Postal News for January 29, 2007

Ever since the President signed P.L. 109-435 into law, many have been wondering what this new law actually will mean to the Postal Service and mailers. Some have conjectured that the law will put the Postal Service under greater regulatory restrictions. Some have contended that the new law has created a whole new set of opportunties for the Postal Service, if they have the will to pursue them. According to PostCom President Gene Del Polito, he considers himself in this latter camp. In his latest commentary, he tries to address some frequently asked questions for his members and readers.

CNN has reported that "Today, mobile phones are the primary form of telecommunication in most emerging economies, fulfilling much the same role as fixed-line phone networks did in facilitating growth in the United States and Europe after World War II. Research shows that greater cell phone use can drive economic growth in emerging economies. Based on market research in China, India and the Philippines, consulting firm McKinsey & Co. found that raising wireless penetration by 10 percentage points can lead to an increase in gross domestic product of about 0.5 percent, or around $12 billion for an economy the size of China." [So, why would a developing country want to build a 21st century post?]

The Economist has reported that "THE technology revolution may be coming to poor countries via the mobile phone, not the personal computer, as it did in rich ones. And just as the internet encouraged an entrepreneurial ethos, and with it the creation of a few too many dotcom firms, Africa's surge in mobile-phone use may unleash the same sort of business energy, but tailored to local needs."

According to The Observer, "District postal manager Victor Benavides made some rather bold promises to the residents of Rio Rancho during Thursday's town hall meeting. His cautious hesitation on some statements had residents tentatively hopeful at best and completely skeptical at worst." See also the Financial Times.

ElectricNews.net has reported that "Cable & Wireless announced the completion of a converged data and voice communications system for DHL Ireland on Monday."

The Guardian has reported that "Gordon Brown will tomorrow flatly reject any moves to harmonise taxes across the European Union with a call for the continent to create jobs and wealth through radical deregulation of protected sectors of the economy. He will call on the EU to follow the UK's decision to open its postal market to full competition, create a more liberal regime in telecoms and fully implement Europe's financial services action plan.

Forbes has reported that "Pre-Christmas Web bookings on major shipping and delivery carriers surged to double digit gains over a year earlier as customers appear to be shifting their methods of shipping to increasingly Web-based services. Nielsen/Net Ratings has made available its summary of Web traffic by the principle shipping and delivery carriers. It includes some rather strong results. Comparatively, UPS had 7,904,000 unique visitors in 2005, while it had 9,154,000 in 2006 for a 16% increase. FedEx had 4,786,000 in 2005 and increased 10% to 5,281,000 in 2006. DHL saw the greatest percentage increase as it went from 932,000 unique visitors in 2005 to 1,108,000 in 2006--a 19% gain. Only the U.S. Postal Service took a dip from 8,106,000 in 2005 down to 7,520,000 in 2006--a 7% decrease."

From Business Wire: "CombineNet announced that the United States Postal Service has extended its license to use CombineNet’s advanced sourcing technologies for two more years. In the three years that the Postal Service has used CombineNet’s Advanced Sourcing Application Platform (ASAP), they have implemented the technology across multiple spend categories, sourcing roughly $1 billion and realizing more than 35x Return on Investment. CombineNet ASAP enables the Postal Service to strategically source materials and services across multiple categories, including transportation (airfreight, ocean freight and holiday season truckload shipping), services (trash and recycling removal, vehicle wash), mail equipment materials (mail containers and pallet boxes), as well as the supply of fuel for its fleet vehicles."

Postal Regulatory Commissioner Mark D. Acton today named Postal Service veteran Paul L. Harrington as his Special Assistant, effective February 5th, 2007. Harrington, a United States Postal Service (USPS) employee for more than two decades, has extensive professional experience in a variety of postal arenas. Mr. Harrington served most recently as a Postal Service Government Relations Specialist responsible for liaison with federal and state elected officials in a region including the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. He previously served the USPS as a Communications Specialist, Consumer Affairs Manager, Postal Police Officer and Distribution Clerk.

Press Release: "SAP AG has announced that BÖWE BELL + HOWELL (BBH), a leading manufacturer of document processing and postal solutions, will replace competing solutions with mySAP™ Customer Relationship Management (mySAP CRM) to help drive process efficiencies across its service organization and deliver a more intimate level of customer service. As postal legislation and the dynamics of the global marketplace continue to challenge mass mailing customers, BÖWE BELL + HOWELL responds by delivering efficient, modularly designed, cost-effective document management solutions and services to help companies more effectively organize paper-based and digital mail communications. The company will roll out mySAP CRM initially within its North American service organization, and later extend the implementation through parent company operations worldwide."

eMediaWire has reported that "According to a study published recently by InfoTrends, consumers continue to have a high preference for direct mail over other forms of direct marketing. 61% of consumers surveyed stated a preference for direct mail, which is nearly triple the number that preferred receiving ads via e-mail. These findings can be attributed to the manageable and minimally intrusive nature of paper based communications. Within this category, highly personalized direct mail with messages and offers that were designed to reflect the consumer's needs and interests were most favored."

Press Release: "Litigation Solution, Inc., a regional leader in litigation support services and Bankruptcy mailing services has launched Bankruptcymailouts.com, a web portal for Bankruptcy and legal mailing fulfillment services. Bankruptcy attorneys, corporate council and shareholder groups can now easily upload legal notices for printing and mailing via the U.S. Postal Service with a certificate of fulfillment from Litigation Solution, Inc."

From PR Newswire: "Franchisees of United Parcel Services today charged that UPS policies force them to take part in the distribution of pornographic materials, despite potential harm such products might pose for children and possible violation of state and local laws."

The Billings Gazette has reported that "Postal officials have reached an agreement that will allow the post office in this tiny town near Miles City to remain open indefinitely."

Transport Intelligence has reported that:

An important advance in the development of the Chinese economy has been marked by DHL's opening of its wholly owned Chinese domestic air freight forwarding service. DHL will now offer air freight forwarding services to 17 cities in China using the services of the smaller domestic cargo airlines. These are China Cargo Airlines, Air China Cargo, China Southern and Shanghai Airlines. It is unclear whether DHL will use capacity on Cathay Pacific's Dragon Air, the only other international and domestic air cargo network, and until now a near-dominant player.
DHL has announced enhancements to its DHL EasyShip family of PC-based shipping solutions. The new upgrades provide a number of value-added features and enhancements, including access to more DHL services, faster installation and setup, and improved rate visibility.

According to The Rising Nepal, "All staffers affiliated with post office has stressed the need of timely improvement in postal service by increasing efficiency of the service. Speakers, on the occasion, also stressed the need to modernize postal services while developing its efficiency as per the demand of the time."

The Edge Daily has reported that "Pos Malaysia Bhd (PMB) has teamed up with logistics company Sankyu (M) Sdn Bhd (Sankyu Malaysia) to provide the latter with domestic parcel distribution services, as part of PMB’s efforts to grow its customers from the business segment."

The Jamaica Gleaner has reported that "Jamaica Post's new approach to its business mail service - the Corporate Mailroom - is specifically targeted to volume-oriented business mail. In particular, the MegaMail service is proving to be quite useful to the target customer-business operators based on the sustained increase in business mail customers."

Here's one you won't believe unless you read the whole thing. The Herald has reported that "Zimpost has hiked its charges by over 100 percent with effect from January 24, 2007, as operational costs skyrocket in the prevailing highly inflationary environment. The increase comes three months after the last one in October last year. Postage of local letters weighing up to 20g and over 2kg has gone up from $100 and $550 to $400 and $6 000 respectively. Airmail postage rates to African countries have gone up from between $600 and $4 200 to between $1 500 and $28 000 depending on weight. Postage of letters to European destinations has gone up from between $750 and $5 400 to between $2 000 and $46 000. Rates for the rest of the world range from $2 500 to $53 000, up from between $1 000 and $7 300. Rates for surface mail to Africa now range between $1 300 and $14 000, up from between $500 and $3 500. Surface mail to Europe now costs between $1 600 and $15 000, from between $600 and $4 000 previously. Rates for the rest of the world are now between $1 800 and $23 000, up from the $800-$4 800 range. Postage of domestic parcels weighing from 1kg up to 30kg has gone up from between $1 000 and $2 700 to between $5 500 and $25 200. Registration and insurance charge for a postal article registered to any country outside Zimbabwe has gone up from $1 250 to $3 800. For registered local articles, the cost varies depending on value, ranging between $900 and $2 000, up from the $250-$800 range previously."

Postal News for January 28, 2007

MyFox.com has reported that "Today, mobile phones are the primary form of telecommunication in most emerging economies, fulfilling much the same role as fixed-line phone networks did in facilitating growth in the United States and Europe after World War II. Some developing nations have even jumped out in front as mobile pioneers. In the Philippines, more than 4 million people use their cell phones as virtual wallets to buy things or transfer cash -- services still rare in many wealthy countries, with few exceptions like Japan."

According to the Island Gazette, "The UPS Store is your one stop shop for all your business needs from mailbox services and shipping, to color copies and faxing; they are the island’s only business center dedicated entirely to serving your business needs in a cost efficient and timely manner. The UPS Store makes it easy, just email or drop off your printing order and don’t think about it again until it is in your hand; it’s that easy. The UPS Store offers a multi-faceted business center that meets all of your needs; there are even notary services available."

As the Ocala Star-Banner has reported, "The phrase "going postal" entered American slang after a series of shootings by postal workers in the 1980s and 1990s that left more than three dozen people dead. The most recent such incident took place last Jan. 30, when a former postal worker in California opened fire in a mail sorting facility, killing six people before fatally shooting herself. But Goin' Postal Franchise Corp. calls the name one of the company's greatest assets."

According to the Albuquerque Journal, "A meeting addressing postal service in Rio Rancho ended just as it started, with unsatisfied residents."

Postal News for January 27, 2007

According to Multichannel Merchant, "Direct mail is read by 32% more women ages 25-44 than e-mail advertising, according to the Customer Focus 2007 Direct Mail study conducted by Baltimore-based marketing services provider Vertis Communications. Despite the influx of electronically generated advertisements in the past decade, the study shows that 85% of women ages 25-44 read printed direct mail marketing pieces."

The Slovak Spectator has reported that "Slovakia Slovak Telecom ends telegram service Telephone landline operator Slovak Telekom (ST) has cancelled its telegram-services contract with the state-owned Slovenska PoSta (Slovak Post Office), officially putting an end to telegram service in Slovakia. "Slovak Telekom has monitored the efficiency of the telegram service, and based on a steady fall in demand for telegram deliveries, discontinued this service as on January 1, 2007," ST spokesman Jana Burdova told TASR. This particular service has long been unprofitable for ST, bringing the company an annual net loss of tens of millions of crowns for several years in a row."

The Associated Press has reported that "United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) plans to kick off its centennial-year celebration Friday in eastern New Orleans, where its local hub, flooded after Hurricane Katrina, is seen as a spark of life in a neighborhood slowly returning from the storm."

Here's one from CBS4. "In San Diego on Thursday, special delivery turned into a bit of a rescue at a local post office. Someone sent eight yellow ducklings by priority mail to a woman in San Diego. When workers heard the ducklings inside their box, they called the recipient for permission to open it up in order to get the birds some food and water. It's legal to send animals in the mail, but the U.S. Postal Service suggests overnight express mail."

As the Financial Times has noted, "The traffic on our country road moves at a fairly steady speed, so it wasn't until my sons were seven or eight that they were allowed to collect the mail. When they were finally permitted to make the short walk from the porch to the mailbox, it was a passage that represented not only their growing recognition of the complexities of the world outside the door but also a journey towards identity. The first time they encountered a card in the mailbox addressed to them, they understood that this was a place where news of the world arrived and, better yet, news that arrived with their names on it."

Here's an irony for you. The Postal Service has been pulling the local blue letter collection boxes around the country because it says they aren't need. Instead, it's told customers to simply place mail that needs to be picked up in their street-side collection boxes and raise their red flags. Now, it seems thieves have learned that they can easily pilfer mail from these boxes, so some postal authorities are discouraging using the red flag signal. Well, with nary a blue collection box on the street, exactly how are these people expected to deposit their mail? Tis a puzzlement. By the way, you can now see what a blue collection box looked like by visiting the National Postal Museum.

The Edmunton Sun has reported that "Canada Post is shutting down a west end outlet next month because of lack business, despite annual revenues at that location of around $500,000, according to the postal union."

The Citizen of Laconia has reported that "April 15 is still a ways off but some residents might do well to begin planning now, including making sure they know where and how to obtain copies of the required federal tax forms. This year, the post offices in Laconia will no longer offer any of the IRS forms needed to complete federal income tax returns. Laconia Postmaster Walter "Buddy" Witts made that decision, according to United States Postal Service spokesman Todd Skulnik, for a number of reasons, foremost among them that taxpayers are increasingly getting their forms on-line and then filing them electronically." [Well, heck. If you're gong to stop a convenience service to taxpayers because you believe more of them are getting their form and paying their taxes online, what in blazes makes you think they still need a Postal Service?]

As the Daily Item has noted, "The address changes that occurred over the last year in Snyder County are two-fold, according to Postmaster Mark Wolfberg at the Selinsgrove post office. Using the new addresses will better assist the post office in delivering mail in a timely manner and will also help emergency service personnel in locating callers."

GovExec.com has reported that "Postal Service facilities will be able to purchase energy-saving equipment through a series of new contracts that let utility providers help fund upgrades."

The latest issue of the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:

• The Direct Mail Coalition is working to explain and clarify postage-taxation issues with members of state legislatures and other groups. As more and more states consider legislation to tax postage, Melanie Hill is working to get the word out. Her group aims to stop the taxation of pass-through postage of mailing services when stated separately from printed material sales.

• Potter reelected as International Postal Corp. vice chairman. National Postal Forum to highlight global business. New Postal Service IG reports posted. Mail Handlers vote to ratify new contract. National Postal Museum names Ganz acting chief curator for philately. UPS named most competitive U.S. retailer.

• French postal strike growing. Royal Mail, postal workers dealing on employee ownership? Big companies abandoning Royal Mail. Czech Post will be a PLC by 2009. Ver Di continues to oppose German postal opening. Turkish Post has a boom year. Correos de Costa Rica continues loss record. India Post to invest in parcel technology. All-freight TGV service found ‘feasible.’ Swiss Post still will get newspaper, magazine subsidies. Private Swiss postal workers get hours reduced. Argentine postal manager nabbed in mail thefts. Union blasts higher pay for German postal workers in Denmark. Gati cuts deal with China Railway Express.

• A list of upcoming postal-related events.

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Postal News for January 26, 2007

USPS DMM Advisory: "We extended the comment period for our December 20, 2006, Federal Register international product and pricing proposal to February 2, 2007. We welcome your feedback and encourage you to comment on our proposal. Send written comments to the Manager of Mailing Standards, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW RM 3436, Washington DC 20260-3436. The international changes will become effective when we change our domestic prices in May."

The latest copy of the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. electronic governmental affairs newsletter is available on the NAPUS web site.

Les Echos has reported that "The French post office, La Poste, yesterday began annual salary negotiations with employee representatives ahead of schedule in a bid to ease the disquiet at sorting centres across the country. Management has promised to increase pay before July 1, review the bonus scheme and work on gender equality. Unions are pushing for a minimum net monthly wage of 1,500 euros and a 150 euros-per-month rise across the board."

KOB-TV has reported that "Rio Rancho District Manager Victor Benavides of the US Postal Service got an earful Thursday evening during a public meeting to discuss substandard service in the state’s third largest city."

China Post has reported that "Hong Kong Post has urged residents not to mail cash, with the increasing reports of lost letters containing money. Many Hongkongers like to send red gift envelopes to relatives overseas for the lunar new year. But Hong Kong Post said that it had received 13 reports of lost letters containing money last year, compared with only one such report in 2005. It is not illegal to mail cash in Hong Kong in registered letters, but some destinations, including the Chinese mainland and South Korea, do not allow them.

IMAG will hold an international briefing and update at the National Postal Forum in Washington DC on Tuesday, March 27 at the Renaissance Hotel from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. this time has been selected in order to avoid conflict with forum sessions yet still allow delegates to attend the pcc reception in the same hotel at 8:00 pm. special guests Ruth Goldway, Commissioner, Postal Rate Commission, will address the issue of postal reform and its effects on international rates and classification. Sue Presti, Executive Director, XLA (Express Delivery and Logistics Association) will address the issue of customs security and facilitation.

Postal News for January 25, 2007

The Daily Record has reported that "almost 100 Scots post offices will be spared the axe, Trade Secretary Alistair Darling said last night. Many will still go under changes that will close around 2500 of the UK's 14,000 branches."

Radio New Zealand has reported that "New Zealand Post will decide next week whether to resume deliveries to three Hamilton streets plagued by rising gang tensions."

From the U.S. Postal Service: "Members of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU) have voted to ratify a new five-year contract. The new contract will run through Nov. 20, 2011, and affect approximately 55,000 career U.S. Postal Service employees who are engaged in bulk transfer, loading and unloading of mail."

Dearne Today has reported that "homes and businesses across the Dearne went without mail on Monday as striking postal workers staged their latest 24-hour action. Around 120 staff at the Manvers delivery office in Wath, which deals with post deliveries throughout the Dearne, are taking industrial action following a revision of shifts introduced last year."

The Financial Times has reported that "Royal Mail's loss of big contracts was a "great concern", ministers warned yesterday as they rejected the postal operator's proposal for an employee shares scheme. Alistair Darling, the trade and industry secretary, said Royal Mail's plan to give its 200,000 staff a 20 per cent equity stake would be too costly. "The biggest thing in my mind is the cost of it," he told the Commons trade and industry committee. The legislation needed would also be difficult to get through parliament given that many Labour MPs oppose what they see as a backdoor route to privatisation."

The Guardian has reported that "The government has ruled out giving Royal Mail employees shares in the state-owned company - a rebuff for the chairman, Allan Leighton, who had campaigned hard for the scheme. The trade and industry secretary, Alistair Darling, told a committee of MPs yesterday that he had rejected the idea of handing over 20% of the shares in the company to its 200,000 employees because of the cost and the time it would take to introduce. But he added that his department was in advanced talks with Royal Mail's management over an alternative scheme, which needed to be completed "pretty quickly, for a number of reasons".

AllAfrica.com has reported "In order to remain relevant in the present dispensation, the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) has said it will continue to integrate technology in its operations. NIPOST said in a statement made available to Newsmen in Abuja and signed by the Public Relations Manager, Ms Hussaina Ato, "The integration of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) will serve as a means of driving necessary transformation forward. We believe that the adoption of technology will not only enhance our operations but will also challenge us to provide services in more innovative ways."

The Age has highlighted "Australia Day honours."

The Daily Telegraph has reported that "Australia Post was standing firm today on a decision to dock workers at a southern Sydney mail centre half a day's pay after a a safety meeting this morning went on too long."

U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman has raised concerns regarding reports that the United States Postal Service (USPS) is considering eliminating 40 positions in the Albuquerque and Rio Rancho service area. The Albuquerque Journal this morning reported that USPS is planning to cut 40 mail sorting positions. In a letter to Postmaster General John Potter, Bingaman today expressed his concerns regarding proposed job reductions, especially in light of continuing complaints over late mail delivery and staffing shortages at local facilities.

The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum has announced that Cheryl R. Ganz has been named acting chief curator for philately. Ganz is a self-described “lifelong philatelist” with a PhD in history from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is an author, editor, speaker and international philatelic exhibitor. Her philatelic areas of interest are the United States, Germany, France and Switzerland as well as worldwide airmail and philatelic literature.

Postal News for January 24, 2007

U.S. Postmaster General John E. (Jack) Potter has been re-elected as vice chairman of the International Post Corporation (IPC) Board. The IPC, a cooperative association of 23 national postal operators in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific, accounts for 80 percent of the world’s mail. [From all of us at PostCom: Congratulations, Jack.]

The Mailers Council (http://www.mailers.org) has provided a nice listing of who in Congress is serving on committees and subcommittes with jurisdiction over the Postal Service.

Here's an interesting headline for all you postal geeks: "Postal Pointers: NFM Post Office offers special Valentine’s Day promotion." No, there isn't a post office set up just to handle Not Flats Machinable. It's the post office in North Fort Myers.

Postalnews.com has a link to a story about the USPS and Sarbanes-Oxley. Check it out.

The Suffolk News-Herald has reported that "OSHA fines postal service more than $5,000 for 2006 incident."

CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:

Last year seems to have been the most successful for the Turkish post PTT in the last 5 years....
The La Poste strike in France is gathering momentum. According to media reports, the strike is going to affect day shifts and locations outside of Paris....
British politicians are beginning to worry about the number of customers abandoning Royal Mail....
"Ceske Posta (CP) will be a different company in two years time." In an inter- view with »Czeck Business« (22.1), the Czech posts press officer Ivo Mravinac confirmed plans to transform the post into a plc by 2008....
The German governments announcement that it is aiming for a complete opening of the mail market from 1 January 2008 is "irresponsible and thought- less", according to Rolf Buttner of German trade union ver.di....
Croatias Hrvatske Poste (HP) has come under public pressure. In an interview with»Croatia Today« (23.1), junior Minister for Transport and HP supervisory board member Drazen Breglec blamed "a combination of diverging interests and insufficient know-how at postal management level" for the lack of modernisation and absence of new technologies so far....
Correos de Costa Rica ended the financial year 2006 with an approx. 447,000 euros deficit....
Bernd Kirsits, managing director of Austrias leading private postal service provider Redmail, has renewed his complaints about the slow pace of postal market liberalisation....
India Post is determined not to abandon its domestic parcel market to com- petitors DHL and DTDC....
Germany is the biggest CEP market in Europe. A study by market research company Datamonitor quoted by trade journal »Deutsche Verkehrs Zeitung DVZ« (16.1) allocates 31% of the market to Germany, ahead of West European markets France, Spain, Sweden and Britain....
Swiss Post NET AG became PostLogistics Innight AG on 1 January....
French express service provider TAT Express had got used to being called Tatex over the years. The company is now going for an official renaming....
Austrias parcel market could be in for a price war....
Not only in the parcel and express market is DHL fighting for a place in the sun, but the company has now extended its effort to the rugby field....

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. (We appreciate this courtesy extended by CEP News to public excerpts  to help whet your appetite for more of  what MRU has to offer.)

According to the North Country Gazette, "The American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for National Security Studies have filed three Freedom of Information Act requests seeking the immediate release of records related to President Bush's asserted authority to search Americans' mail without a warrant. The President claimed this unprecedented authority in a "signing statement" attached to a statute that expressly prohibits opening First Class mail without a warrant."

AMEInfo has reported that "Emirates Post today declared record net profit of Dhs. 161 million for the year 2006, an increase of 19 per cent over the previous year, according to preliminary financial results."

Yesterday, as the Wichita Eagle noted was "National Handwriting Day." You know. The thing you used to do on paper with a pencil or pen.

The Sentinel has reported that "A winter of disputes at Royal Mail is set to end, after the latest bout of strike action was called off.The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has cancelled walkouts planned for today and tomorrow, after it reached a resolution last week."

Postal News for January 23, 2007

The Financial Times has noted that in India "The post office charges as much as 5 per cent for transferring money via money order to a remote village, and the money can take weeks to reach. Western Union may charge less for remitting money from Dubai to a Gujarat village, but neither can compete with the cost that a mobile phone enables. Nor can they compete with its speed (instant transfer), and convenience - since mobile phone companies have agents everywhere who have a store of cash because they are taking it from customers."

The Star-Telegram has reported that "UPS, the world's largest package shipper, has wielded both carrot and stick in its labor relations to build on 17 straight quarters of profit growth."

The following reports 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.

• NL-AR-07-001 - Audit Report - Air Networks - Airport Mail Center Operations - Atlanta http://www.uspsoig.gov/foia_files/NL-AR-07-001.pdf

• FT-AR-07-006 - Audit Report - Internal Controls Over Receipt and Disbursing Activities http://www.uspsoig.gov/foia_files/FT-AR-07-006.pdf

According to the Direct Mail Coalition (on taxation), "Businesses using Mailing Agents in Kentucky, North Carolina (prior to October 2004), New Jersey (after October 2006) and Nevada are at risk because these states did not affirm that postage purchased with fiduciary funds as documented on official U.S. Postage Statements is a non-taxable event."

Maktoob Business has reported that "Empost has expanded its global reach by announcing the opening of a new service to North and South America. With operations in Asia, Africa, Europe and now the Americas, Empost is positioning itself as a leading inter-continental service provider in the industry."

The Rocky Mountain News has reported that "The Postal Service sent a letter of complaint to the Colorado secretary of state's office last week about problems with the envelopes and the voter addresses used for the mail-in ballots in Denver's special election this month."

The BBC has reported that "Early survey responses show post office closures would have a "huge impact" in the Borders, according to a local MP."

The DM Bulletin has reported that "Only 14% of UK marketers are planning to increase their spend on direct mail this year, while 90% are planning to increase their spend on online direct marketing, according to new research from Alterian. The data analysis software company conducts an annual survey of marketing professionals in North America and the UK. This year's survey reveals that direct mail is set to be much more popular in North America than the UK: while 50% of US marketers overall plan to increase their spend on the medium, in the UK only 14% of marketers plan to do so. North American marketers are slightly less keen to increase online spend: overall, 85% of marketers plan to do so compared with 90% in the UK."

The Yakima Herald-Republic has noted that "Yakima keeps its postmark, for now. The Postal Service said today it has ended a study of mail processing in Yakima by concluding that moving some operations to Pasco wouldn't improve service or efficiency."

The Business Standard has reported that "The Netherlands-based TNT is the world’s fourth-largest express delivery group, behind UPS, FedEx and DHL. While its competitors seem more focused on making the most of a globalised economy, TNT’s CEO Peter Bakker believes that 95 per cent of the volumes in express delivery services will be shipped intra-continent."

From UKPRwire: "Over 54 per cent of companies worldwide are in the dark about direct mail they actually send out to clients, customers and prospects over each year. Furthermore, the financial implications of returned mail aren’t understood by 88 per cent of companies, let alone the impact on the environment and hidden costs to their brand reputation. These are the results of a global investigation commissioned by QAS Ltd – developers of QuickAddress software (http://www.qas.co.uk), an Experian® company."

Postal News for January 22, 2007

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for National Security Studies today filed three Freedom of Information Act requests seeking the immediate release of records related to President Bush’s asserted authority to search Americans’ mail without a warrant. The president claimed this unprecedented authority in a "signing statement" attached to a statute that expressly prohibits opening First Class mail without a warrant.

Shippers Newswire has reported that "DHL will invest $35 million in Hong Kong, including building a new facility in South Kowloon to increase its ground handling capacity in the country by about 20 percent. The Kowloon South Service Centre is scheduled to open by the second quarter and will raise DHL's ground handling capacity in Hong Kong to 45,500 shipments per day, complimenting the company's two existing ground handling facilities."

On Friday, PostCom President Gene Del Polito met with a delegation from the Beijing Postal Administration of China Post, who had asked him for a two-hour tutorial on the post in America from a customer's perspective. The delegation was headed by the Deputy Director General Ma Zhimin. The group also met with officials from the U.S. Postal Service and the Postal Regulatory Commission.

The Casper Star Tribune has written that "A dog with a reputation for barking at postal carriers has angered an entire Casper neighborhood after the post office recently stopped mail there. Casper Postmaster Susan Gray said the dog on Navarre Road has gone after five different letter carriers on eight separate occasions since 2002, with the most recent incident occurring Jan. 8. "This dog is very aggressive," Gray said. "Five different carriers have said the dog will come down the road to come get them." "Butch has always had a problem with the mailman," said owner Jolene Whittle, who has lived with her husband at their house on Navarre Road for five years. "He got out last Monday and was supposedly chasing the mailman. According to the mailman, Butch tried to attack him." [Just shoot the dog. Butch's "problem" with mailmen will end.]

AllAfrica.com has reported that "Posta Uganda has donated an assortment of items worth Shs2 million to Sanyu Babies Home as part of activities to mark the Pan African Postal Union Day."

Czech Business Weekly has reported that "With the European and Czech market of postal services slated to be fully liberalized by 2009, the Czech state-owned post office Česká pošta (ČP) continues broad remedies to withstand the impact of competition, which is driven by the market to boost services, increase quality and reduce prices. “Within two years, Česká pošta will be a different company,” said Ivo Mravinac, the director of communications with ČP. The ongoing changes are concentrated on two major levels — the internal restructuring of the company and the conversion into joint-stock company."

Newswatch has reported that "The Nigerian Postal Services, NIPOST, is undergoing transformation. Within the first quarter of this year, a number of the post offices are to go on-line so as to be able to fit adequately into an information technology-driven world. Also, to checkmate the various cases of abandoned projects, the parastatal has secured the services of reputable consultants, who are to complete the buildings and put them into viable use on a Build, Operate and Transfer, BOT, basis."

According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, "At the end of the entrance hallway to the Chattanooga remote encoding center is a sign above a door that reads, "You are now entering the U.S. Postal Service Communication Superhighway." Beyond the door are rows and rows of manned computer terminals, collectively processing 2 million pieces of mail daily. Thousands of images of envelopes flash across the screens each hour, as the center's 700 workers review scanned images of address labels to interpret illegible scrawl, fix improper address formats and handle change-of-address forwarding. "We have shifts around the clock, 24/7," said John McCullom, the center's general manager. The workload is about to get heavier, as the Postal Service shutters encoding centers in Tampa, Fla., and Fayetteville, N.C., in March, leaving fewer centers across the country."

MSNBC has reported that "Pamela Anderson has gone postal over a stamp. The former “Baywatch” babe has written an angry letter to the Postmaster General, blasting KFC’s request to put the bearded image of the founder of the fast-food chain on a stamp. Anderson, a staunch animal-rights activist and a vocal member of PETA, has blasted KFC for its treatment of chickens and has been part of a long-standing campaign on behalf of the feathered critters."

WCCO.com has reported that "A nonprofit plastics maker with the mission of training and employing disabled people has given its executives expensive party perks in recent years, while it planned to layoff workers. About 100 workers at Minnesota Diversified Industries have been affected by layoffs this fall, according to an investigation by the Star Tribune. Many of those workers are disabled people making at or near the minimum wage. De Naray, MDI's chief executive since 2003, said he takes responsibility for the layoffs even though he couldn't control the Postal Service cuts. He had hoped to increase revenue by 2010 and had expanded operations in Grand Rapids in anticipation of growth. But the growth in other accounts didn't make up for the more than $20 million drop in orders from the Postal Service. Now, MDI is likely to report a loss of nearly $3 million for 2006, De Naray said."

Postal News for January 21, 2007

According to The Times, "The introduction of postal voting on demand has undoubtedly made it much easier to fiddle votes. Although intended to encourage active citizenship on the part of immigrant and socially disadvantaged groups, it may have had the opposite effect. A voter is able to opt to vote for life by a postal ballot. As Ann Cryer, the Labour MP for Keighley, pointed out, postal balloting effectively disenfranchises Asian women. They are pressured into permitting the father of the family to fill the ballots for the entire household. Prosecutions are rare because people will not report families or neighbours. The system of postal voting on demand has undoubtedly increased the influence of local party bosses in deprived inner-city areas since it enables them to control dozens or hundreds of postal votes. These local power brokers can be particularly influential in boroughs where there is no overall control. This was the position in Hackney."

Welcome to PostCom Radio Postal Podcast Number 9 Join PostCom President Gene Del Polito and Postal Customer Council Ambassador Extraordinaire Ruthie Ewers in a discussion about Postal Customer Councils, what they are, what they do, what they have to offer. [Editor's note: the audio is not quite as pristine as it should be. We apologize in advance.]

CRM News has reported that "The Indian Department of Post has put forward the proposal to the planning commission recently for consideration in the "11th Five-Year Plan." The plan document highlights the need for India Post to invest in technology so as to provide its customers with high quality services. India Post believes that this will give it an edge over its competitors and help increase its customer base." See also Tech World News.

According to the Associated Press, "Postal workers apparently have no special clout when it comes to being told the check's in the mail. That's the case in this western Kentucky city, where post office employees are still waiting for their Jan. 12 paychecks. They seem to have been lost - in the mail, Postmaster Kristine Fox told the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer. “Somebody somewhere made a mistake,” she said. “And nobody has 'fessed up yet.”

Ping Wales has reported that "Global shipping company DHL will hold a series of seminars throughout the UK, including one in Cardiff in February, to help businesses get to grips with the new waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) legislation introduced earlier this month. The law makes businesses accountable for the safe treatment of disused electrical products and appliances. It also requires that by 15 March 2007, businesses register with an approved compliance scheme and provide information on the weight of products put on the market."

Logistics Business Review has noted that "Global delivery giant United Postal Services (UPS) may cancel its order for 10 cargo versions of Airbus' super jumbo A380, just months after rival parcel group FedEx Corporation canceled an order with the group, Les Echos newspaper has reported."

Zawya has reported that "EmpostEmpostEmirates Corporation for Commercial Postal Services News | Profile | Officers , the UAE's national courier company has recently signed a cooperative agreement with the Jordanian Consulate in Dubai to provide delivery of consular documents, passports and travel documents to the consulate's clients through EmpostEmpostEmirates Corporation for Commercial Postal Services News | Profile | Officers 's "Jawaz" service. The agreement was signed by H.E. Naef Al Zaidan, Jordanian Consul in Dubai, and Sultan Al Midfa, CEO EmpostEmpostEmirates Corporation for Commercial Postal Services News | Profile | Officers . Jawaz Services is optional and can be requested while submitting Visa applications. EmpostEmpostEmirates Corporation for Commercial Postal Services News | Profile | Officers has set up counters at the Embassy and the Consulate, to enable clients to avail the service without hassle."

The Arab News has reported that "The Saudi Post has established the biggest e-portal in the Kingdom on the World Wide Web in order to provide information about the post service to the public. The portal includes e-commerce and a list of the post products and services that are offered for sale. The site also has the facility to accept online payment and gives the customer the choice of packaging and monitoring his mail from the moment of shipment to the time of arrival."

According to the Grand Junction Sentinel, "Picking up the mail is a daily chore for Mesa resident Judy Galloway. She must drive five miles from her home in the hills to the corner of KE Road and Colorado Highway 65 to access her post office box. “It takes time out of my day to come down and get it, and if there is an object or a package they can’t fit in my box, I have to come back down,” she said. For eight-and-a-half years she has managed, but it is time for a change, she said. Galloway is asking the residents of Mesa to sign a petition to have the U.S. Postal Service deliver the mail. If enough people sign the petition, the Area 4 District Office for the Postal Service will review the request and decide whether there are enough customers to warrant home delivery. “There may be only a few people that do want it,” Galloway said. “I was just trying to get the word out if there was interest.”

According to ThisIsMoney, "Royal Mail has 'lost' 2.bn business letters - one in eight - to private competition in the past 12 months, Financial Mail can reveal. The haemorrhage is accelerating as private postal companies cherry-pick Royal Mail's biggest business customers."

Gulf Times has reported that "the primary mission of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), the apex body of postal corporations, is to facilitate methods to ensure international mail exchanges among member countries, said Q-Post chairman and chief executive Ali Mohamed al-Ali. Al-Ali was clarifying a report that appeared on December 26, which he said, had given way to some misunderstanding and misinterpretation among readers on the UPU’s stance on cutting post office overheads. “The UPU provides information on possible models that could be adopted in the postal system of each country,” he said in a statement to the Gulf Times. “It is up to the governments of each member country to decide on the postal model that is most appropriate to the postal requirements of the operator concerned.”

Union Network International has reported that "Prior to the meeting of the EU Council of Ministers next week, Rolf Büttner, UNI Postal Europa President, John Pedersen, Head of UNI Postal Europa, and a delegation from ver.di, Germany, met with the Secretary of State, Dr. Bernd Pfaffenbach (Postal Ministry - Ministry of "Wirtschaft und Technologie") on 17 January 2007 in Berlin to discuss EU postal regulation and,in particular, the EU Commission's proposal for a full opening of postal services to competition as of 1.1.2009. Dr. Pfaffenbach made clear that the German presidency is in support of the EU Commission's proposal and will use the presidency to push for a decision a the end of their period that will confirm the EU Commission's proposal. He emphasised that this is the German position and that this position is not shared by everyone in Europe."

Postal News for January 20, 2007

The latest issue of the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:

• The U.S. Postal Service said in its 2006 Annual Progress Report that overall growth in Standard Mail and Priority Mail volume was the key driver in helping the Postal Service to exceed its revenue plan in Fiscal Year 2006. Revenue growth exceeded plan despite a slight decline in First-Class Mail volume....

• On January 17, the U. S. Postal Service published in the Federal Register a second round of proposed implementation rules to take effect with the R2006-1 rate case changes. Comments are due to the USPS on January 31, 2007 – two weeks after the rules were published. PostCom urges all members to review the proposed changes and submit comments to the USPS as quickly as possible....

• USPS, APWU to let retired employees perform retail services. APWU ratifies four-year labor contact. Plunkett to serve on MTAC leadership committee. USPS selects ConEd to provide efficient energy. FedEx Kinko’s adds new services. UPS cancels aircraft order....

• Royal Mail hit hard by BT loss. La Poste to install video displays in post offices.

• A list of upcoming postal-related events.

Hey! You've not been getting the weekly PostCom Bulletin--the best postal newsletter anywhere...bar none?  Send us by email your name, company, company title, postal and email address. Get a chance to see what you've been missing.
 

Who handles the distribution of the PostCom Bulletin?
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Postal News for January 19, 2007

When you come to the National Postal Forum (and you are coming to the Forum, aren't you), be sure to catch Going Global! a Special Officer's Session Starring Paul Vogel Managing Director, Global Business, & Sr., Vice President.

Here's a really nice piece by Bill McAllister for Linn's News regarding Wilson Hulme, the recently deceased philatelic curator from the National Postal Museum.

The latest copy of the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. electronic governmental affairs newsletter is available on the NAPUS web site.

The Express and Star has reported that "Strikes planned by postal workers across Staffordshire today and tomorrow have been called off. The Royal Mail today said the actions planned across the ST postcode area had been stopped following productive talks with the Communication Workers’ Union."

The Transport News Network has reported that "The Amtrak Express Parcels (U.K.) business has moved into new ownership following events over last week when the company, Amtrak Express Parcels Limited was placed into administration....“Amtrak’s move into the home delivery market in recent years is a strategy that will be progressed. It is after all driven by the demands of Amtrak’s customers who themselves want to gain a competitive edge in their respective markets” commented Managing Director Alan Jones."

AVWeb has reported that "An anti-missile system is being tested aboard a FedEx MD-10 during its regular cargo flights, Northrop Grumman said this week. The airplane launched on Tuesday from Los Angeles International Airport with the Guardian system installed, starting the operational test and evaluation portion of the program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The tests will continue through March 2008. The Guardian system uses proven military technology to defend against shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, Northrop Grumman said. The system detects an approaching missile and directs a non-visible, eye-safe laser toward it to disrupt its guidance signals."

The Jakarta Post has reported that "State-owned postal firm PT Pos Indonesia entered into a cooperation agreement Thursday with PT Gading Sari Indonesia, the local subsidiary of a Malaysian logistics firm, for the purpose of boosting PT Pos's logistics business."

DM News has reported that "Two new products as well as enhancements to existing services aimed at business customers and large-volume mailers in Britain will debut April 2, according to Royal Mail. The enhancements are part of the changes to postage prices that take effect next year as a result of the four-year price control set by postal regulator Postcomm in March 2006. “Now that the UK mail market is open to full competition, it is essential that Royal Mail tailors its products more closely to its customers’ needs,” said Lorna Clarkson, Royal Mail director of commercial policy and pricing. “We have developed these new products to appeal to government, financial services and medium-sized business customers to make communication with their customers easier, flexible and competitively priced.”

The State wants to know: "Has UPS gone postal? The carrier is using the Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights” to promote international shipping, among other things. For those who don’t know, the Postal Service is a band featuring lap-pop producer Dntel (Jimmy Tamborello) and Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard. The duo joined forces for 2003’s “Give Up.” They named the band Postal Service because they collaborated through the mail. (Get it?) The U.S. Postal Service sent a cease-and-desist letter to the band’s label, Sub Pop, but the argument never reached court. The Postal Service even performed at a conference for USPS executives. This also was supposed to lead to a cross-promotion campaign. Is this an indication that UPS does move faster than the USPS? Or is this something more?"

Transport Intelligence has reported that "DHL and the World Economic Forum (WEF) have announced that DHL's new carbon neutral shipping service GOGREEN will help the World Economic Forum to realise its Carbon Neutral promise for Davos. DHL GOGREEN is a value-added service that offsets the CO 2 emissions caused by the transportation with carbon dioxide reduction projects ranging from alternative vehicle technologies to renewable fuels."

The January 18, 2007 issue of eView, the official bulletin of the National Association of Major Mail Users (Canada) has been posted on this site. Our thanks to NAMMU for the courtesy. If you're a Canadian mailer, or if you mail regularly into Canada, this is a group to which you should belong.

Postal News for January 18, 2007

From the U.S. Postal Service: "Regarding additions to the USPS MTAC Leadership Committee Mike Plunkett, Acting Vice President, Pricing and Classification, will join Tony Pajunas, USPS VP Network Operations, as co-sponsor for any MTAC Work Groups within the focus area of Optimization of Preparation and Entry. Mike will replace Steve Kearney while he is on special assignment."

A copy of the comments submitted by the International Mailers’ Advisory Group (“IMAG”) on the Postal Service’s Proposed Rule concerning International Product and Pricing Initiatives, published in the Federal Register on December 20, 2006 (71 Fed. Reg. 76230) has been posted on the IMAG web site.

Wanna work at the PRC? Then check this out.

WCBS News has reported that "Staten Island residents Peter and Pat Clark have been living in the same house for well over a decade, but tell that to the Post Office, who changed the couple's address without telling them, leading to what could have been a very expensive mix-up with the mail."

According to the Austin American-Statesman, "Most of Austin didn't get its mail Tuesday, and it wasn't so much the rain, nor the sleet, nor the gloom of night that was responsible — it was the ice."

Lynn News has reported that "the temporary closure of Lynn's main post office for an afternoon last week has been described as proof of the Government's "folly" in thinking it can do without smaller sub post offices."

According to Ananova, "Britain's electoral system has been made "much more vulnerable to fraud" by the introduction of postal voting on demand, Westminster's standards watchdog is set to warn."

The Economic Times has reported that "John Samuel, general manager, business development & marketing directorate, Department of Post (DoP), believes that the time has come for India Post to take the DHLs, Blue Darts and DTDCs of the express mail industry head on. And he banks on technology investments to turn the tables in India Post’s favour in this battle. The postal department is investing Rs 1,400 crore in technologies such as RFID, web-based customer response systems, and even mobile phones for the postman."

Postal News for January 17, 2007

Seeking Alpha has reported that "Netflix (NFLX) plans to spend $40 million this year to build out its digital movie-rental business. That's on top of the $5 to $10 million spent last year."  Why? Well, according to the CEO: "In aggregate, we're looking at a $300 million postal bill. As we switch to an online format, that's savings that we can recognize."

From PR Newswire: "With only four months to go until the most significant overhaul of postage rates in years, four out of five executives are unprepared for proposed price and rules changes that are destined to have a large impact on their business operations and marketing strategies. A recent survey of more than 500 business executives nationwide indicated that 79% of respondents are unaware of the forecast changes in postal rates and regulations. This widespread lack of knowledge about an important business event cuts across all organizational sizes and all regions of the country. The proposed overall 8.4 percent rate increase would bring the full cost of first class postage up to 42 cents from the current 39 cents, but that is only the most visible effect of sweeping changes to the 4,400 different postal rates now under consideration by the U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission. Other proposed major changes include the introduction of shape-based pricing and, in a related development, new rules for address quality that will take effect as early as this summer."

From the U.S. Postal Service: "The following additions have been made to the USPS MTAC Leadership Committee: Megan Brennan, USPS Area VP for the Eastern Area, will replace Al Lazaroff on the MTAC USPS Leadership Committee now that Al has become the new Chief Postal Inspector. Linda Kingsley, USPS VP, Strategic Planning, will join Bill Galligan, USPS SVP Operations, as co-sponsor for any MTAC Work Groups within the focus area of Service Measurement and Improvement. Linda replaces Nick Barranca (note: Nick remains as a co-sponsor in the Address Accuracy focus area). All other MTAC Leadership Committee members remain in their current roles."

From the Federal Register: "On September 27, 2006, the Postal Service published a proposal in the Federal Register (71 FR 56587) providing new mailing standards to accompany the R2006-1 price change proposal currently before the Postal Rate Commission. In this revised proposal we respond to the comments we received, summarize our changes, and further revise the mailing standards. We must receive your comments on or before January 31, 2007. Mail or deliver written comments to the Manager, Mailing Standards, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Room 3436, Washington, DC 20260-3436. You may inspect and photocopy all written comments at USPS Headquarters Library, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW., 11th Floor N, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.  See also the DMM Advisory.

CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:

In an interview with French daily »Le Monde (15.01), the French Minister for Trade and Industry Francois Loos specified his views on postal liberalisation. The minister said he and his country were particularly dedicated to the universal service and would definitely fight for its preservation, especially the concept of uniform pricing, equal access to postal services throughout the territory and mail delivery on 6 days a week....
A compromise could be on the cards after negotiations between Royal Mail and the British government concerning employee participation....
Schweizerische Post will continue to receive subsidies from the government in order to maintain its reasonably priced delivery system for newspaper and magazine subscriptions....
The second round of conflict between German firm Jurex and Deutsche Post (DPAG) has begun. The private postal service operator is no longer entitled to claim that Deutsche Post has embarked on predatory competition, that certain prices hold uncertainties for custo- mers and that the post is using unlawful tariffs....
The visual displays used in tube stations and on buses are soon to be intro- duced by Frances La Poste. By the end of this year, the French post is planning to equip 2,500 of its branches with screens on which customers can find information related to the weather, traffic and leisure....
Switzerland's regulatory authority PostReg has again succeeded in forcing a private licensee to reduce working hours for its staff....
Royal Mail has lost several big customers within a few weeks....
La Poste workers in France continue their strike for better night shift pay....
Poste Italiane recently had to learn that good ideas can be misused.,,,
In Denmark, conflict has erupted over special pay rates for German post- men....
The TNT Group restructured its express division and created new responsi- bilities at the beginning of this year. TNT Express now consists of six Business Units (BU), in addition to the central functions located at company headquarters. The Business Units are UK/Ireland, Americas - Middle East - Africa, China, Australia & New Zealand, In- ternational and the newly created BU Western Europe, which bundles express activities in Germany, Benelux, France and Italy....
Correo Argentinos (CORASA) battle against financial problems has not been a secret since the mid-1990s. Last week, various media reports highlighted embarras- sing aspects of the companys present situation....

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.

According to the Baltimore Examiner, "T axpayers across the United States might have to dole out $100 million to postal police for overtime they never worked, thanks to a decision by a federal arbitrator in Baltimore. Everything about the case is ridiculous, including the decision. A union representative said earlier this month the back pay for Baltimore postal police will be about $2.6 million."

WTOP has reported that "As the 2006 tax season approaches, the federal government is still trying to recover nearly $3 billion from its own employees who failed to file income tax returns for 2005. More than 450,000 active and retired federal employees did not voluntarily comply with federal income tax requirements for the 2005 tax year. The federal agency with the highest number of delinquent taxpayers is the United States Postal Service, where 56,652 employees owe more than $320 million. So far, about 22,000 of those employees have agreed to a payment plan."

From M2 Presswire: "International and business-to-consumer (B2C) parcels delivery volumes will be the fastest growth sectors of Europe's parcels and delivery market over the coming five years, reveals a new report by independent market analyst, Datamonitor (DTM.L). The report 'European Express MarketMap' predicts Europe's parcels delivery services will be a Euro 41 billion business by 2010 - a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of almost 4% on 2005's value."

Dow Jones has reported that "Dutch postal and express company TNT NV (TNT) Tuesday said its TNT Post unit was awarded a contract to handle around 170 million items mail for Centrica PLC, supplier of energy in the United Kingdom. The 2 year contract is estimated to be worth over EUR35 million annually, TNT said." See also the Financial Times.

PostalReporter.com has reported that "According to APWU President William Burrus in the Jan./Feb.2007 issue of the “American Postal Worker” Magazine: Perhaps the most innovative aspect of the agreement is the memorandum committing the parties to develop rules and procedures for the employment of retired postal employees to perform retail services. These employees will be hired by and paid by the American Postal Workers Union, and contracted to the Postal Service. If successful this program will present an opportunity to expand retail services to locations where it is not cost-effective to open a full-service facility."

The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle has reported that "USAirports officials said today that the Rochester-based company has been awarded a $24 million contract by the U.S. Postal Service to manage a mail terminal at Newark International Airport in New Jersey. The company will assume mail handling at the site beginning March 19."

Postal News for January 16, 2007

As the New York Times has noted, "Netflix is introducing a service to deliver movies and television shows directly to users’ PCs, not as downloads but as streaming video, which is not retained in computer memory. The service, which is free to Netflix subscribers, is meant to give the company a toehold in the embryonic world of Internet movie distribution."

Washington Technology has an article lauding the Postal Service's help desk.

From the U.S. Postal Service: "Members of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), the largest of the U.S. Postal Service unions, have voted to ratify a new four-year contract. The new contract will run through Nov. 20, 2010, and affect approximately 272,000 career employees in the Clerk, Maintenance and Motor Vehicle crafts."

From PR Newswire: "Oce Business Services, Inc. announced today that it has increased its participation in the United States Postal Service's (USPS) Mailpiece Quality Control (MQC) training and certification program to enable clients to reduce postal costs and improve delivery. With a goal to have over 90 percent of its field personnel and management staff certified, Oce Business Services already has trained 88 percent of its senior level managers."

As the Washington Post has noted, "Declining circulation and advertising revenue are chasing newspapers out of the longtime hands of family and Wall Street shareholders and into the arms of the trendiest owners in the industry: private-equity firms. That unsettles some, who fear that private equity's focus on short-term gain will lead to more cuts and quality reductions in an already shaky industry."

The Ottawa Business Journal has reported that "Ottawa-based In-Touch Survey Systems Ltd. has signed a three-year contract to provide its research services to Canada Post. In-Touch will be providing the national postal service with tools to review, analyze and improve upon customer service and selling skills performance at Canada Post's 6,800 post office locations across the country."

Al Bawaba has reported that "Empost, the United Arab Emirate’s national courier company, has announced that it has recently signed an agreement with the Department of Emigration-Al-Ain to deliver entry permits, in addition to residency documents, through its Jawaz service. The move is expected to enhance and accelerate vital transactions between the Department and local residents and visitors."

Postal News for January 15, 2007

If you check the PostInsight web site, you'll find the:

• ARCEP Report on Postal Activities (ARCEP is the Frence postal and telecommunications regulator.)

• Winterberry Study Results: Direct Mail Spending Surges 7.5 per cent in 2006

• The New Reality of Direct Mail

ThisIsMoney has reported that "Royal Mail was left reeling today after it lost BT, one of its largest customers - its biggest contract loss since the liberalisation of the postal market. In a shock announcement, BT today said it was stripping the Royal Mail of its contract to deliver its post and put it in the hands of Dutch postal group TNT. The loss of the contract is a big blow for Royal Mail, which has been losing other major customers such as banks and mobile phone companies to the likes of TNT and Business Post." See also Reuters.

The Telegraph has reported that "A multi-billion-pound funding package for the cash-strapped Royal Mail is likely to be paid out next month - eight months after it was agreed with ministers. The trigger for the payment of the £3bn deal has been the agreement in principle of a share plan for employees of Royal Mail. The new plan is a compromise between the Royal Mail's plan for actual shares to be given to staff and a more straightforward profit-sharing scheme advocated by the Communication Workers' Union (CWU). Under the deal, Royal Mail workers are likely to be issued with "phantom shares" which will track the value of the business and allow staff to share in its value. The hope is that approximately 200,000 Royal Mail workers could be left with phantom shares worth £5,000 after five years."

According to the Ottawa Citizen, "The march of technology has claimed another victim. Starting now, the residential phone directory will be distributed only once every two years in Ottawa and three other major markets across the country. The trusty white pages have been an institution in Canadian homes for generations, allowing people to quickly look up the nearest pizza place or the number of an acquaintance. However, with newer methods for finding phone numbers, Canadians are consulting the book less and less."

MoneyControl.com has reported that "‘Gramin Suvidha Kendra’ (GSK), a joint initiative of India Post and MCX has been setup in Itarsi, Madhya Pradesh. Through this unique partnership, MCX (including its associates and stakeholders) aims to cater to the market information, warehousing, advisory, and agri-input needs of the farmers through the wide-spread India Post network (over 155,000) across the country. The services offered through this alliance would make it possible for farmers to seek expert advice on farming problems, to get better market price for their produce, better warehousing, financing against warehouse receipts, quality testing and grading facilities, in addition to providing a host of other services."

Rediff.com has reported that "The Indian express industry is set for sizzling growth, despite rising usage of facilities like short messaging services or multimedia message services. If anything, several large-sized corporates and multinational express players are keen on acquiring controlling stake in some of established Indian courier companies. The reason: India's express industry is expected to register a growth of at least 20 per cent per annum during the next five years and more than double its size by 2012, according to a study by rating agency Credit Analysis & Research."

Postal News for January 14, 2007

Folio magazine has reported that "With a postal rate increase imminent, the publishing industry’s two biggest associations and its largest consumer magazine publisher are debating over which proposed increase would least impact periodicals. The U.S. Postal Service in May proposed a system-wide postal rate increase of 8.5 percent, with magazines looking at an average 11.4 percent jump in rates. While American Business Media wishes the increase was lower, it supports the postal service's proposed rate structure over alternative rate case proposals made by Magazine Publishers of America and Time Inc., David Straus, postal counsel for ABM, said this week."