation to test the new system had the incorrect amount of postage. The watchdog Postwatch slammed Royal Mail for a record which it said is 'indefensible and unacceptable.'"

According to the Associated Press, "Managers of Poland's state-owned post office sought Tuesday to head off the threat of a nationwide strike by letter-carriers who are demanding a hefty pay rise. Mail deliveries in some of Poland's major cities have been limited since Monday amid walkouts by some of Poczta Polska SA's letter carriers. Three labor unions that represent its 24,000 postal workers have threatened a nationwide strike, demanding, among other things, a 40% pay increase. Letter carriers currently earn some 1,000 zlotys (around $330) a month."

The U.S. Postal Service and its four largest unions have agreed to extend contract negotiations in a continued effort to reach negotiated settlements. Contract negotiations have been extended until midnight Nov. 30 with the National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO (NALC), National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association (NRLCA) and National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU). Contract negotiations have also been extended for the American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO (APWU). Negotiations will resume on Monday, November 27.

Kyodo news service has reported that "Japan Post will increase its net loss projection for its mail division for fiscal 2006 to roughly 28 billion yen from the initially estimated 5.6 billion yen."

Radio Polonia has reported that "If you sent a letter to Poland don’t expect an answer soon. Poles are more and more worried about the outcome of postal strikes which hit still new Polish cities. Polish postmen have demanded substantial raises and in many places refused to deliver mail. In such places it is still possible to receive mail from local post offices but the trade unions have warned that if the talks with postal authorities do not bring expected results the strike may also include employees of post offices."

According to the DM Bulletin, "The £10m ad campaign Royal Mail ran this summer to tell the public it was changing the way it charges for mail delivery has resulted in 84% awareness of the new pricing structure, according to research from Postwatch, the body representing postal customers."

In a November 17 letter to congressional leaders, Comptroller General David Walker sent a list of issues he encourages Congress to address. Among the near-term list of 15 issues is a recommendation to “Transform the Postal Service’s Business Model.” The text accompanying that recommendation appears below. To read the entire list in GAO’s PDF file follow this link: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07235r.pdf

Abstracts of papers for possible consideration and presentation at the 15th Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics, May 30th - June 2nd, 2007, Semmering, Austria are due December 15, 2006.

IT Backbones has reported that "The world's first CD based training is all about RFID (radio frequency identification technology), including Bar Code RFID."

According to ElectronicsTalk, "Delegates from around the world gathered at the 7th RFID Networking Forum on 9th November 2006 at the Olympia 2 Conference Centre in London to attend a range of one-to-one meetings, case studies and discussion groups focused on the use of radio frequency identification technology across a number of industry sectors."

From PR Newswire: "Howard Spanier, operator of the nation's top sales Mailboxes Etc. (MBE) franchisee in recent years, now faces a major change as United Parcel Service refuses to renew Spanier's franchisee agreement as an MBE and he is forced to become an independent. Spanier observed, "UPS told us back in 2001 that we would always be able to renew as MBE stores, if we wished to do so, but that promise -- like a lot of others -- was broken by UPS. We all feel abandoned by UPS. It's the business equivalent of walking the plank -- jumping into the unknown."

NewKerala.com has reported that "The Centre has planned to convert post offices across the country into banks, and a bill in this regard will be introduced in Parliament in the winter session, Minister of State for Communication and Information Technology Shakeel Ahmad today said. Apart from functioning as a post office, it will also have full-fledged banking facilities, Ahmed explained to reporters, saying it will be known as the 'Post Bank of India'."

The BBC has reported that "Almost 100 jobs are to go at a Royal Mail customer services centre in Essex. The company has announced the office in Colchester will close with the loss of 97 jobs as part of plans to merge the service into six national centres. A Royal Mail spokesman said voluntary redundancy or alternative roles in a different department would be offered to those whose jobs would be going."

The Postalnews Blog has reported that "Comptroller General David M. Walker has provided Congressional leaders with a list of priorities for the upcoming session of Congress. Among the fifteen ‘Near Term’ recommendations from the GAO chief is “Transform the Postal Service’s Business Model”.

The U.S. Postal Service and its four largest unions have agreed to extend contract negotiations to 3 p.m. today in hopes of reaching negotiated settlements.

MediaWeek has reported that "Magazine publishers, tired of being lumped in with “old media,” are embracing one of the newest media, mobile text messaging. Thanks to a new technology from a New York firm called ShopText and eBay unit PayPal, consumers this holiday season have the option of buying and sampling some products with their cell phones. Magazines like Details, CosmoGIRL!, Glamour and Brides are rolling out ads with short codes for text-to-buy transactions. ShopText also worked with Lucky magazine for a program in the publication’s September issue."

According to Business Day, "just as it looked as though the South African Post Office was finally on a path towards financial stability, chaos has again erupted."

As the Minneapolis Star-Tribune has noted, "Not a single reindeer had returned our calls at press time, so we had to resort to checking with the post office, FedEx and UPS for a holiday package shipping comparison. In case you're skipping Santa's free delivery service, we also checked the costs and the estimated delivery times of the three shippers."

From Business Wire: "A national program designed to increase awareness of consumers and businesses about the risks related to shipping dangerous goods has been launched by the largest trade association representing private mail and parcel shipping centers. At the same time, Associated Mail and Parcel Centers called for the industry to establish a Shipper Registry program to identify the sources of all packages dropped off for shipment."

According to Infoworld, "As the big name CIO keynoting at this year’s Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, Rob Carter of Federal Express could have been forgiven for doing a deep dive on how his 7,000-person IT team is using AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML), mashups, Web video, LAMP ( Linux, Apache, MySQL, and Perl/PHP/Python), and other checkbox items from the cool-tools list. But Carter took things in a different direction: talking philosophically about how the Internet’s impact is accelerating changes in the way the world interacts and in the way IT works."

From PR Newswire: "Group 1 Software, Inc., a Pitney Bowes Company has announced that its Data Quality Connector(TM) 2.0 has achieved "Certified for SAP NetWeaver(R)" status as a technically verified, turnkey software solution that adds significant value for customers. Group 1 Software has also become a member of the distinguished SAP(R) Software Partner Program."

The Irish Examiner has reported that "A new €1.6m extension to An Post’s national parcel processing facility at Portlaoise Mails Centre was officially opened today by Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey. More than 20,000 parcels are processed at the Portlaoise hub each day, comprising parcel mail posted in Dublin and Leinster, as well as all incoming international parcels." See also the Sunday Business Post.

The University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business has published on its web site an 'nterview with United Sta

tes Postal Rate Commissioner and 2006 Smith EMBA Candidate Mark Acton.

According to Logistics Today, while "speaking to a small gathering of journalists attending the National Industrial Transportation League (NITL) annual conference, Hans Hickler, the recently appointed CEO of DHL North America was enthusiastic in his view that DHL service levels must equal or exceed those of its two competitors, FedEx and UPS. DHL has concentrated on operational improvements which Hickler says benefit DHL by reducing cost and improving efficiency. Those same improvements are also beneficial to customers. In addition, the express carrier has been pushing a service culture through the organization. Hickler was very clear in stating DHL had no interest in making an acquisition in the less-than-truckload (LTL) area."

From Business Wire: "Kitty Hawk, Inc. has entered into a contract with the United States Postal Service ("USPS") to manage a daytime air and ground cargo network (“C-NET”) for the holiday season mail from November 28 through December 24, 2006. Based on successful performance of the contract, the total revenue to Kitty Hawk is estimated to be $29.33 million. The contract value includes the previously reported USPS award of $10.5 million towards the C-NET network, but does not include separate contracts with the USPS to charter seven of Kitty Hawk’s own aircraft to operate in the C-NET network." See also Inside Indiana Business.

PostCom Podcast Number 4
Join PostCom President Gene Del Polito and Business Objects Commercial Mail Marketing Director Chris Lien in a discussion of the many address-related rules changes that mailers can expect in the near future. CASS, DPV, LACS-Link....What do they mean? How can I get ready? Learn more, and don't forget to check out Chris Lien's postalsoftware blog for even more information.

The International Herald Tribune has reported that "Postal workers at Portugal's three main sorting offices began a weeklong series of stoppages Monday, and the national mail company said deliveries could be slowed."

Did you know that postcom.org is visited regularly by people from over 102 countries around the world?

The New York Times has reported that "A consortium of seven newspaper chains representing 176 daily papers across the country is announcing a broad partnership with Yahoo to share content, advertising and technology. In the first phase of the deal, the newspaper companies will begin posting their employment classified ads on Yahoo’s classified jobs site, HotJobs, and start using HotJobs technology to run their own online career ads. But the long-term goal of the alliance with Yahoo is to be able to have the content of these newspapers tagged and optimized for searching and indexing by Yahoo. In that way, local news would become part of a large information network that would increase usefulness for readers and value to advertisers."

AFX has reported that "Two French state-run entities, the post office, La Poste, and railway, SNCF, said they will launch a 50-50 joint venture to transport postal freight in Europe with high-speed trains. The move comes amid a liberalisation in European rail freight markets that is attracting private sector companies."

USA Today has reported that "A woman walked into Bruce Bernstein's Pompano Beach, Fla., parcel shipping store with a box that she said had to arrive before July 4th. Inside were 28 pounds of fireworks, bottle rockets and illegal, high-powered firecrackers known as M-80s. "It would have taken down a plane no problem," says Bernstein, recalling an incident from two summers ago that underscores the difficulties private shippers have with keeping hazardous materials off planes. The Associated Mail and Parcel Centers, which represents over 3,000 small shipping centers, estimates that each year thousands of packages like this one slip unnoticed onto planes all over the USA. The leading industry trade group and the government have stepped up efforts to educate the public about shipping flammable goods. The rapid growth in shipments has made it increasingly difficult to police what goes into packages that crisscross the nation, the association says. Its members are small stores that pack items and funnel packages to the large shipping firms. They handle 29 million packages a year."

According to Stuff, "New Zealand Post plans to develop an online marketplace to help small and medium-sized enterprises export goods and services online, with possible financial backing from the Government. It intends to set up a website to let businesses deal directly with overseas consumers, while handling shipping, logistics and the processing of international payments for them. Spokeswoman Fiona Mayo says a decision on whether the proposal will go ahead could be made next month, after which NZ Post may approach the Government for help."

The East Valley Tribune has reported that "Some Tempe residents have to choose between making a nightly trip to the mailbox in their pajamas or waiting to pick up their mail the next morning. “It’s gotten really bad,” said Melba Terry, a Tempe resident who has lived near McClintock and Broadway roads for 33 years. Related Links News Tempe “Every day it comes later and later, and I either have to get out of bed to get the mail or else let it wait in the box overnight and get it in the morning.” U.S. Postal Service officials blame the delivery delays on the high volume of election mail and a spike in the turnover rate among Tempe mail carriers. Although the postal service has received some customer complaints, local officials said they are working to train new employees and get back on track before the holiday rush."

The Sunday Observer has reported that "The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunication has planned to introduce Japanese technology to ensure a speedy and efficient service in the postal sector. Deputy Post Master General, R.P.D Gamini said, a Japanese organisation 'Mitzubishi' and 'Ravo' international organisation in Philippines will be providing technical assistance to uplift the standards of the postal sector. Under this technology, moneyorder transactions, mail delivery, telegrams and other related sectors will be upgraded."

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The Economic Times has reported that "Faced with a downturn in its business fortunes, China Post seems to have taken a cue from India's efforts to rejuvenate its postal services. While India has gone slow on the proposed amendment to monopolise handling of documents weighing less than 300 gm, China is all set to revise its postal law to bequeath China Post's express arm EMS (Express Mail Service), the sole authority to handle documents weighing under 150gm. Exactly like in India, all four international giants — DHL, TNT, FedEx and UPS — and over a dozen domestic operators are a disgruntled lot, since the amendment has the potential to paralyse the industry."

The Wall Street Journal has reported that "FedEx Corp., facing mounting regulatory and labor challenges to the use of independent contractors to drive delivery trucks in its FedEx Ground unit, is quietly rolling out concessions to more than 15,000 drivers. The move comes as the Memphis, Tenn., company was dealt the latest in a series of setbacks on the issue Friday. The National Labor Relations Board announced that 32 drivers at two ground terminals in Wilmington, Mass., voted to join the International Brotherhood of Teamsters."

If you really want to know who said what at the November meeting of the Mailers Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC), then check out the Postal Service's RIBBS web site.

Norwood News has reported that "While the United States Postal Service has not officially announced the consolidation that would take mail processing from the Bronx to lower Manhattan, the local union and the larger Bronx community, including Congressman Eliot Engel, have already united against its consequences. In the consolidation, which the USPS says is not imminent but definitely being discussed, mail normally processed at the General Post Office, at 149th Street and the Grand Concourse, also known as the Detached Mail Unit and Hail New York Truck Transfer Center, will now be trucked to the Morgan Processing and Distribution Center, at 29th Street and 9th Avenue. The General Post Office building in the Bronx would remain open for window service, but the entire borough's mail would be processed downtown, adding truck traffic to an already congested area, said Chuck Zlatkin, vice president of the New York Metro Area Postal Workers Union."

According to Supply and Demand Chain Executive, "It is well-known that the adoption of radio frequency identification (RFID) is happening around the globe. But where are the success stories, and in which market sectors? Here Teresa Henry with IDTechEx highlights the leading adopter nations, the big spenders and surprise niches for RFID implementation. IDTechEx keeps a close eye on which countries are eagerly adopting RFID and which are not. Our sources include intensive traveling, conferences, literature searches and our IDTechEx RFID Knowledgebase of over 2,300 case studies covering more than 2,500 organizations and 85 countries. The results are rather surprising. Firstly, the United States is the greatest adopter, with by far the largest number of cases of RFID in action and orders that are often the world's largest by value. It has even pulled ahead in the last year, with over 840 recorded projects. More surprising is the United Kingdom holding second place by number of cases, though not the money spent, where China has more claim to fame and Korea and Japan are strong rivals."

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 byemail your name, company, company title, postal and email address. Get a chance to see what you've been missing.

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: "The Parting on the Left is Now the Parting on the Right" – The WHO; Confirmation Hearing Touches on Communication and Service; Postal Reform Still Breathing.

According to Le Magazine, "Deputy Thierry St-Cyr is without doubt the black sheep of Canada Post who has been summoned on two counts by the dashing young lad: the first one is a petition against the closing of the Verdun branch of Canada Post and the second concerns the private sale of lands occupied by the postal office."

The U.S. Postal Service has told its customers that "The comment period for our September 27 Federal Register mailing standards proposal ended on Monday. This was the earliest we've ever published and allows for a second go-around with an updated set of proposals. After we carefully consider comments from our first notice, we will provide an analysis, summarize any additional changes to mail preparation based on comments, and offer a second comment period. We are aiming for early January to publish a revised set of standards. After the second comment period we'll issue interim final standards in February. These standards will be as final as we can get them before the Postal Rate Commission's recommended decision (expected in early March), and we plan to publish them about a month before the decision. We hope that once we get the decision, we will need to change very little except for the new prices. We want to keep the standards as clear and as simple as possible to administer, and allow everyone to be prepared and ready for the May implementation."

The Shippers Newswire has reported that "The National Industrial Transportation League met with representatives from the air cargo industry this week at its annual meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to better understand the issues impacting this transport mode. Cargo Network Services, the U.S. arm of the International Air Transport Association, and Cargo 2000, an IATA-based group dedicated to improving the flow of international air freight, asked the NIT League shippers to strengthen their relationship with the air freight forwarders."

The Portland Press Herald has reported that "Congress appears unlikely to reform the U.S. Postal Service this year or in the foreseeable future, blocking one of Sen. Susan Collins' legislative priorities. The goal of reform proponents such as Collins, R-Maine, is to make the post office more competitive with the Internet and premium shippers such as FedEx by reducing its reliance on rate increases for stamps. But Collins, chairwoman of the Governmental Affairs Committee, said opposition to compromise legislation in September left little hope for action when Congress finishes for the year in December. "I am not optimistic that we are going to be able to resolve this," Collins said. "We had a very good agreement worked out at the end of September that was derailed at the last second."

UPS has announced new list rates for 2007, including an average 4.9 percent increase for ground shipments and a net average increase of 4.9 percent on all air express and U.S. origin International shipments.

Direct has reported that "The Reader's Digest Association Inc., operator of the world's largest-circulation magazine as well as a direct-marketing business, has agreed to be acquired by a private equity firm. Ripplewood Holdings LLC will acquire Pleasantville, NY-based Reader's Digest for $1.6 billion, according to an announcement made yesterday. Ripplewood operates a number of media assets including direct-marketing company Direct Holdings Worldwide, exclusive global marketer of Time-Life books, music and videos. The company also owns children's educational publisher WRC Media, which produces the Weekly Reader and distributes it to school groups. "