Postal News from January 2007:
Postal News for January 31, 2007
USPSNewsLink has reported that "Postmaster General Jack Potter today
announced the selection of Kathleen Ainsworth as Vice President, Delivery
and Retail. In her new role, she is responsible for delivery, retail and
vehicle operations involving nearly 37,000 Post Offices, stations and
branches."
According to Western People, "The Post Office network in Mayo is in deep crisis and
in urgent need of intervention from An Post, a meeting in Castlebar heard
Monday night. At a special general meeting in Breaffy House Hotel, the Irish
Postmasters Union (IPU) loudly vocalised its discontentment with both the
semi-state body and the Department saying that postmasters and
postmistresses cannot and will not continue to subsidise the operation of
the post office network, while they are being “ripped off”.
The Australian has reported that "takeover target Multiplex is poised to
execute one of the Melbourne CBD's largest office pre-leases through a $150
million deal with Australia Post. Multiplex is expected to sign Australia
Post to 42,000sqm of space at its planned Southern Cross West tower, even
though the postal authority still hasn't completely ruled out the option of
building its own new national headquarters in Spencer Street or moving to
the APN Property Group's 567 Collins Street."
CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the
MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
Even if several EU member states still resist a complete postal market libe- ralisation from 2009, most members of the EU Council of Ministers are in favour of the policy....
Mid-January saw rumours going round the stock exchange claiming that Dutch TNT was interested in taking over Deutsche Post AG.... [Riiiight! The minnow swallowing the whale.]
Post Danmark has found little response to its early delivery scheme, which is subject to a fee....
Post Danmark's service quality has come under public criticism...
The Italian post is going to become more efficient, if Communications Mi- nister Paolo Gentiloni has his way....
Spain's highest court Tribunal Supremo has allowed the appeal by trade union alliance CCOO ConfederaciOn Sindical de Comisiones Obreras against a royal decree regarding the Spanish postal network, according to media such as daily »El Pals«....
After months of friction, the post has declared its willingness to enter into negotiations with the trade unions....
The post companies of both Costa Rica and Nicaragua suffered deficits last year....
Pos Malaysia Bhd (PMB) intends to focus more on international business....
The British government has given green light for the issuing of so-called phantom shares....
Domestic express services in China are struggling in the international ex- press market, which is dominated by foreign companies....
Poste Italiane and state-owned railway company Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) are founding a joint logistics company at the insistence of Prime Minister Ro- mano Prodi....
DHL is currently looking for acquisition targets in Turkey....
GLS Germany's new European express parcel service seems to have got off to a good start....
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 the courtesy extended by CEP News to help whet your appetite for more of what CEP offers.)
The
Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, Public Law 109-435 (PAEA),
directs that the Postal Regulatory Commission (Commission) shall by regulation establish
a modern system for regulating rates and classes for market dominant postal
products. The PAEA further directs that the Commission shall promulgate
regulations to bound Postal Service discretion in setting rates for
competitive postal products. Both of these tasks are to be completed by June
19, 2008. Interested persons are invited to provide written comments and
suggestions as to how the Commission can best fulfill these responsibilities
to achieve the purposes of the PAEA. Comments are due within 60 days of the
date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register. All comments and
suggestions received will be available for review on the Commission’s
website, http://www.prc.gov. Interested persons are further invited to
review these submissions and provide follow-up comments and suggestions
within 30 additional days, that is, within 90 days of the publication of
this notice in the Federal Register."
The
U.S.
Government Accountability Office (GAO) has removed the U.S. Postal Service
from "high risk" category of federal agencies.
The
Financial Times has reported that "The European Union must intensify the
working of the single market in areas such as energy, telecoms, financial
services and postal services, Gordon Brown will say today, arguing that
liberalisation would add some €800bn (£529bn) to the EU economy in
forthcoming -decades."
Joy
Online has reported that "The management of Ghana Post is to begin a
counter computerization programme to make the company more competitive. This
is part of a programme by the management to reposition the company to
respond to the demands for efficient postal services and to provide
customers with what they want."
icWales has reported that "Small businesses make a vital financial and
social contribution to the UK, serving and sustaining both local communities
and the wider economy. The small business sector is growing and the need for
the right infrastructure to ensure its continued success is of paramount
importance. One part of this infrastructure is the postal system. Small
businesses are heavy users of this and it is essential that they have access
to secure and reliable postal services. This is why the FSB recently
published the report, Small Businesses and the UK Postal Market, to offer an
insight into how small businesses use the post and what they need from it."
In a
letter to the editor of the
Washington Post, National Association of Letter Carriers president
William Young said that "Steven Pearlstein's Jan. 24 Business column,
"Bipartisan Cooperation on Health Care Is Dead on Arrival," missed the mark
in criticizing the Democrats' negative reaction to President Bush's
health-care and tax reform proposals. Moreover, the column mischaracterized
the coverage of postal employees."
According to
Transport Intelligence, "UPS has reported good financial results for the
last financial year, led by a strong performance in its international
operations. Total international export volume grew 11.3% in the last
quarter. Non-U.S. domestic package volume posted 4% growth as the company
overlapped the effect of an acquisition. Operating margin climbed markedly
from 19.4% to 21%." See also
Reuters.
Postal News for January 30, 2007
The
Journal of Commerce
has reported that UPS claimed that "We anticipate another good year in our
global small-package business despite a slowing U.S. economy," said Scott
Davis, chief financial officer. "
From the
Postal Regulatory Commission: "Name of Agency: Postal Regulatory
Commission. Time and Date: 10 a.m., Thursday, February 1, 2007 Place:
Commission conference room, 901 New York Avenue, NW., Suite 200, Washington,
DC 20268-0001. Status: Open. Matters to be Considered: 1. Agency
organization--establishment of the Office of the Inspector General and the
position of Inspector General of the Postal Regulatory Commission. 2. Agency
organization-- establishment of the Office of Public Affairs and
Congressional Relations and the position of Director, Office of Public
Affairs and Congressional Relations. Contact Person for More Information:
Steven W. Williams, Secretary, 202-789-6842 or
steven.williams@prc.gov."
From
PR Newswire: "QAS, an Experian(R) company, and leading supplier of
address verification solutions, today announced its partnership with helpIT
systems, an expert in the field of data cleansing to improve business' data
quality. The partnership provides organizations with data hygiene tools that
verify and standardize addresses and identify and process duplicate records.
As a result, organizations can increase their productivity by spending less
time identifying and processing customer information and more time on data
strategies like segmentation and targeting. Under the agreement, QAS will
resell helpIT systems' deduplication tool, matchIT."
From
Business Wire: "Kitty Hawk, Inc. announced today that its wholly-owned
subsidiary, Kitty Hawk Cargo, Inc., has appointed Gregg Sayler as Vice
President for Ground Sales, a newly-created position.
People's Daily has reported that "Chinese Vice Premier Huang Ju has
urged the country's postal sector to deepen reforms and adopt an
enterprising approach to better serve the public and the country's economic
and social development. Officials, workers and departments in the postal
sector should explore ways to improve supervision, transfer operating
mechanisms and establish a modern corporate system, said Huang in a letter
of congratulation on the official operation of the State Post Management
Bureau (SPMB) and the China Post Group (CPG) on Monday."
Finextra has
reported that "Wincor Nixdorf will act as general contractor in equipping up
to 20,000 counter positions at the branches of Deutsche Post and Postbank
with new IT systems."
Led by a
strong performance in its international operations,
UPS today reported net income of $1.13 billion and a 10% increase in
diluted earnings per share to $1.04 for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31,
2006.
AFP has reported that "The Treasury is set to publish a report that
argues that the European economy remains structurally rigid and needs
further liberalization. It will call for targeted action in four key sectors
-- energy, telecoms, postal services, and financial services." See
also the
Guardian Unlimited and the
Financial
Times.
From
PR Newswire: "Reiterating its call for a level insurance market playing
field, the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), the United States'
leading life insurance company trade association, joined a large group of
international financial services industry organizations today in reacting
strongly to recently published Findings of Japan's Postal Privatization
Commission regarding potential new postal business initiatives."
dBusiness News has reported that "Several times a week, the U.S. Postal
Service is a backdoor ATM when customers buy a 39-cent stamp, pay with a
debit card, and get cash back without paying bank fees."
According to the
Clovis News Journal, "Several times a week, the U.S. Postal Service is a
backdoor ATM when customers buy a 39-cent stamp, pay with a debit card, and
get cash back without paying bank fees."
DM News
has reported that "Rob Mason, senior vice president of retail and services
at Valassis Communciations Inc., will be promoted to president of Advo Inc.
effective at the close of the Valassis-Advo transaction. Mr. Mason will
assume general management and profit and loss responsibilities for Advo,
also focusing on sales and marketing efforts. He will provide strategic
direction for Wilton, CT-based Advo, working closely with leaders across
Advo and Valassis."
Radio New Zealand has reported that "New Zealand Post says mail
deliveries have resumed in three Hamilton streets after they were suspended
for two days due to escalating gang violence in the area."
NewsTalkZB has reported that "Mail has been stopped to three Auckland
suburbs and nine postal workers are undergoing decontamination after powder
was discovered leaking from a parcel posted from overseas. New Zealand
Post's delivery branch in Mt Eden has been closed for the rest of day while
the building is cleaned. It is not yet known what the powder is but police
and fire-fighters have cordoned off the area as a precaution."
China Daily has reported that "Long-awaited reform of China's postal
system has begun with the establishment of the new State Postal Bureau and
China Post Group Corp yesterday. Market-oriented policies modelled on
reforms in the telecommunications sector will separate administrative
functions and business practices from the original State Postal Bureau."
See also
CCTV.
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.
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
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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."
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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 RadioPostal 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
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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
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."