June 30, 2007

The Hindu has reported that "Chennai is one of the cities identified for the launch of a new system of six-digit PIN (postal index number) code, aimed at serving bulk recipients of mail. As the new PIN codes will be customer specific, it would suffice if senders of mail or articles wrote the respective PIN code. There will be no need for writing the detailed postal address. Under the proposed system, the first three digits will indicate the existing sorting district."

The Belfast Telegraph has reported that "Royal Mail will today begin to clear almost two million letters and parcels which were not delivered to customers because of yesterday's postal strike. And while people will receive some mail today, it has been estimated that it could take up to a week for the backlog to be cleared."

According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, "United Parcel Service Inc. again has received tax breaks from Kentucky to help offset some of the costs of the $1 billion expansion project under way at its Worldport air cargo hub at Louisville International Airport."

The Financial Times has reported that "Business leaders warned yesterday that customers would desert Royal Mail for other service providers if an industrial dispute over pay and jobs continued to fester. One Royal Mail rival claimed to have won 30 per cent more business in the past week as businesses have moved to beat yesterday's 24-hour stoppage. DX, the only postal operator which does not rely on Royal Mail to make final door to door delivery, said that sales of its guaranteed 24-hour delivery service were 30 per cent higher this week."

The Telegraph has reported that "The UK postal strike was ostensibly over a pay dispute but it is evidence of a former monopoly struggling to keep up in a deregulated industry, as management fights the unions to keep costs down. A few smaller companies have grabbed the opportunity presented by deregulation with both hands. Business Post Group is one such company. Its largest division is a parcel delivery service, which competes against the likes of DHL. But the fastest growing part of the business is UK Mail. This goes head to head with Royal Mail in tendering for contracts to pick up mail from large organisations, sort the mail, and deliver it to a Royal Mail shed that arranges for the final delivery to people's homes."

Hell Mail has noted that "As Royal Mail cleans up after the event, and postal workers brace themselves for yet another strike, Billy Hayes (CWU) comes under much closer scrutiny. Damian Reece of the Telegraph compares Hayes to the infamous Scargill in trying to reverse the commercial realties faced by Royal Mail. Hayes is indeed on his own - as Scargill was, and experts are saying that unless Hayes finally comes up and smells the coffee, postal workers are on a hiding to nothing. Neither the government or Royal Mail will budge an inch on the modernisation of Royal Mail and ultimately the CWU has to accept the changes or effectively pull the rug out from under postal workers feet, chasing a dream. Despite the cries by the CWU that the public support this strike, evidence suggests that this is simply not the case. The BBC letters response indicates a distaste for the postal workers strike and as the weeks roll on, this will only get worse. A one day strike matters little to the public but what they don't like is a country being held to ransom over pay deals."

The Daily Express has reported that "Another postal strike – this time for 48 hours – was being threatened after yesterday’s stoppage cost the country an estimated Ł25million. Thousands of mail workers picketed or stayed at home as the dispute over pay and jobs left millions of homes and businesses without deliveries. With union leaders and management both refusing to back down, more damaging stoppages seem inevitable."

The House has passed HR 2829, the Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill. The Postal Service's $29 million revenue forgone reimbursement appropriations was not included in the bill. The Senate Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee (Chair - Richard Durbin) is expected to mark up the Senate version of the bill after the July 4th recess.

June 29, 2007

From the U.S. Postal Service: "We published a DMM revision in the June 21 Postal Bulletin titled, “Determining Letter-Size Mailability” to clarify the impact of address orientation on letter-size mailpieces. This information should help answer questions on mailability and nonmachinability for letter-size mailpieces. The “letter” processing category is dependent on the physical dimensions of the mailpiece, without regard to placement of the address. Once a mailpiece is determined to be a letter, placement of the address then determines whether the piece is mailable and whether the mailpiece is a machinable or nonmachinable letter."

From Marketwire: "Canada Post Corporation today announced that there will be no increase in the domestic basic letter rate in 2008. Under the price-cap formula approved by the federal government in 2000, basic letter rate increases, when warranted, will not exceed 66.67 per cent of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index from May prior to the last increase to May of the current year. Increases will be implemented no more than once a year, in January, and announced no later than July 1 in the year before the increase goes into effect in the Canada Gazette Part I. The Consumer Price Index from May 2006 to May 2007 shows an increase of 2.2 per cent negating an increase in the domestic letter rate next year. Price changes for the remaining regulated domestic Lettermail and USA and International letter-post products continue to be market-based and proposed increases are scheduled for implementation on January 14, 2008. Canada Post announced in the Canada Gazette Part 1 the following proposed rate adjustments. - $0.03 increase to $0.96 for letters, cards and postcards up to 30g destined for the USA; - $0.05 increase to $1.60 for letters, cards and postcards up to 30g to foreign destinations. Canada Post's proposed rates for a 30-gram letter to the USA and other International destinations compare favourably to the rates other countries charge to send a similar piece of mail to Canada. It costs $2.64 from Great Britain, $3.05 from Germany and $1.80 from Australia to send a 30-gram letter to Canada. The cost to mail a 30-gram letter from the USA to Canada is $1.15."

According to the Daily Star, "Union leaders have clashed with the Royal Mail about the scale of support for the first national postal strike in over a decade, which crippled deliveries across the country. The Royal Mail said backing for the walkout was "patchy", claiming that up to 60% of its staff were working nationally and up to 22% in London. But the Communication Workers Union (CWU) said 95% of its members joined the stoppage, making it the best-ever supported strike." See also The Guardian.

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

Witnesses representing the business mailer community explained their economic, regulatory and mail viability concerns about potential new rules for the Postal Service to the Postal Regulatory Commission at its first field hearing. The hearing, which addressed the new postal system as established by the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, was held in Kansas City.
The National Association of Letter Carriers and the National Rural Letter Carriers Association wrote every U.S. Senator this week urging them to disregard Postmaster General Jack Potter’s recent plea to oppose a Senate bill that would restrict the Postal Service’s ability to increase outsourcing of mail delivery. The unions support S. 1457, the Mail Delivery Protection Act, introduced by Sen. Tom Harkin last month.
Saturday mail deliveries soon might be a thing of the past in the U.K. The CEO of Royal Mail’s government regulatory agency said in a white paper that rural areas throughout the country could be given a five-day-a week postal service in the future as an possible cost-cutting way to deliver “...service to customers in far-flung areas.”
In this article, Maynard Benjamin of the Envelope Manufacturers Association looks at some of the ways new technologies could transform envelopes as we know them.
Federal News Radio commentator Mike Causey explains what a difference a postal union makes, at least when it comes to health care benefits.
Letter carriers picket in Florida to protest USPS policies to oursource mail delivery. Federal Register: Electronic Verification System for Parcel Select Mailings. UPU working with standards group to develop digital signature technology.
U.K. postal strike due today. La Poste, SNCF TGV deal delayed. German mail network creation race continues. Australia Post subsidies blessed. La Poste to close 150 more post offices. German lobby wants Deutsche Post to pay VAT. An Post’s woes analogous to Royal Mail’s? An Post claims high direct mail readership. Professor champions CWU position on Royal Mail strike. DHL, Lufthansa to operate joint airline?
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.

The PostCom Bulletin is distributed via NetGram

The Wall Street Journal has reported that "The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved a measure that could threaten FedEx Corp.'s success at locking out union organizers, a strategy critical to preserving its cost advantage over rivals. The amendment to a funding bill for federal air-traffic control operations would remove truck drivers, couriers and other employees at FedEx's Express unit from the federal Railway Labor Act of 1926, which restricts the organizing activities of transportation unions. FedEx, of Memphis, Tenn., was founded as an airline, and the act's strict provisions regarding unionization were intended to prevent governing rail or airline strikes that might cripple commerce. Workers at Atlanta's United Parcel Service Inc., which is classified as a trucking company, are governed by regulations of the National Labor Relations Act."

According to Reuters, "An expected amendment to aviation legislation on Thursday could make it easier for unions to organize ground workers at the express operations of FedEx Corp., congressional and industry sources said. The anticipated bid by Democrats to amend a bill funding air traffic operations at the Federal Aviation Administration would effectively remove truck drivers, couriers and other workers at FedEx Express and other smaller companies from the federal Railway Labor Act."

Transport Intelligence has reported that "FedEx Express has launched a next-business-day service to customers in China."

The BBC has posted a Q&A on the UK postal strike.

The Cumberland News has reported that "many small businesses in Cumbria could stop using Royal Mail altogether and fear today’s planned postal strike will be the first in a summer of walk-outs, according to the county’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The chamber said the Communication Workers’ Union’s 24-hour national dispute over pay and conditions will turn small businesses away from the postal service in favour of using email and the internet."

Forbes has reported that "British postal staff went on their first national strike in more than a decade today in a row over pay and government plans to cut thousands of jobs at the semi-privatised Royal Mail. The walk-out, which union bosses said would be carried out by up to 130,000 workers, could be followed by further strike action against the Royal Mail in July if workers' demands are not met, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) has said." See also the BBC, The Guardian, and the Daily Express.

June 28, 2007

The latest DMM Advisory from the U.S. Postal Service has been posted on this site. This advisory pertains to "Drop Shipment Periodicals Mailings."

The Guardian has reported that "One of the private delivery firms competing with the Royal Mail predicted tonight that it already stood to make at least Ł10m out of the postal service's 24-hour strike which gets under way in the morning."

The Jerusalem Post has reported that "The Israel Postal Company workers union decided at the last moment to postpone a general strike planned for Thursday morning after the government decided to delay the July 1 new rate schedule for bulk mailings. Nevertheless, sanctions continue, with mail delivery slowed, post offices closing at 3 p.m. and postal clerks refusing to accept payments to the government, register vehicle ownership or dispatch diplomatic mail."

The Journal of Commerce has reported that "FedEx Corp. says it will refuse to negotiate with FedEx Home Delivery drivers represented by the Teamsters despite a National Labor Relations Board ruling certifying the union election at two facilities. A FedEx spokesman said Tuesday the company already plans to file an appeal of the NLRB ruling last week."

The Times has reported that "The Italian government plans to sell stakes in the Poste Italiane-run post office, and in Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato SpA in the next few years, the Radiocor wire agency reported, citing a draft copy of the government's 2008-2011 economic and financial planning program (DPEF). The DPEF, which sets the country's medium-term objectives and the broad ways to achieve them, is due to be approved later today. Technology is allowing companies to use online payment methods instead of relying on the post for payment and increasing costs are likely to further increase the move away from the postal service. British Gas is poised to use the strike to mount a sweeping offensive to switch more of its customers to paperless billing. The power company, which has about 16 million customers, is aiming for a ninefold increase in the number of people who pay online or by direct debit to take the total to 4.5 million by 2010. "

According to DM News, "The U.S. Postal Service used a bit of history to make history when it debuted its first infomercial on June 16. The thundering hooves of the Pony Express led viewers through a series of modern-day business success stories in a 28-minute video that will run throughout the summer on 20 different channels, including CNBC, ABC Family and The Discovery Channel.:

As CBS News has noted, "This summer, “Brown” is marking a major birthday. Yes, UPS is 100 years old."

KFOX has reported that "New Mexico Senators say the post office has hired permanent employees to help alleviate the problems post offices have been having for more than a year." See also the Las Cruces Sun-News.

Thompson-Financial has reported that "The Italian government plans to sell stakes in the Poste Italiane-run post office, and in Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato SpA in the next few years, the Radiocor wire agency reported, citing a draft copy of the government's 2008-2011 economic and financial planning program (DPEF). The DPEF, which sets the country's medium-term objectives and the broad ways to achieve them, is due to be approved later today."

AllAfrica.com has reported that "The Nigerian Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) disclosed Tuesday that it was reviewing the draft postal sector bill that would usher in the Postal Commission, in collaboration with the stakeholders in the Communications sector." See also ThisDay.

The Daytona Beach News-Journal has reported that "Letter carriers delivered an angry message to the U.S. Postal Service: Don't outsource their jobs. They oppose a trend toward hiring private firms and individuals to deliver the mail."

Transport Intelligence has reported that "DHL has announced that Scott Price will become CEO of DHL Express Europe on July 1, 2007, assuming responsibility for the European business of the express operator. In this position, he will report directly to John Mullen, Member of the Board of Management at Deutsche Post World Net who is in charge of the Express business. The American-born Price succeeds Ad Ebus who has decided to retire, however will continue his work with the company in a consultancy capacity."

From eMediawire: "Webplus, Inc., a leading provider of small business solutions, announced today the release of Shipping Sidekick v2.1 (www.shippingsidekick.com). Shipping Sidekick v2.1 offers a side-by-side display of the cost and estimated delivery time of each delivery service offered by all four major US shipping companies. Access to UPS and FedEx rates was previously reserved for paid users. All rates for all companies will now be displayed free of charge."

June 27, 2007

From the Federal Register: "This final rule delays the date set for the required use of electronic data and automated processes of the Electronic Verification System (eVS) for permit imprint Parcel Select[reg] manifest mailings, which currently are paper-driven and rely on manual processes for handling verification and postage reconciliations. The delay in required use also extends to Standard Mail[reg] machinable parcels and parcels from other Package Services subclasses (Bound Printed Matter, Library Mail, or Media Mail[reg]) that are authorized to be commingled with permit imprint Parcel Select parcels. Parcel mailers and shippers may continue to use eVS as an option if they meet the required business standards and technical specifications in the Domestic Mail Manual."

The Gazette & Herald has told its readers that "Postwatch is issuing warnings and guidance to customers ahead of Friday's planned 24-hour postal strike. The industrial action begins at 3am and there will also be two six-hour strikes in Crown post offices starting at 6am on Friday and Monday. Postwatch has stated the vast majority of post offices - the sub-post offices - will not be affected and will be open as normal. The Royal Mail will also use managers to keep the Special Delivery service running as best they can."

PrintWeek has reported that "UK mail regulator Postcomm has denied reports of proposals for a five-day-week postal service."

The Financial Times has reported that "Royal Mail has told Postcomm it does not want to cut the number of deliveries from six days a week to five, a change to the universal service obligation mooted by the postal regulator on Monday."

Media Daily News has reported that "For the first time since the bubble burst, ad spending by so-called dot-com brands is expected to decline this year. The decline--a drop of about 4% to $4 billion--isn't nearly as severe as the 52% drop that occurred in 2001 when the dot-com market crashed, or even the 19% reduction that happened the following year in 2002, but it reverses a four-year upswing that has made dot-com advertisers' brands, products and services that are marketed primarily via an online destination one of the fastest-growing and most significant advertising categories for the overall media marketplace in recent years."

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

Ireland with its 4-million population has 1,900 post offices. Compared to the rest of Europe, the green island has the largest number of post offices per capita. With 8,500 employees, An Post is the single biggest employer in Ireland. An Post, a government-owned company, has financial worries.
British postal workers intend to carry out their threat of holding the first nationwide postal strike in 11 years this Friday.
In Germany, the race to create nationwide mail networks continues.
Australia Post does not receive subsidies for either reserved service or services subject to competition.
La Poste in Belgium intends to close 150 post offices before the end of the year, bringing up the number of post offices closures this year to 280.
One year into its existence, BanCorreos reports 17 per cent more customers and 26 per cent more turnover. An association of the Spanish post Correos and Deutsche Bank, BanCorreos began offering financial services, private loans and mortgages in over 2,100 Correos branches last summer.
The German Federal Association of Courier, Express and Postal Service Providers (BdKEP e.V.) believes that the VAT exemption of Deutsche Post contravenes EU legislation.
DHL and Lufthansa Cargo are planning to set up a joint international freight airline.
Plans by the French La Poste and national railway company SNCF for a 50/50 joint venture have so far failed to materialise.
DHL is making another attempt at getting its Europe business off the ground.
By June next year, TNT Swiss Post AG will have reduced the weekly working hours for its drivers to 44 hours - without reducing their pay.
FedEx wants to expand its air fleet for business in Europe and Asia considerably.

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 Regulatory Commission has posted on its web site the testimony it received at its field hearing in Kansas City on the development of new rules governing postal ratemaking.

From PR Newswire: "A Florida company today pleaded guilty to conspiring to rig bids on merchandise offered at a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) auction in Atlanta, the Department of Justice announced. According to the one-count felony charge filed in the U.S. District Court in Atlanta, Denny's Pay-Less Grocery Inc. of Jacksonville, Fla., participated in a conspiracy to rig bids on merchandise offered for sale at auction by the USPS at its Atlanta mail recovery center from approximately August 2002 to October 2002. The Department said that the purpose of the conspiracy was to lower the price Denny's Pay-Less Grocery and its major competitor paid for auction lots and to divide those lots between them. Denny's Pay-Less Grocery buys and sells closeout, salvage and surplus merchandise."

According to one writer for The Guardian, "Royal Mail doesn't need the tension of full competition. The upcoming industrial action is essential for preserving our postal service."

The Las Cruces Sun-News has reported that "U.S. Sens. Pete V. Domenici and Jeff Bingaman said they will meet with officials from the U.S. Postal Service tomorrow to discuss staffing concerns and persistent service problems throughout New Mexico. "We've had a hard time getting straight answers at times in the past, and I'm hoping this meeting will help us get those answers and start working toward permanent solutions to the problems," Bingaman said. USPS Southwest Area Vice President Ellis Burgoyne requested the meeting in response to the lawmakers' concerns over service delays in southern New Mexico and their call for permanent staffing solutions to address the delays."

National Public Radio has reported that "A discounted mail program in Alaska ensures that basic supplies arrive regularly in villages that can't be reached by road. But a recent 13 percent increase in postage rates is having a substantial effect on life in Alaska's remote villages."

June 26, 2007

The Florida Times-Union has reported that "Suburban growth is generating thousands of new addresses in bedroom communities around Jacksonville. But the U.S. Postal Service hasn't built a new post office in the metropolitan area since 2001. Instead, the U.S. Postal Service is leasing space in shopping centers for post offices or installing postal counters inside other businesses, such as pharmacies and convenience stores."

The Postal Regulatory Commission will hold its second of three public hearings on June 28, 2007, as part of its development of regulations for a modern postal rate making system. The Los Angeles hearing will be on Thursday, June 28, 2007 in Los Angeles, California, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at City Hall, Room 1010, 200 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, California 90012.

Reuters has reported that "Time magazine publisher Time Inc. said on Monday that it is using technology developed by online advertising company Quigo to provide text-based advertising on its magazines' Web sites. Time will use Quigo's AdSonar technology on Web sites such as Time.com, CNNMoney.com and People.com, as well as on the Sports Illustrated and Southern Living Web sites."

Advertising Age has noted that "The exploration of those magazine-website hybrids sometimes called digi-mags is taking a big step toward mass reach this week with the introduction of People magazine's first entry in the field. Some 1.2 million subscribers to Time Inc. magazines will receive e-mails pointing them to People's "Best Summer Ever" issue online. The print magazine, which reaches 42 million adults, according to Mediamark Research Inc., will also promote the online effort."

The latest update from the Universal Postal Union Direct Mail Advisory Board has been posted on this site. Also, the presentations from the April 2007 DMAB forum are available on the DMAB-UPU web site.

From MarketWire:

Pitney Bowes and RPost®, the leader in managed outbound messaging with its flagship Registered E-mail® services, today announced that they have entered into a global alliance. Under terms of the agreement, Pitney Bowes will offer RPost Registered E-mail services to its mailstream customers. By adding RPost services, Pitney Bowes can now provide its customers with a full set of high-value outbound messaging tools for client records management, compliance, e-discovery, paper reduction and cost reduction initiatives. RPost Registered E-mail messages provide e-mail senders with verifiable proof of message delivery, content and time stamp for e-mails sent to any Internet address.
Unite (Amicus/CMA section) is extremely concerned that both the Royal Mail Group (RMG) and CWU seem to be locked into a conflict that in a short while could destroy the public postal service and the livelihood of the entire RMG workforce. All parties agree that RMG needs to change, modernise and develop automated processes. Paul Reuter, Unite National Officer said: "Unite are calling for both sides to urgently get together to seek a resolution to this dispute. "We also call upon the parties, including the Government as the principle shareholder, to develop jointly a strategy that ensures Royal Mail will secure the public postal service, provide jobs for workers and for the service to be provided at an affordable price."

The Sioux City Journal has reported that "Congressman Steve King Monday urged the U.S. Postal Service to carefully consider a forthcoming study on the Area Mail Processing process. The AMP process is used by the Postal Service to identify mail processing centers across the country, like the one in Sioux City, for possible consolidation, a press release issued by King explained."

According to the Financial Times, "Postcomm, the regulator created in 2000 to oversee the postal market's opening up to competition, has two tasks to balance. The first is to develop a competitive market and ensure that Royal Mail, the former monopoly, does not stifle rivals. The second is to preserve the universal service obligation, allowing anyone in the UK to post letters and parcels to any other part of the country at the same affordable rates. So far, it has managed to meet both these targets."

The letter carriers have sent letters to every U.S. senator disputing the PMG's arguments against S. 1457, the Mail Delivery Protection Act.

The Kansas City Kansan has reported that "United States Postal Service officials are holding a public hearing at 7 p.m. this Wednesday at the Jack Reardon Convention Center to receive public comment about the potential closing of a Kansas City, Kan., USPS facility. The Kansas City Processing and Distribution Center, at 5215 Richland Ave., might be shut down and its operations transferred to a new USPS facility in Kansas City, Mo. A press release about the public hearing says that a 2005 study indicated the potential that “consolidating some mail processing operations that are currently being performed at the Kansas City, KS P&DC by taking advantage of available processing capacity at the Kansas City, MO P&DC, would increase efficiency and improve productivity.”

Transport Intelligence has reported that "DHL Express has introduced a service for urgent next day documents from New York City to major European destinations. Available for shipments originating from lower Manhattan, DHL's next day delivery service includes the transfer by courier to a helicopter pad in New York City. Shipments are then flown by helicopter directly to John F. Kennedy (JFK) airport and from there they move on flights bound for nine cities in Europe."

The Financial Times has reported that "Royal Mail could be allowed to cut deliveries from six to five days a week following a review by the postal regulator into the need for a six-day service in a competitive mail market. The state-owned postal operator was allowed to end second daily deliveries three years ago to help restore profitability. Now Postcomm, as part of a sweeping review of the future of regulation, is considering reducing compulsory deliveries to every home and workplace to five days a week. The regulator is also sympathetic to a request from Royal Mail to limit this universal service obligation to stamped letters and packages.

The Daily Mail has reported that "Remote areas of the country could in future be given a five-day-a week postal service, the chief executive of the postal regulator has suggested. Sarah Chambers, of Postcomm, told a conference in London , organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs, that the UK's current service, with deliveries on Saturdays as well as weekdays, is akin to a "Rolls-Royce" car compared to the rest of Europe, where five days a week is standard. " See also The Telegraph.

The BBC has reported that "Fresh talks aimed at halting Friday's national postal strike have ended without any progress, according to the Communication Workers' Union (CWU). A union spokesman said: "There was no new offer from Royal Mail, and no meaningful discussions." He said the stoppage, the first in 11 years, would go ahead."

James Edward Orlando, 68, who spent 30 years working for the U.S. Postal Service before retiring in 1997 as director of the transportation and international services office, died June 7 at the University of Maryland hospital in Baltimore after a stroke. Mr. Orlando had responsibility for worldwide movement of U.S. mail by all methods of transportation. He had a leading logistical role determining what happens to mail after bomb threats aboard aircraft and other air disasters.

According to Investors Business Daily, "Analysts give lots of reasons why millions of consumers are switching to broadband Internet service from slower but cheaper dial-up. A new study by eMarketer points to one factor that many might overlook: More people are banking and paying their bills online. Online bill payers are starting to generate more revenue for banks and other financial firms than people who just do banking online. Electronic bill payers tend to buy more financial products, such as loans, than others. And they're fast to recommend their bank to friends if they approve of its service. EMarketer says nearly 51 million people paid some bills online in 2006. It says another 4 million will sign on in 2007, spurred in part by the recent increase in postal rates and efforts being made by banks to move more of their business online."

According to Billing World, "As of Aug. 1, the U.S. Postal Service's Delivery Point Validation (DPV) requirements will impact service providers' mailing budgets. This change to a more stringent set of rules will increase telecom service providers' mailing expenses significantly if their mailing processes cannot conform to the DPV requirements. Using addresses the USPS deems invalid will also slow invoice delivery and payment."

The latest Legislative Update from the National Association of Postal Supervisors has been posted on this site. In this issue: NAPS Endorses Harkin Bill to Ban Contracting Out of Delivery Services; House Prepares to Avoid Its Obligation to Repay the Postal Service (Again); NAPS and Others Protest Triple-Play Postal Hearings Set for July Legislative; Update on Bills Supported by NAPS.

The Postal Service has published its latest DMM Advisory, this one concerning "Periodicals Pricing Change."

Ha'aretz has reported that "Israel Postal Company workers will continue sanctions today after a meeting between Postal Workers Union and Communications Minister Ariel Atias ended yesterday inconclusively. As a result, mail will not be distributed in certain regions of the country, and postal branches will close earlier than usual."

June 25, 2007

New on PostInsight: "Consumers as Marketing Recipients - Results from Finland."

BrandRepublic has reported that "The Postal Users Group has criticised a delay in the European Commission's timetable for liberalisation of the continent's postal markets."

MarketingWeek has reported that "The direct mail industry is expected to be hit by months of postal chaos following the Communications Workers Union's decision to stage the first national strike in more than a decade. Many of the UK's top brands, including those operating in home shopping, financial services and charities, as well as heavyweight campaigns by TV rivals BSkyB and Virgin Media, are reliant on Royal Mail, not only for direct mail but also for transactional post."

The East African has reported that "The Kenya government is launching a Digital Village Project to establish information and communications technology centres throughout the country. Each of the digital villages will provide e-mail and Internet services, electronic banking and money transfer services, electronic governance such as access to police abstracts, P3 forms, national identification applications."

According to the New Orleans CityBusiness, "The U.S. Postal Service has an inaptly named Office of Consumer Advocates office in Washington, D.C. Oddly, the Office of Consumer Advocates does not want any of its U.S. Postal Service customers in New Orleans to know just how badly our mail carriers are misfiring on the challenging routes that remain post-Katrina. It required me to file a Freedom of Information Act request to simply find out how many complaints have been filed in the New Orleans region in the past five years."

Got some time on your hands? Then check out the "movie" made by Tim Knowles who put a digital camera inside a cardboard box and rigged it so that it would snap a photo every ten seconds through a small hole in the box. Then he sent the box through the mail."

Here's a letter from a reader of the Washington Post that makes sense: "Why doesn't the U.S. Postal Service offer the service of delivery to the homeowner's house but for a fee? Tell Us E-mail the Site's Editor Submit an Op-Ed Send a Letter to the Editor E-mail the Ombudsman Ombudsman Column Newspaper Masthead Newspaper E-mail Addresses Web Site FAQ/Help Save & Share Article What's This? DiggGoogle del.icio.usYahoo! RedditFacebook I am sure the builders or owners of half-million-dollar houses would pay for this service. That way the Postal Service would bring in much-needed additional revenue, and the residents of new homes get their wish of door-to-door service."

Workers Liberty believes that "The impending battle between the postal workers and Royal Mail management is a political as well as an industrial battle. It is not only a fight over wages, in defiance of Gordon Brown’s public sector pay policy, it is also about the future of the post office and the entire parcels and letter delivery sector. The outcome of the dispute will shape the future of trade unionism in the crucial communications and logistics sector, and impact on the relationship between the trade unions and the Labour Party."

Transport Intelligence has reported that "TNT Post, the Süddeutscher Verlag and the Munich-based Ippen Publishing Group are entering into a strategic partnership in the German mail delivery market.TNT Post has also taken a 25.1 percent share in ecoflash Briefservice GmbH, a regional mail delivery specialist jointly owned by the Süddeutscher Verlag and the Ippen Publishing Group. The partnership will provide TNT Post access to 1.6 million households and secure the "final mile" delivery in the Greater Munich Area. The new partners are also aiming to cooperate more closely in other areas of Germany where these publishers have interest in local mail delivery companies."

The Observer has reported that "Royal Mail executives are preparing for months of strikes as the company refuses to bow to union demands for an increased pay deal and changes to its five-year modernisation plan."

The Asahi Shimbun has reported that "The two unions of Japan Post have agreed to join forces in a pact that will produce the nation's largest private-sector labor union and increase pressure on the soon-to-be privatized postal giant. The landmark move, to take effect in October, will end 42 years of discord between the pair, and create a vast new alliance of 220,000 members."

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

The Times Record News has reported that "On Monday, a small box arrived at a Freeport home from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., addressed to the homeowner. Inside was a cigarette lighter and coupons. The package was unsolicited and received by an adult and the lighter had no butane in it. Still, anti-smoking activists decried the marketing technique as irresponsible and dangerous because it could accidentally put a lighter in the hands of a child."

The Hammond Star has reported that "Moving more mail-sorting operations off the North Shore and into New Orleans is about better service and practical efficiency, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service. But post-Katrina memories make some people leery about centralizing more vital mail operations in storm-vulnerable New Orleans."

From the Federal Register: "Recent legislation alters the postal ratemaking process, and tasks the Postal Regulatory Commission with developing regulations to implement this process. This document invites public comment, in advance of formulating substantive rule proposals, on establishing service standards and performance measurement for market dominant products. Initial comments are due July 16, 2007; reply comments are due July 30, 2007.

KSWO has reported that "The postal service says hundreds of post office boxes may have been broken into at a Tulsa post office. The break-in at the post office in southeast Tulsa occurred last week but wasn't reported until yesterday when a Tulsa woman reported her bank checks are missing."

Logistics Management has reported that "The good news for shippers following two separate current Teamsters union negotiations with UPS and a handful of less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers is there is scant chance of a national strike as happened 10 years ago when Teamsters walked out for 15 days against UPS and when they struck the LTL sector in 1994."

According to the Wall Street Journal, "The European Union doesn't lack for grand ideas of dubious merit, such as the expansive new "mini-constitution" that national leaders hope to agree on at their summit today. The problem comes with worthy projects that have real-life benefits. Consider the longstanding efforts to dismantle postal monopolies."

The Financial Times has reported that "Small business leaders have called on Alistair Darling, trade and industry secretary, to step in to avert the first national strike by postal workers for 11 years. The Federation of Small Businesses sought his intervention after the Communication Workers Union, representing 130,000 Royal Mail staff announced a 24-hour stoppage on Friday June 29. The union warned that another strike would follow within two weeks if the dispute over pay and modernisation plans were not settled."

The Washington Business Journal has reported that "Two labor unions are planning pickets at 16 locations across Florida, including Tampa and St. Petersburg, to protest the U.S. Postal Service's outsourcing policies. Members of the National Association of Letter Carriers and the National Rural Letter Carriers Association chose June 27 to demonstrate against the policies that the unions say will diminish service to postal customers and endanger the future viability of the Postal Service."

Direct has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors chose not to implement a proposed temporary cut in the new rates for flats (catalogs). Industry groups were disappointed and several warned this would lead to reductions in mail volume."

PrintWeek has reported that "Royal Mail has applied to suspend the bulk mail compensation scheme in the light of the first national postal strike in the UK for 11 years. The industrial action, announced today by the Communications Workers Union (CWU) deputy general secretary Dave Ward is to be held Friday 29 June. A spokesperson from watchdog Postcomm told printweek.com that while consumer post will not be affected by Royal Mail’s bid, for bulk mailers, a successful application will result in the mail service having two years before having to compensate companies’ losses caused by the strike."

Reuters has reported that "the National Labor Relations B Board has certified an election by some drivers at a FedEx Corp. unit at two facilities in Massachusetts to seek union representation, the Teamsters union said on Thursday. In the vote last October, drivers at two FedEx Home Delivery locations in Wilmington, Mass., voted 24 to 8 in favor of representation by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. FedEx Home Delivery is part of FedEx ground package delivery unit FedEx Ground."

The Jerusalem Post has reported that "The national union of Israel Postal Company workers has decided to distribute National Insurance Institute (NII) allotments in all postal branches, starting Friday, despite sanctions that began this week. The union said it acceded to a request by Histadrut Chairman Ofer Eini, who said failure to hand out the allotments would hurt the needy."

From PR Newswire: "Members of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) and the National Rural Letter Carriers Association will engage in informational picketing at 16 locations across Florida on Wednesday, June 27 to protest a growing policy of the U.S. Postal Service to contract out to private firms and individuals the delivery of mail in urban and suburban areas, the NALC announced."

WhatTheyThink has reported that "Arandell Corporation, one of North America’s largest catalog printers, is pleased to announce the addition of Tom Murray to their executive staff as Vice President of Catalog Strategies."

InTheNews.co.uk has reported that "Postal workers have announced plans to hold a 24-hour strike later this month in response to job and pay cuts at Royal Mail. The first national postal strike will be held on June 29th, with the Communications Workers Union (CWU) saying it is prepared for further industrial action a fortnight after this date." See also Bloomberg, The Times, CWU, and The Guardian.

According to eWeek, "Verizon Wireless, the No. 2 U.S. mobile service, said on June 20 that it will let customers use their cell phones to send each other money using a service from privately held Obopay."

The eSnailer website allows you to type a letter to a friend or relative and will print, envelope, stamp, and send your letter via regular US postal mail free of charge.

Reuters has reported that "package delivery company FedEx Corp. on Wednesday reported a profit and gave a quarterly forecast that missed expectations, citing slowing U.S. economic growth." See also Air Cargo World and Financial Times.

As Multichannel Merchant put it: "Catalog mailers can kiss any dreams of a postal rake hike reprieve goodbye. The U.S. Postal Service’s Board of Governors (BOG) on June 19 rejected the Postal Regulatory Commission’s temporary rate reduction. That means catalogers, who were hit hardest when the new pricing structure took effect May 14, will have to live with the postage increases of 20%-25%, and as high as 40%."

The Guardian has reported that "A national postal workers strike looks inevitable after talks aimed at resolving a row over pay ended without agreement."

Vnunet has reported that "Royal Mail is planning to consolidate and transform its telecoms infrastructure to cut costs and improve flexibility."

The Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal has reported that "Mark de Naray last day was Monday, the company confirmed Wednesday. Tim Hoffmann, MDI's board chairman, is acting as a temporary CEO without pay until a replacement is hired. MDI, a plastics manufacturer and fulfillment, packaging and assembly services provider, employs disabled and disadvantaged workers receives contracts for work under a government set-aside program. As work orders have declined for the company, it has had to lay off some workers. The layoffs were attributed to a decline in orders for plastic mail totes from the U.S. Postal Service."

The National Association of Home Builders has told the Postal Regulatory Commission that "Receiving mail is as much a right as sending it, and both the recipient and the sender are equally postal patrons. Yet in recent years, the Postal Service has degraded delivery service to the point that it no longer delivers mail at all to homes in densely occupied new subdivisions, preferring instead to deposit the mail in some locked receptacles under the euphemism “centralized delivery.” NAHB contends that this system is a discrimination against new housing that is not based on the cost of serving such housing; rather it is an attempt to lower total costs by degrading service to an arbitrarily chosen group. The Postal Service must resume curbside service to all homes that meet the safety criteria in the Domestic Mail Manual."

From the U.S. Postal Service: "The U.S. Postal Service Governors yesterday decided that the current Standard Mail Flat prices will remain in effect and approved a pricing structure for Premium Stamped Stationery and Cards. The Governors decided not to implement a temporary change to Standard Mail Regular and Nonprofit Flat prices recommended in the latest Postal Regulatory Commission’s (PRC) decision on reconsideration. The Governors asked the Commission to reconsider some of the prices originally recommended on February 26, 2007, and implemented on May 14, 2007. The Governors also approved a PRC recommendation on the price structure for Premium Stamped Stationery and Premium Stamped Cards. The stationery (sold in pads consisting of 12 sheets of quality stock paper and imprinted with postage) can be priced between three and four times the First-Class Mail Letters first-ounce single-piece rate – currently 41 cents – times the number of sheets. The total price for the cards (sold in packets 10 to 20 and imprinted with postage and matching designs) can be priced between two and three times the First-Class Mail Cards Regular single-piece rate – currently 26 cents – times the number of cards."

The BBC has reported that "Talks between Royal Mail officials and union leaders to avert a series of strikes have ended without agreement."

According to the Daily Express, "A national postal workers strike looks inevitable after talks aimed at resolving a row over pay ended without agreement."

Finance Week has reported that "Few businesses will suffer serious communication interruption from the threatened national postal strike – reflecting the declining share in a dematerialising market which Royal Mail hopes will force a union climbdown at tomorrow’s crisis talks."

eGov Monitor has reported that "The European Parliament Transport Committee (TRAN) adopted a report on the proposed directive on liberalising postal services yesterday evening."

From PR Newswire: "Members of Paterson Branch 120 of the National Association of Letter Carriers will engage in informational picketing on Sunday, July 1, at the Paterson Post Office to protest a growing policy of the U.S. Postal Service to contract out to private firms and individuals the delivery of mail in urban and suburban areas, the postal union announced. NALC National President William H. Young said letter carriers in the Paterson area "have witnessed first hand this destructive policy of the Postal Service to outsource the delivery of mail to low-wage, no-benefit, part-time contractors instead of career government employees who have gained the trust and respect of American families for the past 118 years."

CNET News has reported that "Adobe has announced the release of Adobe Digital Editions 1.0 available for free download to Windows and Mac users. The application provides a very basic and easy-to-navigate interface for storing, sorting, viewing and annotating digital text files along the lines of what Apple's iTunes does for audio and Google's Picasa for pictures."

According to Ha'aretz, "Severe postal service disruptions are expected as Israel Postal Company employees go on strike. There will be no mail distribution in most areas of the country, and income tax, V.A.T., National Insurance Institute payments and other bills will not be processed. Vehicle ownership transfers and HMO memberships will not be processed, and diplomatic post will not be handled. Post office branches will close down tomorrow afternoon, and all services will be suspended for an unlimited period starting next week."

The Gulf Times has reported that "Q-POST has expressed its willingness to provide expertise to Botswana Post. Chairman of Q-Post Ali Mohamed Ali was talking to a three-member official delegation from Botswana Post at his office yesterday."

As NineO'Clock has noted, "Monopolies in the European postal service market must be eliminated by December 2010, two years later than the deadline proposed by the European Commission, and Romania and Bulgaria will be able to align to the new terms by December 2012, according to the European Parliament (EP)."

The Scotsman has reported that "DX, the postal business bought last year by private equity firm Candover Partners, is confident it can double in size over the next few years as deregulation of the postal industry gathers pace."

The Communication Workers Union has accepted Royal Mail’s invitation to hold discussions with ACAS acting as facilitators in order to find a resolution to the dispute.

The Washington Post has reported that "President Bush has asserted that he is not necessarily bound by the bills he signs into law, and yesterday a congressional study found multiple examples in which the administration has not complied with the requirements of the new statutes. Bush has been criticized for his use of "signing statements," in which he invokes presidential authority to challenge provisions of legislation passed by Congress. As recently as December, Bush asserted the authority to open U.S. mail without judicial warrants in a signing statement attached to a postal reform bill."

From Marketwire: "Harte-Hanks, Inc., a worldwide direct and targeted marketing company, announced today that it has been awarded "Supply Chain Provider of the Year" honors by its client and leading retailer J. C. Penney Company, Inc., for 2007."

Union Network International has reported that "UNI-Europa Post and Logistics is taking its fight to defend the universal postal service to the political groupings and members of the European Parliament. This follows a setback decision on 18 June by the Transport Committee of the Parliament to support a compromise proposal, which would see the European Commission achieving its goal of a completely de-regulated postal market but over a longer period."

According to Forbes, "The Communications Workers Union has agreed to meet Royal Mail for talks tomorrow aimed at averting a national postal strike."

The Daily Echo has reported that "The Royal Mail has lost a contract worth Ł8 million a year to deliver goods for online trader Amazon." See also the BBC.

According to postal analytical guru Alan Robinson, "FedEx announces its earnings on Wednesday. Already, analysts are reducing earnings estimates due to a slower US domestic economy and a need to make investments overseas. While the USPS is not making many investments overseas, it is affected by the domestic economy. Mailers may expect that the USPS will report revenue below plan in the third quarter, as the economy is slower now than any economic forecast would have made last fall. Furthermore going forward, the slower than expected economy may result in revenue projections made during the rate case to be optimistic as they now are nearly a year old and based on year old economic data. To the extent the Postal Service is beginning to spend more to improve service, operating results will also suffer." See also the report in Forbes.

The Financial Mirror has reported that "Citigroup has initiated coverage on Greek Postal and Savings Bank (PSB) with a Hold/Speculative Risk (2S) rating and €17 target price, which is slightly lower than current price, but Citigroup analysts note that the Bank is a potential consolidation candidate."

The Association for Postal Commerce (“PostCom”) has offered its comments on the Second Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Regulations Establishing a System of Ratemaking issued by the Commission on May 17, 2007 ("Second Advance Notice").

In its comments to the Postal Regulatory Commission, the National Association of Home Builders said that "No justification has ever been offered that homes in new subdivisions are more costly to serve on a curbside basis than equivalent homes existing in an equal density in existing subdivisions or neighborhoods. If the only reason for the discrimination is that it will save money, and not that there is any causal relationship between the age of a home and the cost of serving it then [the new postal law] has been violated. The discrimination is undue, and it is an example of the kind of monopolistic practice that the PRC is charged to curtail."

The DM Bulletin has reported that "Royal Mail has dismissed a postman who neglected to deliver direct mail. Steve Rowbotham had been suspended after the company investigated evidence that he was not delivering direct mail. Royal Mail revealed Rowbotham, who worked in Burton Joyce in Nottinghamshire, had been dismissed in a statement on Friday. He has the right to appeal."

The St. Petersburg Times has reported that "The growing competition that traditional postal services face against new information technologies, the liberalization of the industry and its survival in the internet era are all topics set to be discussed in St. Petersburg starting Tuesday, when postal industry professionals from around the world gather at the Pochtovaya Troika event. The postal industry forum, which ends Thursday, is held every two years and this year, organizers say, the event will be particularly significant for the industry as it is held between two important international events — the Strategic Conference in Dubai of the year 2006 and the Nairobi Congress — scheduled for 2008. Sergei Grigorenko, the public director of the Russian national postal service Russian Post, which organized the event, said: “We still hear opinions that given the development of the new communication technologies, post will die soon. But this judgment is wrong.” “The post today is an essential addition to electronic services. Take online shopping, for example. In any case the delivery goes through the post service,” Grigorenko told The St. Petersburg Times on Monday. “They say people have stopped writing letters to each other. Maybe so, but, on the other hand, the post is still in high demand. Through delivering various bills, notifications and other official papers and business correspondence our business grows every year,” he said."

Reuters has reported that "A European Parliament committee voted overwhelmingly on Monday to allow full competition in postal services across the European Union from 2011, two years later than originally planned. The postal package voted through in committee comprised: -- The final date for full liberalisation on Dec. 31, 2010, two years later than the Commission had proposed. -- New member states and those with specific topography, such as many islands, a reference to Greece, could have until the end of 2012. -- States would be given until Jan. 1, 2010 to notify the Commission about how they would fund nationwide universal services, such as minimum collection and deliveries of mail. -- States would be allowed to maintain national collective bargaining and other agreements to safeguard employment. -- Countries that have already fully liberalised their sector, such as Britain and Sweden, could in the meantime refuse to authorise competitors from EU states that won't open their own mail sectors until 2011 or later. Germany and the Netherlands plan to liberalise their markets fully from next January but may reconsider." See also the European Parliament press release.

eGov Monitor has reported that "Speaking on a Lib Dem motion of the Universal Service Obligation in Westminster Hall, MP Alistair Carmichael pointed out the importance of a debate on Universal Service Obligation “following the recent application by the Royal Mail for zonal pricing for bulk mail, on which consultation with Postcomm has just concluded.” Mr Carmichael expressed his concern that if Royal Mail’s application for zonal charging for bulk mail is approved, bulk mail will be removed from the universal service. He suggested: “What is left will hardly be worth the name. It will hardly be universal and it will barely be a service.”

As Anorak has noed, "Royal Mail’s dodgy reputation can come in handy sometimes. Birthday cards that you forget to send or cheques that you have yet to post can all be explained away by claiming that they’ve been “lost in the post”. And now you can buy them back. The Royal Mail is auctioning off a huge number of items that really do go missing in transit. The contents of an estimated 75,000 packages which failed to reach their destination are finding their way onto internet auction sites each year with even customers who have paid for the Royal Mails ‘secure’ postal services discovering that their goods are ending up on eBay."

ARCEP has launched a public consultation on what information postal service users need and expect about universal service quality

Transport Intelligence has reported that "Reports from the Xinhua news agency suggest that Deutsche Post World Net is moving to buy out Sinotrans from its Exel-Sinotrans Freight Forwarding joint venture. The reports cite the CEO of Sinotrans indicating in April that he would be interested in selling the Chinese logistics company's stake in the joint venture."

Uni-Postal has reported that "As decision time is fast approaching over the future for Europe’s postal system, postal unions will be lobbying a key committee of the European Parliament in Strasbourg tonight (18 June). The Transport Committee is bringing together reactions and amendments to the European Commission’s draft directive to remove all remaining protections from traditional postal operators from 1 January 2009. UNI-Europa Post and Logistics is urging parliamentarians to oppose both the draft directive and to vote down an amendment that would simply defer the implementation of the directive for two to four years."

The European Parliament has noted that in its June 18-21 plenary session, the issues that will be discussed include: pensions, EU Summit, and postal services.

The Irish Examiner has reported that "The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) for the postal industry in Ireland, today published the results of its quarterly independent eport on the Quality of Service performance of An Post." See also the Sunday Business Post.

The Telegraph has reported that "Royal Mail has insisted it will not raise its pay offer despite having called in conciliation service Acas to try to avert a potentially devastating national strike. The postal carrier confirmed that it will use the third-party negotiators to try to get an agreement with the Communication Workers Union, which is threatening the first national walkout in 11 years over pay conditions."

The Times has reported that "Royal Mail faces a crisis in staff morale amid last-ditch attempts to avert the first national postal strike in 11 years, leaked internal documents have revealed. The organisation’s monthly barometer of staff satisfaction levels found that just 29 per cent of staff believe that they are valued by management. About 21 per cent of Royal Mail workers say that they have witnessed bullying and harrassment."

The Financial Times has reported that "Royal Mail has offered to meet the postal workers' union through the conciliation service Acas in an attempt to avert a crippling strike over pay and the company's modernisation plan." See also Personnel Today.

Sify Finance News has reported that "The Indian Post Office is likely to hive off its postal life insurance business into a separate entity by next year, following which it could come under Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority purview."

The BBC has reported that "Royal Mail has written to conciliation service Acas, offering to meet the Communication Workers Union (CWU) ahead of a proposed strike. The company insisted it was not making any concessions, but was seeking to again explain its position. Last week Royal Mail insisted that the organisation could not afford to improve its 2.5% pay offer, despite staff voting for strike action. The CWU is due to set dates for a series of national walkouts."

As the Economist has noted, "Ink on paper has evolved over the millennia to become the easiest medium to read and the most efficient means for conveying information. And despite all the talk about paperless offices, computers have contributed mightily to today’s deluge of printed material instead of helping diminish it. But that hasn’t stopped researchers around the world from trying to replicate print on paper electronically."

As the Bloomberg News put it: "Buy them now, use them forever. That's the promise of the U.S. Postal Service's Forever stamp, which went on sale April 14. I confess I hadn't paid much attention to the new stamp or the concept behind it until I was confronted with a choice at my local post office: To buy a regular first-class stamp for 41 cents, or to buy a Forever stamp, the equivalent of a first-class stamp even when postal rates go up, also for 41 cents. Why would anyone buy a first-class stamp instead of taking a free option on a Forever stamp? A Forever stamp retains its value. Every few years, a first-class stamp requires additional postage to keep it current. For the consumer, this has an opportunity cost as well as an actual one: standing in line at the post office to buy the 2- or 3-cent stamps needed for additional postage."

The Washington Post has observed that "The personal mailbox is the latest casualty of suburban sprawl. Across the nation, the U.S. Postal Service increasingly is delivering mail to communal cluster boxes as a way to keep pace with booming residential growth while controlling labor costs. But many residents and developers say cluster boxes -- traditionally reserved for apartments and townhouses, not single-family homes -- are impersonal, inconvenient and downright ugly."

As the Wall Street Journal noted, "When Virginia-based vintner Juanita Swedenburg discovered Prohibition-vintage laws prevented her from mailing cases of wine to customers in New York, she decided to make a federal case of it. The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Swedenburg v. Kelly that a New York law preventing wine sales across state lines was unconstitutional. Now 72% of Americans can order wine for home delivery."

Air Cargo World has reported that "Despite widespread concern among shippers that full inspection of belly cargo is too costly, the U.S. Congress could pass an air cargo security bill before the July 4th recess, sources in both houses said."

As Mike Causey put it, "If you are looking for one of the best health insurance deals in the nation join the U.S. Postal Service. It's workers get the same coverage, at about half the cost, as most other feds."

The Telegraph has reported that "The Royal Mail has offered to meet postal unions through the conciliation service Acas in a last-ditch effort to avert a crippling national strike."

The Daily Mail has reported that "Royal Mail has admitted selling off thousands of items that got 'lost in the post' to help meet its running costs. The troubled company sells the contents of about 75,000 undelivered packages every year, at the risk of enraging hordes of customers already frustrated that their post has gone astray. Even customers who paid over the odds for premium 'secure' services to cover valuable items have been shocked to find their goods put up for auction, in an operation that could be netting the postal giant millions of pounds a year."

According to the Financial Express, "While the government is yet to take a decision on whether the Department of Post (DoP) will have a banking arm under the name of Post Bank of India, the post office life insurance business may become a separate corporate entity next year."

NewKerala.com has reported that "In its bid to diversify the varied financial services and helping the common people, India Post is considering to launch a full-fledged banking system-'' Post Bank of India'' in the country." See also Hindustan Times.

USA Today has reported that "Army officials scrambled to deliver thousands of undelivered letters and packages — some with postal dates from May 2006 — addressed to soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center."

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

Postmaster General John Potter has sent a letter to the Chair and Ranking Members of the House Appropriations Committee regarding the elimination of the Postal Service's annual $29 million for revenue foregone in the House bill. Failure to fund the revenue forgone, Potter said, could have significant consequences for postal finances. The appropriations bill is pending Committee action and is expected to go to the House floor next week.

Forbes has reported that "FirstGroup-owned rail freight company FirstGBRf said it has extended its contract with Royal Mail to transport post until 2010."

PrintWeek has reported that "Royal Mail's bid to introduce zonal pricing for bulk mailers has come under fire during industry body Postcomm's fourth annual industry forum this week (12 June). The company's proposal would affect the cost of sending bulk mail depending on which of five zones it is sent to. In some areas, such as within the M25, the charge increase could be as great as 12%. Around 140 representatives attended the debate on Royal Mail's proposals, which, if approved, could come into effect as early as April next year."

The Postal Service will be using a bit of history to make history when it launches its first-ever infomercial this weekend. The thundering hooves of the Pony Express lead viewers through a series of modern day business success stories. Each story highlights an online service available at usps.com that has made shopping and shipping easier than ever for the customer. The 28-minute video premieres this weekend and will be seen on a variety of stations at various times throughout the week.

Dawn has reported that "The Pakistan post office is planning to introduce a new express service having an internet-based track and trace facility, allowing people to check the status of their posted articles through a website."

Asia Pulse has reported that "Korean Post has agreed to help develop and modernise IT systems for Vietnam's postal service under a memorandum of understanding signed by VNPT and the South Korean postal service."

The Postal Regulatory Commission has approved the Postal Service's request for an extension of the period to test the market desirability of repositionable notes.

Eastbusiness.org has reported that "The boss of Posta Slovenije told the press on Friday the national postal company generated EUR 20.88 million in net profit in 2006, or some EUR 5.8 million more than a year before. Operating revenues increased nearly 10 per cent to EUR 229.78 million. The results have never been better, Ales Hauc told the press in Ljubljana, upbeat about the future of the company that employed 6,723 people at the end of 2006."

According to Maynard Benjamin, President of the Envelope Manufacturers Association, "When it comes to envelopes and technology, most past innovations were limited to the manufacturing process. These advancements helped create a plentiful and affordable supply of a trusted product that millions of Americans use every day, but they did not change the basic structure and power of the envelope. New technologies are emerging, though, that could transform envelopes as we know them."

The Associated Press has noted that "A foul-smelling package that led to the evacuation of a post office next to the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum contained two cans of spinach and a dirty diaper." [Oh, pooh!]

AllAfrica.com has reported that "From June 14 to 16, 2007 the sea side resort of Yasmine Hammamet will host "Technopost Africa 2007" an international conference jointly organized by the Tunisian Postal services, the Universal Postal Union, and the pan African Union of Posts. The main items on the agenda will touch on electronic commerce, hybrid mail, safe mail, electronic registered mail, E-banking, global banking, M-post and mobile telephony, E-learning, as well as E-management."

From Business Wire: "FedEx Freight Canada, the newly-formed subsidiary of FedEx Freight that provides seamless intra-Canada and transborder less-than-truckload (LTL) service, officially unveiled its new combined national headquarters and 48 dock-door service center, located on Wilson Avenue in Toronto."

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, of which Senator Susan Collins is the Ranking Member, today approved a resolution that she and Senator Joseph Lieberman (ID-CT) coauthored to reaffirm the constitutional protections of sealed domestic mail. This approval paves the way for the legislation to be considered by the full Senate. The measure is also cosponsored by Senators Tom Carper (D-DE), Norm Coleman (R-MN), Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Russ Feingold (D-WI), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT).

From Business Wire: "Direct Group, a fully integrated direct marketing solutions provider, announced today that Chris Ryan has been promoted to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer (COO). Focused on the direct mail, postal and logistics side of the business, Ryan will oversee the company's 800-plus employee production facility in Swedesboro, NJ, one of the largest-volume, single-site commercial mailing operations in the world. Ryan, a founding partner and shareholder of Direct Group, previously held the position of Executive Vice President responsible for service, quality, sales and marketing."

According to Personnel Today, "The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has accused Royal Mail of attempting to provoke strike action rather than looking to negotiate."

The Financial Times has reported that "Alliance & Leicester, a banking group, is benefiting from a more than Ł10m cut in its Post Office costs after signing a new contract in April."

According to Sustainable Industries, "Avoiding left turns is helping United Parcel Service Inc. save loads on gasoline. Using electronic processing technology to plan delivery routes around right-hand turns, the company is taking full advantage of a U.S. traffic law that was first implemented in the 1970s as a way to save gas."

MaltaMedia has reported that "A dispute between Unjoni Ħaddiema Magħqudin (UĦM) and Maltapost management, which led to postal operators striking at end of May, came to an end on Wednesday with the signing of their collective agreement." See also the Times of Malta.

According to DutchNews, "Postal unions say they accept that over 6,000 jobs will have to go at TNT. 'Otherwise the risk is too great that the company will run into trouble,' Abvakabo spokeswoman Anneke Stevens told ANP."