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Postal News from September 2009
September 30, 2009
Postalnews Blog has noted that "The postal service has published
unaudited financial results for the month of August showing a net loss
of $721 million for the month, resulting in a fiscal year to date loss
of $6.3 billion with one month left to report. Mail volume continued to
decline, coming in at 13.2% below August a year ago. The steepest
declines continued to be in standard mail, down 18.4%, periodicals, down
14.2%, and package services, down 18.1%. First class volumes were down
by 7.8%. Total revenue was down by just under a half billion dollars for
the month, and down by $5.9 billion for the year to date. Expenses were
reduced by 10.6% for the month, but are down by just 2.7% for the year
to date, a reduction of less than $2 billion."
Dead Tree Edition has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service has
announced the possible closing or downsizing of 15 processing and
distribution centers in the past two weeks, part of a newly aggressive
effort to rationalize its mail-processing network. While proposed
post-office closings get most of the media attention, 32 of the much
larger processing and distribution centers are the subject of Area Mail
Processing studies (AMPS) that could result in some or all of their work
going to other P&DCs. USPS has approved at least partial consolidation
of 11 other P&DCs this quarter, as shown by its
AMPS Web site. The site
links to reports detailing the proposed and recently approved
consolidations."
TechCentral has reported that "The SA Post Office said on Tuesday
its banking unit will become a separate company. Postbank would be
“corporatised” in 2010 as a stand-alone company within the Sapo group."
From
PR-Inside: "Postal Services in Australia - a new market research
report on
companiesandmarkets.com."
ABC.az has
reported that "Azerpocht Ltd (a postal company of the Ministry of
Communications & Information Technologies) is planning to put into
operation a range of new postal offices."
From
Marketwire: "The Bermuda Post Office, under the Ministry of Energy,
Telecommunications and E-Commerce, and RPost®, the leader in managed
outbound messaging with its flagship Registered Email® services
announced they have entered into a partnership to offer Registered Email
services as an official Bermuda Postal Service to Bermuda's domestic and
international businesses. The RPost service will allow Bermuda Post
business customers to dramatically reduce their annual communications
costs by offering a viable electronic alternative to high-cost courier
and overnight delivery services."
The
Kapuskasing Times has reported that "the federal government last
week renewed its commitment to keeping rural and small town post offices
open, and officials in Constance Lake are wondering where that leaves
them."
The
BBC has reported that "Labour delegates have backed calls for the
government to take responsibility for Royal Mail's pension deficit. The
government had planned to take the £8bn deficit on, as part of plans to
part-privatise Royal Mail, which were shelved in July. In an emergency
resolution at the party conference, the government was urged to "resolve
this matter immediately".
The
Associated Press has reported that "Up against a midnight deadline
to avoid a government shutdown, the Senate raced to pass legislation
Wednesday that temporarily would extend spending on most federal
programs at current levels while raising Congress' budget by 6 percent.
A vote on the measure to keep the government for one more month was set
for late afternoon. It was expected to win easy approval, with President
Barack Obama virtually certain to sign it before day's end.
The legislation also would patch over problems
in the struggling postal service and pay for soon-to-expire
highway programs for an additional month as well. The stopgap measure is
needed because Congress has failed to complete work on any of the 12
annual spending bills for agency budgets....The Postal Service could
delay $4 billion in payments due next month to a health care fund for
retirees. Some $5.4 billion is supposed to be paid, but officials say
they don't have enough money to make the payment."
The
Daily Mail has reported that "Plans to let Royal Mail put up the
price of a First Class stamp by a record 3p have been slammed by
business leaders and consumers. The Daily Mail revealed today how the
industry regulator is planning to allow the Royal Mail to impose a
series of inflation-busting increases. First class post would go up 3p
to 42p while second class would rise by 2p to 32p."
Marketing Direct Magazine has reported that "American Express is
launching its biggest marketing campaign in more than four years to
reposition the brand as being more contemporary and
customer-friendly.The TV, press and outdoor campaign will be
supported by direct marketing activity, created by OgilvyOne, and a
dedicated website. The three-month push will span 27 countries; a
separate campaign is planned for the US."
The
Las Vegas Sun has reported that "Mail for Las Vegas residents who
have moved and filed forwarding addresses will soon be trucked eight
hours to Phoenix for additional processing and then returned here, under
a new U.S. Postal Service cost-cutting plan that will delay mail
delivery by a day or longer."
Business Report has noted that "The SA Post Office had continued to
deliver profits, it said yesterday as it released its financial results
for the year to March. Although profits declined slightly as a result of
the depressed economy and the drop in postal volumes, the results showed
the Post Office "continued to deliver steadily improving trading profits
since its turnaround in 2004."
From
PRWeb: "Earth Class Mail Corporation (ECM) announces that Sarah G.
Carr, the company's president, has been promoted to CEO. Carr joined ECM
in September, 2008, as chief operating officer and was promoted to
president in June, 2009. Carr has more than 20 years of executive
experience as president of Print Inc., COO of Bowne Global Solutions,
SVP of Operations at Thomson Financial and VP of Strategy and Business
Development at the Thomson Corporation."
Bloomberg has reported that "A 2007 Royal Mail national walkout cost
the London economy 300 million pounds ($478 million), according to the
city’s Chamber of Commerce. A series of local strikes this year are
driving away business customers like Hawkins and undermining
government-owned Royal Mail’s effort to compete with rivals such as
Business Post Group Plc and Netherlands-based TNT NV."
The Telegraph has reported that "The Royal Mail has asked to
increase the price of a first-class stamp by an inflation-busting 3p,
taking it from 39p to 42p. It has asked for a second class stamp to jump
by 2p – again by more than the rate of inflation – to take the cost from
30p to 32p. The request is laid out in a document published by Postcomm,
the industry regulator. Though the price increases, which would take
effect in April 2010 are subject to consultation, Postcomm has
provisionally agreed to them."
From
GlobalNewswire: "Top Image Systems, Ltd., the leading innovator of
intelligent document recognition, announced today it was selected by the
Swiss Post, PostLogistics to automate the address analysis of
approximately 105 million packages a year in its three parcel centers in
Daillens, Harkingen and Frauenfeld."
CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
China Post Group seems to have absorbed the effects of the general economic downturn very well. Between January and August this year, the group achieved a 17.1% increase in turnover to 10.7bn euros. Postal services, excluding the post bank, increased by 13% to 7.15bn euros. The volume increase realised in August was uneven, however. While letter volumes went up by 2.3% (5.09 billion items), newspaper and magazine volumes remained stagnant at 11.53 billion items.
Austria’s minister for infrastructure Bures has banned the post from closing 144 post offices.
New Zealand Post suffered shrinking profits on a declining turnover during the financial year 2008/2009.
Russia intends to invest around 13bn euros in infrastructure modernisations next year, especially the development of the road network.
Post Danmark intends to increase the use of self-service terminals in the future.
Siemens AG confirmed an order from Sweden’s Posten AB regarding the supply of a new energy-saving flat sorter.
In view of the perennial gridlock in Tokyo, motorbike and bicycle couriers have proved to be a competitive alternative.
Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus are about to form a customs union.
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.)
According to
Hellmail, "Trying to work out the best direction, what to invest in
and what not to invest in, will be key to Royal Mail's future.
Technology has moved on at a fast rate of knots and if I had to make any
predictions it is that the postal service will become far more digital
affair than it is at present, with most letters eventually becoming part
of an online service that customers can access 24/7, catalogues and
direct mail making up foot deliveries, and parcels as they always have
been, in a competitive market. That would indicate that the head count
at Royal Mail will have to go down and any visions of perfectly
preserving a 350 year service are wishful thinking. It is consumer
demand that ultimately drives business, not political ideals."
The Gravure Publishing Council will be holding its annual
Conference on November 18-20
at The Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club, Naples, Florida. Highlights of
this year’s program include:
The
U.S. Postal Service is co-sponsoring a series of free customer
webinars highlighting the benefits of Direct Mail with five online
Direct Mail Service Providers. Delivered by industry experts, the
webinar series is designed to provide customers with smart and
imaginative solutions on how to plan, design, and launch an effective
direct mail campaign.
Press Release: "USPS
Approves New "Wallet Style" Booklet Design for Automation and Machinable
Letter Prices -- Postal Bulletin 22267, published September 10, 2009,
contained a new optional mailpiece design for a letter-size booklet
which permits the preparation of a small "wallet style" booklet type
mailpiece. This is the second design option the Postal Service has
approved since the final rule on the new standards for letter-size
booklets was published last April. Please see Newsflashes 250 and 255 at
www.worldcolorlogistics.com for additional information.
The
Business Insider has reported that "FedEx Corp. shareholders on
Monday elected Waste Management Inc. CEO David Steiner of Waste
Management Inc. to its board of directors for a one-year term."
According
to
Daily Finance, "The green factor increasingly plays a role in
customer decisions. Which is probably why package and shipping giant
United Parcel Service (UPS) has come out swinging against arch-rival
Federal Express (FDX). The two mega-brands have been locked in a public
dogfight over who's green cred is more legit and which company is
actually running a more sustainable operation."
September 29, 2009
Chip
Design has a story on "The USPS uses Opal Kelly's FPGA USB 2.0
Modules in a Real-Time Process Control Application." It's an interesting
read . . . if you're an engineer.
According to
Multichannel Merchant, "Ground package delivery company Velocity
Express Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Sept. 24,
according to Bloomberg. Velocity Express listed assets of $94.1 million
and debt of $120.6 million as of Sept. 1 in Chapter 11 documents filed
in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, DE. Twelve affiliates —
including CD&L, Click Messenger Service, Silver Star Express, Olympic
Courier Systems and Securities Courier System — are also seeking
protection, Bloomberg reported."
 |
IDEAlliance FREE! REGISTER TODAY!
USPS is transforming its Bulk Mail Centers into Network Distribution Centers (NDC). Key components of the concept include:
At the
Postal Regulatory Commission:
Live Audio Broadcast Of Hearing – In Docket
N2009-1, STation And Branch OptimizAtion And
Consolidation Initiatve - Will Air At 10:O0 A.M., Wednesday, September 30, 2009.
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Conflicting Technological and Competitive Forces in Regulated Industries
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According to one writer for the
Baltimore Sun, "According to the USPS' 2008 annual report, of the
201.9 billion pieces of mail delivered, only about 10 percent originate
from households. The other 90 percent comes from businesses, agencies
and other nonhouseholds. And although the private letters, bills and
magazines we receive at home comprise 40 percent of our mail, the other
60 percent is advertising: credit card applications, coupons and other
forms of junk mail. Which means that the post office is an even more
important boondoggle for the companies flooding our mailboxes with
solicitations. The trade groups know the score: The magazine publishers
support USPS solvency, and the direct mail industry says it will gladly
accept five-day mail delivery if necessary."
The
Chartered Quality Institute has reported that "Royal Mail’s managing
director, Mark Higson, said: ‘In the first week of October, Royal Mail
will have successfully completed the major efficiency changes planned
for 2009, both nationally and in London. ‘This level of change is higher
than has been implemented in any previous year and has been essential as
a response to the accelerating decline in the number of letters.’ The
efficiency changes, which include the introduction of flexible working,
new automated sorting equipment and handheld tracking devices, have been
met with a hostile reaction from postal workers resulting in widespread
strikes. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said: ‘The scale of
change planned by Royal Mail is frightening and unprecedented. The
postal industry, along with the workplaces and jobs of our members,
could be unrecognisable."
EDP24 has reported that "The Royal Mail was last night accused of
trying to pressure businesses into paying £3,150 a year to guarantee
their post will be delivered at the start of the working day."
From
PR Newswire: "Earth Class Mail(TM), the world's leading provider of
Web-based management of incoming postal mail, and worldwide electronic
banking pioneer BankServ, announce the launch of a first-of-its-kind
service that allows customers to deposit mailed
checks into any U.S. checking account without having to touch the mail,
endorse checks, or go to the bank. Customers can manage their
deposits from anywhere in the world. The service is powered by
BankServ's award-winning payment technology, DepositNow®. Unlike a
traditional electronic check deposit service where the customer has to
acquire a check scanner and manually process checks, the Earth Class
Mail Web interface shows the customer which mail pieces contain checks
and enables them to perform a deposit with a few clicks of their mouse.
This service is ideal for people who want to eliminate the hassle of
managing paper checks, reduce labor costs and get faster access to
incoming funds. Customers can have up to five checking accounts that
they deposit into, or have all checks automatically deposited into a
single account. Funds are available as soon as one business day after a
deposit is made."
Business Day has reported that "The South African Post Office (SAPO)
today reported a pre tax profit of R488.2 million for the year ended
March 2009 compared with a profit of R565.0 million in 2008. The 14%
decline was a result of higher input costs, especially fuel and salary
costs. This is despite an extremely challenging financial year, which
saw turmoil in international financial markets reduce postal revenues
and hike input costs, it said."
Press Release: "The Guide to Worldwide Postal Codes and Address
Formats provides not only the "official" information from the postal
authorities but also what mailers are seeing and experiencing
day-to-day. As in previous editions, the 2008 Guide includes sample
addresses for each country, information on addressing, and changes in
postal and addressing formats that have occurred since the previous
edition, along with a review of what is expected in the near future. 230
countries and territories are covered by the report. A one-year
subscription to the Internet-based version including updates is included
with the purchase of the print edition. For more information, go to:
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/6452ca/guide_to_worldwide_postalcode_and_address_fo.
The
U.S. Postal Service has won a Postal Technology International Award
for "Environmental Achievement Of The Year."
The
New York Daily News has reported that "Elected officials and
concerned Bronxites have made a desperate, last-ditch request to Uncle
Sam to keep open up to seven post offices slated for closure. They
delivered their plea at a public hearing by the Postal Regulatory
Commission at Fordham University last week."
Hellmail has reported that "Latvian Post is offering new, more
affordable prices for direct mail delivery in Latvia, starting with a
single tariff in Riga and surrounding regions. Latvian Post said the
number of units distributed had increased, and that it was one of the
few companies that offered 100% coverage."
According to the
Courier, Express, and Postal Observer, "Xerox has announced the
purchase of Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) in a move that Xerox
investors clearly found troubling causing the price to drop by 14%. This
move should trouble postal stakeholders as well as it sends a strong
message regarding what "the document company" thinks about the future of
printed documents. Why does this matter to the Post? Now,
the leading firm designing machines, processes,
and software to handle paper documents will now help their customers
move the document based, mail-delivered processes to electronic,
Internet-delivered processes. Xerox's decision to seek a way
to continue to serve existing customers as they abandon documents to the
Internet suggests that senior management no longer sees growth prospects
in print. The thinking behind Xerox's merger decision should provides
postal stakeholders worldwide a wake-up call about the long term
prospects of hard-copy delivery." For background, see the
Wall Street Journal.
WBGH has reported that "The US Postal Service is moving some current
operations from its facility in Binghamton to Syracuse. First class
mail, that's the stuff you put a stamp on, will now be sorted and
distributed through the Syracuse center. As a result, 10 positions will
be leaving Binghamton. However, a spokesperson for the Post Office says
there will be no layoffs."
From the
Federal Register:
Postal Regulatory Commission RULES New Postal Product , 49823–49825 [E9–23488]
Marketing Daily has reported that "In a first for a package delivery
company, United Parcel Service is giving away samples from major brands
to its customers. The company is piloting a program in Chicago,
Dallas-Ft. Worth, Miami, Phoenix and Washington, D.C., in which people
who get UPS' Direct-to-Door home delivery also get offers and samples
from a roster of brands. It is expected to go nationwide in 2010. The
offers will be packaged in a custom-designed "UPS Direct-to-Door Pak" --
white with an image of a UPS delivery van -- and delivered to residents
in the test ZIP codes who are receiving a small package shipment that
day. Each Direct-to-Door Pak can contain approximately 12 offers and
samples from UPS customers. Brands participating in the program include
Williams Sonoma, Bed Bath & Beyond, FTD.com, Pottery Barn, The Finish
Line, Sephora, West Elm and Zappos.com." See also the
Louisville Business Journal.
Hellmail has reported that "The Royal Mail looks set to increase
prices to offset falling mail volume and help pay for modernisation.
Postcomm, the UK's postal regulator announced today that it is to look
again at pricing controls after it was revealed that Royal Mail's
revenues for the year 2008-09 are approximately £1 billion lower than if
volumes had stayed constant over this period."
As Reason has
noted, "FedEx Express, the company’s air delivery service, operates
under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), instituted in 1926 to arbitrate labor
disputes in industries (including, by 1936, airlines) that are deemed
vital to interstate commerce. Under this law, in order to be recognized,
a union must receive a majority of votes from all a company’s employees,
rather than merely a majority of those who choose to vote. That makes it
much more difficult for labor to organize. As a result, FedEx Express,
and therefore FedEx, have been mostly union-free for decades. UPS, by
contrast, operates under the 1935 National Labor Relations Act (NLRA,
commonly known as the Wagner Act). This Depression-era law allows
unionization at each individualoffice of a national company, thereby
significantly lowering the barriers to labor organizing. As a result,
UPS is one of the largest unionized companies in the country. (Like UPS,
the FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight divisions of FedEx are covered by the
NLRA.) This legal distinction has had a significant impact on the two
competitors’ labor costs. Average compensation and benefit cost per
employee at UPS is more than double that at FedEx—$74,413 vs. $29,310."
September 28, 2009
RIA Novosti
has reported that "Abkhazia and Russia have signed a memorandum that
will see the former Georgian republic establish its own independent
telecommunication and postal services."
The
Times of India has reported that "The postal department had
introduced the Air Logistics Services on September 1 in cities like
Kolkata, Imphal, Chennai and Bangalore and the service was started in
city on September 13, this year, on experimental basis. Through this
facility one can get a consignment delivered to major towns of India
within 24 hours."
Inside Costa Rica has reported that "Costa Rica will share with the
world the successful experiences accumulated by Correos de Costa Rica -
Costa Rica's efficient post office - through the "Costa Rica Best
Practices" through the Dirección de Cooperación del Ministerio de
relaciones Exteriores (Cooperation Directorate of the Foreign Ministry),
alloing national institutions more direct contact with Governments,
international agencies and other entities."
According to
Supply Chain Management, "There are a select group of chosen
companies that seem to go bankrupt again and again - they seem to have a
bankruptcy addiction. They just can’t seem to help themselves.... I am
beginning to think that...such buffoonery is going to be the norm."
Business Week has reported that "Privacy fears abound...but after a
year of testing is that far from being a threat, sites offering LBS
represent vast, unrealized potential to radically transform the way we
communicate and stay connected. There's no denying LBS could also become
a gold mine for marketers."
The Journal of Commerce has
reported that "Three U.S. paper companies joined with the union that
represents 6,000 of their employees in a complaint to the World Trade
Organization accusing China and Indonesia of improper subsidies. The
complaint alleges subsidized imports of coated paper have flooded the
U.S. market and destroyed thousands of American jobs. The paper
companies said in a statement that the Chinese government helps
producers by offering them low-interest loans, granting them tax
subsidies, and undervaluing the Chinese currency to keep prices down,
among other measures. On the other hand, Indonesian companies receive
government loans, timber from government-owned land, debt forgiveness
and tax incentives to encourage them to boost their production, the U.S.
paper firms said."
The Economist has noted that "once the toys of rich yuppies, mobile
phones have evolved in a few short years to become tools of economic
empowerment for the world’s poorest people.
These phones compensate for inadequate infrastructure, such as bad roads
and slow postal services, allowing information to move more
freely, making markets more efficient and unleashing entrepreneurship.
All this has a direct impact on economic growth:
an extra ten phones per 100 people in a typical developing country
boosts GDP growth by 0.8 percentage points, according to the
World Bank. More than 4 billion handsets are now in use worldwide,
three-quarters of them in the developing world (see
our special report). Even in Africa, four
in ten people now have a mobile phone. With such phones now
so commonplace, a new opportunity beckons:
mobile money, which allows cash to travel as quickly as a
text message."
Hellmail has reported that "Pitney Bowes Inc. has announced it is
launching a new production colour printing system for high-volume
transactional mailers. The new offering, called the Pitney Bowes®
IntelliJet™ Printing System, is the result of a strategic alliance with
HP, a global leader in information and print technology. The Pitney
Bowes IntelliJet Printing System provides seamless integration for large
transactional mailers looking to enhance revenues and streamline
operations. The system is available for immediate sale, the company
said."
The
Press Association has reported that "A debate at Labour's annual
conference about the future of the Royal Mail is set to be heard on
Wednesday, it has emerged. An emergency motion submitted by the
Communication Workers' Union, calling on the Government to tackle the
Royal Mail's huge pension deficit, has been accepted. The move has come
as thousands of postal workers continue to take industrial action in a
long running row over jobs, pay and services."
People Management has reported that "The recession has given
opportunities to organisational development (OD) professionals to make
changes that would not otherwise have been possible, according to
David Stephenson, group head of OD at Royal Mail. Stephenson told the
CIPD’s OD conference that pressures on costs were offering good
opportunities for OD specialists to make changes and to learn lessons
about their organisations. But he also warned that executive demands for
short-term results were putting pressure on HR and OD professionals “to
collude and command”. “[The functions] are having a real mission in
keeping true to their values,” he said at the OD conference, held last
week in London."
The
San Francisco Chronicle has reported that "Last week, the city of
San Francisco sent its first letter to residents using Zumbox, a secure
e-mail service that allows senders to contact people online using their
street address, which regular e-mail doesn't do. If the experiment
catches on with even a fraction of the population, San Francisco could
save a chunk of the $3 million it spent last fiscal year on postage and
associated labor costs. Although the service typically costs 5 cents per
e-mail, Zumbox is not charging the city. "If we can get 10 to 15 percent
of the population to check their Zumbox, it would be huge in paper and
cost savings," said Lawrence Grodeska, Internet communications
coordinator for San Francisco's Department of the Environment. The other
selling point is the environmental benefit: no paper to recycle. Last
year, the city sent about 7.5 million pieces of mail, according to its
mail department."
From the Federal Register:
Postal Regulatory Commission RULES Postal Rates , 49326–49327 [E9–23321] NOTICES New Postal Product , 49408–49409 [E9–23445] 49409–49410 [E9–23446]
Bloomberg has reported that "Japan’s government will freeze the sale
of resort facilities operated by the nation’s postal service, reversing
the policy of the previous government."
September 27, 2009
Arabian Supply Chain says that "Dan Brutto, president of UPS
International, explains why the company will continue to invest in the
Middle East market."
IBTimes has reported that "The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has
stepped up pressure on Royal Mail by launching another week of postal
strikes across the country. As with previous week of strike, London is
hit hard by the new postal strike."
According to
Hellmail, "As the UK's main postal operator pushes ahead with its
modernisation program, there seems to be little agreement between the
Communication Workers Union and the Royal Mail as to exactly what
'modernisation' means. In this instance, and from my own experience in
other industries (particularly education), modernisation is nearly
always about saving money and introducing more rigid working practices."
ThisIsMoney has reported that "Postal delivery firms may be unable
to cope with the deluge of Christmas parcels if Royal Mail union members
vote in favour of strike action next month."
The
BBC has reported that "Entrepreneurs across London are warning their
businesses may go bust if the postal strike continues much longer. BBC
London has been contacted by several business owners who are unable to
send goods or bills as disputes over pay and job losses continue."
September 26, 2009
The
Daily Mail has reported that "Royal Mail is asking firms to pay
£3,150 a year to ensure their post arrives in the morning. The move
means thousands of businesses, small and large, face a bill for a
service that has been free for more than 300 years. There are fears the
same regime could be extended to family homes in the future."
CQ Politics has noted that "he House of Representatives passed a
temporary spending bill on September 25 to keep the federal government
in business through October. In order to avoid a government shutdown,
the Senate must now approve the measure before the new fiscal year
starts on October 1. Highway programs would continue under the bill, and
the U.S. Postal Service would be able to cover its budget shortfall by
reducing its retirement account spending by $4 billion.
See also the
Wall
Street Journal and the
New York Times.
Kiplinger has reported that "There’ll be no more Saturday delivery
of mail, come 2011 or so. The U.S. Postal Service is serious about
cutting back to a Monday to Friday schedule -- a plan that the USPS
figures will save the cash-strapped agency at least $3 billion a year.
Congress will grudgingly go along, though not till after the 2010
elections. Lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle are
reluctantly coming to the conclusion that USPS cost cutting and much
higher postal rates can’t bail the service out of the deepening hole
it’s in. They know that rate hikes will only accelerate the inexorable
erosion of mail volume."
Hellmail has reported that "The Communication Workers Union
is to hand a giant postcard to UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown
this coming Thursday as part of its "Keep The Post Public"
campaign. The union, which is fiercely against ongoing plans by
the government to part privatise the company as soon as it is
able to secure a strategic parner for the Royal Mail, is
continuing to exert pressure on both the government and the
Labour Party. The union has also submitted an Emergency
Resolution to the Labour Party Conference, presently being
considered by the Conference Arrangements Committee as to
whether it will be tabled or not. The CWU is also balloting
121,000 postal workers, urging them to support national strike
action which would see mail collection and deliveries grind to a
standstill. CWU leader Billy Hayes, described the ballot as a
referendum on the future of the Royal mail: "Its about putting
pressure on government and not allowing it to walk away from its
responsibilies, whether on pensions or regulation" he said."
Dow Jones has reported that "While Brazil's postal strike
appeared to be nearing its end Friday, bank workers said their
strike is growing in strength. Both unions are demanding a raise
in salary."
September 25, 2009
The latest copy of the
National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. electronic governmental affairs newsletter is available on the NAPUS web site.
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
A Message from the PRC Chairman
“Within our regulatory framework, I would like to encourage a national conversation on the future of mail and hardcopy communications in the United States,” Chairman Ruth Y. Goldway. The Nation’s mail system faces serious financial challenges exacerbated by historic declines in mail volume. The Postal Service has responded by cutting costs, downsizing operations, reducing its customer-service footprint and proposing further changes – such as eliminating one day of mail delivery service – that could have significant impact on customers and service nationwide. What do these changes mean for postal customers and the Nation? The conversation to answer that question has begun. Please feel free to join in by contacting the Commission. Click here for a copy of the letter sent to a variety of stakeholders, organizations and associations. A list of the recipients is also included."
The latest issue of
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The BBC
has reported that "Further postal strikes will be held next week, the
Communication Workers Union has announced."
Northrop Grumman has announced that "Katherine A. Gray has been
appointed Vice President, Postal Automation Systems. She will have
responsibility for the sector's postal systems business in the U.S. and
internationally, including operations in Baltimore and in France and
Belgium under Solystic."
According to
The Tribune, "More than two-thirds of the Cabinet have ignored a
plea from postal workers for talks on the Royal Mail dispute amid a
national ballot for industrial action. The failure of a response has
prompted unprecedented action from the Communication Workers Union,
which has taken out adverts in newspapers and magazines, including
Tribune, to “name and shame” the silent ministers. The adverts, headed
“NO REPLY”, are being placed to coincide with the Labour Party
conference and refer to a letter from general secretary Billy Hayes sent
on July 23 In it, he refers to the “underlying pension fund deficit,
regulation and the need to modernise the company to take account of
changing market conditions” and requests a meeting to discuss the future
of a successful Royal Mail. Only five Cabinet members have replied:
Harriet Harman, Peter Hain, Alan Johnson, Bob Ainsworth and Lord Adonis.
Business Secretary Peter Mandelson was not one of the recipients."
The
Daily Mail has reported that "More than one million letters may
never be delivered and tens of millions more will take weeks because of
postal strikes, union leaders have warned."
The
London Informer has reported that "Postal workers deliver more bad
news - the strikes will go on."
In an article for
Newsday, the President of the Long Island branch of the letter
carriers union has written that "The recession has had a tremendous
impact on the Postal Service. This year, mail volume has declined by 40
billion pieces, and the service is forecasting a $7 billion deficit.
Cost-cutting proposals include shutting post offices and eliminating
Saturday delivery. Dropping one delivery day could save $3.3 billion
next year - a number that looks good on paper. But consider the
consequences. Ending Saturday delivery could eliminate at least 50,000
postal worker jobs - about 575 here on Long Island. Most economic
experts will tell you that reducing the workforce only adds to the
problems of difficult economic times. Creating and maintaining good jobs
helps end them. Five-day delivery will also make the Postal Service more
vulnerable to competition, which will step in to fill the Saturday void.
And since private companies will only deliver where they can make money,
the average customer in a less well-off community will pay more for
service."
According to
Triplepundit, "Most non personal mail sent to you typically starts
as a file on a computer somewhere. It gets printed, put in an envelope,
then shipped via the postal service to your mailbox. With Zumbox, that
file goes directly to your Zumbox account, bypassing printing, scanning,
and mailing it. All those resources, energy, and time are saved."
According to
Hellmail, "China is to introduce a new postal law on October 1st
which will give State-owned post offices a monopoly on intra-city
express delivery of items under 50g and intercity delivery of items
under 100g, in contrast to the present European model which aims to
introduce competition across all member states. Anyone found breaking
the new law could face fines of 50,000 - 100,000 yuan ($7,320 -
$14,640)."
Online Media has reported that "JCPenney has begun testing a
new system at Houston area stores that lets customers scan mobile
coupons directly from their phones at checkout. The program,
launched Thursday at 16 JCPenney locations, is enabled through new
imaging scanners installed at registers that can read the "2D" barcode
coupons and save sales clerks from having to manually enter promotional
codes for coupons."
Transport Intelligence has reported that:
From the Federal Register:
Postal Regulatory Commission PROPOSED RULES Postal Service Performance and Customer Satisfaction Reporting , 49190–49215 [E9–22680]
The
Washington Post has reported that "The
House is expected to vote Friday [today] on a measure that
provides $4 billion in relief for the U.S. Postal Service, among (many)
other things. The continuing resolution set for passage funds federal
agencies through Oct. 31 as lawmakers continue working on appropriations
bills. Full-time Postal employees must decide by this Friday [today]
whether to accept buyout offers. Up to 30,000 employees can take the
$15,000 buyout, which the Postal Service describes as a way to save up
to $500 million during the next fiscal year. The Postal Service is also
expected to release an updated list of facilities slated for possible
closure or consolidation on Oct. 2. "
Dead Tree Edition has told its readers that this "may be just the
kind of crisis we need" to turn around a Postal Service whose current
model is not viable. Don't get me wrong -- I think Congress should pass
the legislation. But I hope it doesn't. I can't get excited about a
proposed law in which Congress would basically be saying to USPS, "For
the next couple of years, we won't steal as much from you as we used
to." I fear with its passage Congress would say, "Now that we've bailed
you out, you're not going to close any post offices in our districts or
deliver only five days a week, right?" The legislation would ease the
Postal Service's financial crisis but not get at the root of the
problem. I hope Congress instead embarrasses itself by failing to act
before the Sept. 30 deadline and allowing the Postal Service to do a
government version of Chapter 11."
UPS has announced a multi-year, multi-million-dollar
initiative to improve the capabilities of relief organizations
to respond to global emergencies.
McClatchey has told its readers that "When President Obama told the
people attending a town hall meeting on health care that "UPS and FedEx
are doing just fine, right? ... It's the post office that's always
having problems," he was right on the facts, but drew the wrong
conclusion from them. He failed to recognize that the successes of
United Parcel Service and Federal Express - or the Postal Service's
failures - have little to do with the competition between them. UPS and
FedEx are doing fine because they are privately owned. Their survival
and success depend on their ability to provide service at prices
customers are willing to pay and that cover the costs of the global
network of people and equipment necessary to pick up and deliver
packages when promised. Motivated by the pursuit of profits for
shareholders, the managers and employees of the two companies have
powerful incentives to treat their customers well, while keeping costs
down. The U.S. Postal Service is not doing "just fine" because it is
publicly owned, which means it has no real owners. As a result, the
Postal Service has no bottom line to attend to and no shareholders to
hold it accountable for failure to operate cost-effectively."
According to
Yahoo! Tech, "With the introduction of an iPhone app that lets you
deposit a check by taking a picture of it, options for mobile banking
are growing rapidly. And though you might think the boost in convenience
comes at the expense of security, banking on your cell phone can
actually be safer than using your PC if you take basic precautions.
The September 24, 2009 issue of the National Association of Postal
Supervisors
Legislative & Regulatory Update has been posted on this site.
September 24, 2009
Yahoo! News has reported that "The US newspaper industry is
struggling, with seven major companies in bankruptcy and 30,000 jobs
lost since 2007, but it will not seek a government bailout, the head of
the Newspaper Association of America said Thursday. "The newspaper
industry is not seeking a financial 'bailout' or any other kind of
special subsidy," NAA president John Sturm told a committee hearing of
the US House of Representatives on "The Future of Newspapers," "We don?t
believe direct government financial assistance is appropriate for an
industry whose core mission is news gathering, analysis and
dissemination," he said."
The headline from
Politico:
"A $4 billion bailout for the Postal Service? "
The
Associated Press has reported that "A
House-Senate panel on Thursday approved legislation to keep the
government from closing down when the new budget year starts next week
and employed a $4 billion bookkeeping maneuver to keep the financially
troubled Postal Service afloat. The financially struggling Postal
Service would be allowed to cover a budget shortfall by reducing its
annual payment to a health care fund for retirees by $4 billion. Under
current law, the Postal Service is required to transfer $5.4 billion to
the Retiree Health Benefits Fund by Sept. 30, but Postal officials say
they don't have enough money to make the payment."
According to the
Courier, Express, and Postal Observer, "The postal monopoly has
ceased to exist. This is a bold statement given that no law has changed.
However, the economic downturn has forced every sender of mail looks at
their alternatives and many have found competitive alternatives from
electronic and physical delivery options that are faster and more cost
effective than the mail. "
From M2
Presswire: "Caspio, Inc., provider of the leading do-it-yourself
database platform for creating web applications, today announced an
enterprise customer relationship with the United States Postal Service
(USPS). The federal agency joins a long list of other notable government
agencies, Fortune-500, education, and media organizations that utilize
Caspio's platform-as-a-service (PaaS) cloud computing technology. For
more information about Caspio, please visit
www.caspio.com/enterprisecloud."
The Guardian has reported that "Ebay sellers fear postal strike will
hit their reputations. Mail backlog resulting from postal strike causes
problems for eBay, Amazon and credit card customers."
According to the
Wall Street Journal, "Paper Is Next Front in China Trade Fight."
DM News has noted that "Here are four practical ways to use
mail-based intelligence to increase your organization's marketing
effectiveness."
The
Macclesfield Express has reported that "a postman
admitted stealing thousands from Royal Mail to fuel a gambling
habit after being secretly filmed by investigators."
The
Daily Record has reported that "Two former New Jersey postal workers
have pleaded guilty to stealing employee incentive gift cards worth
nearly $25,000."
Government Executive has reported that "Several of the more than 500
amendments the Senate Finance Committee is facing as it begins a
marathon markup of health care reform legislation would affect public
servants' health coverage -- and one would end the federal government's
health insurance program. The provision, offered by ranking member Sen.
Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, would force civil servants to leave the
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and purchase insurance through
the state-based health exchanges that are a centerpiece of the health
reform bill. Employees would move to the exchanges beginning in 2013.
The idea behind the amendment is "to require that elected officials and
federal employees purchase insurance in the same manner proposed in the
[bill] for private citizens," according to a summary on the Finance
Committee's Web site."
The
New York Times has reported that "since 1907, United Parcel Service
has been delivering packages ordered by consumers. Next week, the
company plans to deliver packages they have not ordered, in a test of an
effort to expand into direct marketing. Enlarge This Image United Parcel
Service will begin testing its direct marketing service on Monday.
Beginning on Monday, U.P.S. will experiment in
five major markets with a service it calls Direct to Door,
giving advertisers and retailers a chance to provide offers and product
samples to U.P.S. customers. The marketing
materials will come inside small boxes labeled Direct to Door Paks,
and will be delivered to customers along with merchandise they actually
ordered. The test, to run through Oct. 2, is
intended to gauge whether there is interest in having U.P.S. serve as an
alternative to marketing mail delivered by the United States Postal
Service or by companies like Valpak.
Zawya has reported that "Emirates Post Emirates Post UAE has joined
the Dubai Quality Group (DQG) as an Investor Partner in a partnership
aimed at reinforcing the quality of facilities provided by the postal
service. The move will also enable Emirates Post to implement
initiatives and strategic plans to expand its operations through its
network of more than 100 post offices, said DQG. "The partnership will
provide Emirates Post with the needed consultancy and information to
consolidate its position as an organisation concerned with quality in
postal and non-postal services, and thereby strengthen the position of
the UAE by making available solutions as a developed and integrated
service," said Osama Al Rahma, Vice-Chairman of DQG."
From the Federal Register:
Postal Regulatory Commission NOTICES Postal Service Incentive Pricing Program , 48788–48795 [E9–23024]
Hellmail has reported that:
China Daily has reported that "China's new postal law, which comes
into effect from Oct 1, will have a negligible impact on TNT's mail and
express delivery business in China, a company spokesman said, adding
that the express delivery service supplier will continue its commitment
to investing and growing in the country."
According to the
New Zealand Herald, "Surging profits at Kiwibank have topped those
earned by all of parent NZ Post's other divisions put together, and the
bank's customers are helping to keep NZ Post's national network of
PostShops open."
Data Collection Online has reported that "DAILY RFID (www.rfid-in-china.com)
has recently unveiled its latest RFID PDA-based reader DL720, designed
as LF or HF PDAs with optional wireless transfer functions including
WiFi, Bluetooth and GPRS to cater for industrial and outdoor
applications. The high performance and ease of handling features make
the PDA reader DL720 fit for most mobile RFID applications, such as
parcel-postal delivery, logistics, garment processing, luggage handling
and cashless payments."
September 23, 2009
Marketing Direct has reported that:
CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
Korea Express, arguably the country’s biggest CEP and logistics operator, achieved a turnover of 1.03bn euros in 2008.
In France, employees of La Poste have gone on an ’unlimited strike’ in an act of protest against privatisation plans for the company.
TNT is seeing first signs of an economic recovery in the air freight segment.
DHL Express now offers a daily service to Afghanistan.
The Estonian Post is providing headlamps for its 825 delivery personnel for safety reasons. The post explained this week that accidents had occurred, especially during early morning delivery, due to the fact that street lights were switched off in some regions, while many building entrances and letterboxes were poorly lit.
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.)
According to the
Peterborough Evening Telegraph, "postal workers in Peterborough will
stage two further strikes next week."
Guide2.co.nz has reported that "New Zealand Post defended the
closure or reduction in services at a handful of stores as it reported a
fall in full year net profit to $71.8 million."
The
Dubai City Guide has reported that "Dubai Quality Group (DQG) has
announced today that Emirates Post have recently joined the group as an
Investor Partner. The partnership aims at reinforcing the quality level
of services provided by the post and enabling it to implement
initiatives and strategic plans in order to expand its operations
through its network of over 100 post offices."
According to the
APWU, "To date, fewer than 21,000 employees have applied for the
incentive or expressed interest."
In its most recent publication of "Facts v. Fiction," the
American Postal Workers Union (APWU), once again, has taken off
after mailers. For instance, it states the following is true:
Fiction: Postage “workshare discounts” are in compliance with the legal standard that stipulates they cannot exceed the “postal costs avoided.”
FACT: Over the past three years, the USPS has reduced postal work hours by 185 million hours, lowering total mail processing labor costs by 30 percent. During this period, when USPS labor costs decreased significantly, workshare discounts have increased to a level that is now more than significantly more than the USPS cost.
[EdNote: If the Postal Service and the Postal Regulatory Commission were to come to their senses and end the antediluvian method they use for calculating "discounts" and adopted a more PAEA-like approach to determining prices for products for which the costs are known, this whole line of debate over "cost-avoidance" would be mute. But...that means somebody over at L'Enfant Plaza has got to decide to abandon the world of postal regulating that they once knew and come into the 21st century of the marketplace. Yeah . . . . Right. Like that's going to happen soon.]
Roll Call has raised something few probably ever knew: "For more
than 50 years, the head of the Government Accountability Office has
received a rare perk: full salary for life....which
now totals about $300,000 a year for two former comptrollers general. A
report recently released by the National Academy of Public
Administration concludes that the annuity “contributes” to the
officeholder’s independence “but is not strictly necessary for that
purpose.” Still, the report adds that NAPA’s panel of experts “has not
found sufficient reason for altering the benefit."
Transport Intelligence has reported that "While last year's results
showed some of the lowest revenue growth projections seen in the
seventeen year history of the survey, this year
executives cite the global recession for becoming even more modest in
their company and industry forecasts. The global recession's
influence has been profound, prompting very modest revenue growth
projections. In fact, on average, 3PL CEOs in
Europe project negative growth rates for their companies
during the next year."
From
24/7 Press Release: "Starting an E-commerce website using drop
shipping in the past has been very expensive process with monthly drop
ship fees, website developmental fees, until now. The PowerSellers Union
has once again changed the scope of E-commerce offering custom built
websites at half the cost of other companies, and access to their
community. Owner Jason Gammon stated at a recent conference. "What we
are doing for E-commerce is opening up opportunities for people to work
at home using our drop shippers to sell products with no fees what so
ever."
From the Federal Register:
Postal Regulatory Commission NOTICES International Mail , 48613–48614 [E9–22862]
The
Financial Times has reported that "The misery inflicted by the
industrial action at Royal Mail is proving to be an opportunity for
alternative delivery businesses that have created services to
circumnavigate “snail mail”. Parcel2Go, an online brokerage for national
courier companies, just had its first £1m revenue month. Richard
Adams-Mercer, business development manager, claims that Royal Mail
strikes lifted turnover as much as a 20 per cent as business owners
searched the internet for alternative carriers."
The
CBC has reported that "A federal program that subsidizes the
shipping of nutritious, perishable food by air to remote northern
communities could someday run without Canada Post delivering the goods,
federal officials told N.W.T. MLAs in Yellowknife on Monday. In a
briefing with territorial politicians, officials with the Indian and
Northern Affairs Department said they are contemplating running the Food
Mail Program without the national postal service, instead dealing
directly with food suppliers in an effort to shave transportation
costs."
Sky News has reported that "The decision to slash British military
mail services in Europe and America has been slammed as "venal" and
"vile". To save money, subsidised postage is being withdrawn from
service personnel and families based from Naples to Brussels. It also
means their relatives in the UK will have to pay the full rate to send
parcels and letters overseas. The cutback has left one MEP furious that
Westminster apparently keeps a first-class service for itself, while
expecting those in uniform to pay more to keep in touch with loved ones
at home."
According to
Time, "A former postal service employee has pleaded guilty to
stealing more than 30,000 DVDs that moved through a western
Massachusetts post office."
WarwickOnline has reported that "Local postal workers, Mayor Scott
Avedisian, and Arlene McNulty, the Executive Director of the Rhode
Island Mentoring Partnership (RIMP), are irked at a decision by the
local postmaster to restrict employees from partaking in charitable
endeavors during business hours."
Hellmail has reported that:
According to the
Daily Mail, "The advantage of paying regular bills by direct debit
from your bank account has been brought into sharp focus by the postal
strike."
Radio New Zealand has reported that "New Zealand Post's full year
profit has fallen by a third to $71.8 million in the year to June. The
previous year, the state-owned postal operator posted a $110.2 million
profit. Acting chief executive Sam Knowles says the profit fall is
mainly because fewer letters are being posted. Total mail volumes fell
6.7% in the year." See also
Stuff.co.nz and the
National Business Review.
September 22, 2009
The folks at the National Postal
Forum want you to "Save the Date." The 2010 National Postal Forum
April 11–14, 2010 Nashville, Tennessee. For more information visit
www.npf.org/reg8
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
Transport Topics has reported that "Doug Duncan, president of FedEx
Corp.’s less-than-truckload FedEx Freight unit, will retire in February,
the company said in a regulatory filing Tuesday. FedEx did not name a
replacement for Duncan, 58, who will step down effective Feb. 28."
Update from World Color:
"Torrential downpours have flooded the Atlanta, GA area forcing many
local highways, roads and bridges to close, slowing the delivery of
mail, newsstand and newspapers to the effected areas. Although the rain
has diminished for the time being, there are additional storms heading
toward the area threatening to worsen the current conditions, especially
for the northern and northwestern suburbs of Atlanta. The National
Weather Service has extended the flood watch until 8pm this evening, but
further delays can be expected if the advancing storms contribute to the
nearly 24 inches of rain that many areas received throughout Monday."
DM News has reported that "Direct marketing
pros have it worse than your average American when it comes to finding a
job, according to a recent survey published by Bernhart
Associates Executive Search. The research found that about one quarter
of unemployed direct marketing professionals have been looking for jobs
for more than 10 months. The median length of unemployment for
Bernhart's survey respondents — more than 400 unemployed direct
marketers currently looking for work — is nearly twice that of the
national median. DM professionals report that they've been out of work
for 6.52 months, or about 28 weeks." [EdNote: Well, their
counterparts at the U.S. Postal Service are exposed to no such risks.]
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
Lehigh Valley Live has reported that "A union representative will
appear before the Alpha Borough Council tonight to claim the U.S. Postal
Service's consideration of moving mail sorting operations from Edison to
Trenton or Kearny will negatively impact service all over the region."
From
PR Newswire: "John Potter, the chief executive officer of the U.S.
Postal Service, will speak at a National Press Club luncheon on October
8, 2009 to discuss the Postal Service's future, including its
environmental footprint. The National Press Club luncheon will begin
promptly at 12:30 p.m. and Potter's remarks will begin just after 1:00
p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session. This event is open to
Press Club members and their guests only. Advance reservations should be
made by contacting reservations at the National Press Club, (202)
662-7501 or reservations@press.org. Cost of luncheon admission is $17
for National Press Club members, $28 for their guests and $35 for
general admission."
The
Journal of Commerce has
reported that "DHL officials said Tuesday they did not lose
"significant" amounts of international express business as a result of
the carrier's withdrawal from domestic air express service in the United
States this year."
The Times has reported that "Cyber criminals have created a highly
sophisticated Trojan virus that steals online banking log-in details
from infected computers."
Business & Leadership has reported that "The decision by the
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan TD
to introduce a national postal code system from 2011 will create
efficiencies and boost competitiveness for businesses and public
services across the Irish economy, delivery company DHL Express has
said."
From
Marketwire: "William H. Gross, the founder of PIMCO
and a stamp collector, has donated $8 million to the National
Postal Museum to create a new 12,000-square-foot gallery that
will be named in his honor. The new gallery, which will give the
museum public space at the street level, is expected to open in
2012, according to Allen Kane, director of the museum."
Marketing Direct has reported that "The retail marketing director of
BT, one of the UK's biggest spenders on direct mail, and the marketing
director of insurer More Than, have called on Royal Mail postal workers
to end the strike, or else face defection by direct mail users to other
channels."
From the Federal Register:
New Postal Product , 48323–48324 [E9–22692]
As
one writer at the
Chicago Tribune has conceded, "junk mail is largely responsible for
keeping the U.S. Postal Service afloat; without it we'd have another
institution to bail out." [EdNote: If that's the case, then it really
isn't "junk." Is it?]
The
Connexion has reported that "postal workers are striking across
France today over plans to open up La Poste – a move which unions fear
will lead to privatisation. However, although five unions have called
the strike it is not clear how many workers will respond or how
effective it will be. The disruption started in Paris – where 140 jobs
have been lost this year – and it was estimated by management and union
sources that between 20%-40% of staff walked out this week. None of the
185 post offices was closed. A mass meeting of workers is due to take
place this afternoon at the postal service HQ in Montparnasse followed
by a protest march to the Senate." See also
France24 and
Reuters.
The
September 2009 issue of the Universal Postal Union's
Direct
Mail Advisory Board (DMAB) Update has been posted on this site.
Bloomberg has reported that "Italy’s postal service, the country’s
biggest employer, has proposed an innovative way to cut costs and usher
out older workers: nepotism. Under a draft plan detailed to unions,
postal workers at 140 branches who agree to early retirement can cede
permanent job contracts to their children. The “heir” must be at least
30 years old with a high school diploma. Talks on the policy are at an
“advanced stage,” and it could be implemented by early October, said
Walter de Candiziis, head of Failp-Cisal, the union that first suggested
the plan in 1997."
Hellmail has reported that "CODE Plus, Inc. (CODEplus) and Systar
have announced the launch of STARplus, a new Postal Activity Monitoring
(PAM) tool. Employing the right tool can give postal operators unmatched
control over monitoring and measuring processes within the postal supply
chain—from collection and retail to delivery—so that they can make
continual improvements in order to reduce cost and improve operational
performance quickly and significantly during this challenging time.
STARplus leverages operational, financial, and other key indicators in
identifying what drives value and then provide the facts necessary to
make informed decisions."
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
Press Release:
"World Color Press Inc. ("Worldcolor") is pleased to announce the
appointment of Daniel J. Scapin as President of Logistics and Premedia."
September 21, 2009
Hellmail has noted that "The CWU hit back this week at what it
described as an attack on the credibility of union leaders by some
national newspapers as the dispute at Royal Mail intensifies.A series of
articles in recent weeks, notably from the Telegraph and Daily Mail,
have poured scorn on the union's threat of a national postal strike,
underlining the fragile economy of the UK since the banking collapse and
the effect that localised strike action was having on business and
credit card payments. The CWU said Royal Mail's argument in the dispute
was become weaker but that both it (royal Mail) and the media were
trying to undermine the credibility of union leaders." [EdNote: So,
the union responded by...calling for another strike.]
Again??? The
BBC has reported that "Postal workers in the west of Scotland have
staged another wildcat strike in an ongoing dispute about drivers not
crossing official picket lines. Royal Mail said a number of staff at its
Glasgow Mail Centre had taken "unofficial and unlawful" action."
[EdNote: Well, the American national pastime is baseball. I suppose the
U.K.'s is postal strikes.]
According to
The Australian, "Today, a national savings agency could offer a
variety of competitive financial instruments including most, if not all,
banking services at low cost and with neighbourhood access via Australia
Post. Britain has had such an agency since 1861 (a public-private
partnership that manages about 9 per cent of the domestic savings
market). At its peak, the US Postal Savings System was the country's
largest single savings bank. This competition for funds would force
banks to cut costs and improve services."
Parcel2Go has reported that "The Royal Mail's reputation has been
damaged by the latest postal strikes, which have brought the nation's
postal services to a halt. According to the YouGov BrandIndex, the
company's Buzz, which measures whether people have heard positive or
negative things about the brand, fell to a low of -14 last week. This is
the lowest Buzz rating for the firm in the past six months, with the
industrial action over jobs, pay and services damaging the Royal Mail's
standing with the public."
RTE News
has reported that "The business community and the National Ambulance
Service have welcomed the Government's announcement that it is to
introduce postal codes across the country. The Government said the
introduction of the system would cost €10m - €15m and it is hoped that
it will be in place by 2011. Danny McCoy, Director General of employers'
body IBEC, said postal codes would greatly benefit businesses and
consumers." See also
the
Irish Times and
SiliconRepublic.
Rag Content has asked:
"The mailing industry has finally learned the cost and projected savings
of the USPS' Flats Sequencing System (FSS). In the Office of Inspector
General's (OIG) audit on the retest of the FSS First Article Test, the
USPS' total cost of developing, purchasing, and deploying 100 FSS
machines to 41 sites is $1.4 billion. According to the OIG,
this is expected to generate operational
savings of $599.5 million annually. Now, the flats industry
has to sit and wait, to see what the Postal Service will do once it
achieves these savings. The flats industry was promised that these
savings would be passed on to reflect additional workshare activities
and savings, but with a cash-strapped Postal Service forecasting a loss
of $10 billion in FY2010, what will happen to
this $599.5 million annually?
The
Times of India has reported that "French postal unions called on
Monday for unlimited strike action at post offices in Paris, a day ahead
of a nationwide protest against proposed reforms to the country's
state-owned postal service."
FedEx Office
(formerly FedEx Kinko’s), a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. has announced the
formal introduction of its Design & Print Center solution, a digital
self-service tool for creating and ordering custom business cards,
letterhead and marketing collateral. This new application features
thousands of design templates and is now available in-store and online,
making it easy for small business customers to get professional print
products that help create brand identity and build business. In
addition, the tool is ideal for creating personal stationery and social
calling cards.
Media Daily News has reported that "While recent analysis shows that
magazine subscriptions rose slightly from 2008-2009, offsetting drops in
newsstand sales over the same period, a review stretching back to the
first half of this decade reveals a steady decline in both newsstand
sales and subscriptions, beginning in 2002 and 2005, respectively. The
direction of the trend suggests that while publishers have been able to
stabilize circ numbers in the short term by marketing subscriptions more
aggressively, they still face a long-term secular decline in print
circulation that will be difficult to reverse."
The
Financial Times has reported that "Japan's new government is poised
to submit legislation to halt the scheduled initial public offerings of
Japan Post Bank, the world's largest bank by deposits, and its sister
insurance company, according to the financial services minister."
According to the
Yorkshire Post, "The various wildcat strikes across the country in
recent weeks have already played havoc with the post – some estimates
suggest that up to 20 million letters and parcels may be sitting around
in warehouses waiting to be delivered. The Communication Workers Union
is now proposing to follow an official route but also one that is very
traditional – they are balloting their 100,000 members on a national
strike. The central problem for the CWU is that strike action will lead
many customers, particularly businesses already battered by the
recession, to seek alternatives. Sympathy alone will not prevent custom
being lost."
According to
Dead Tree Edition, "It may be time for the
U.S. Postal Service to go back to the drawing board on the Flats
Sequencing System, which faces trouble on two fronts. USPS is
pressing ahead with installation of the football-field-sized FSS
machines, even though the system recently fell short of standards for
the second time in an acceptance test. But then there's the second
problem with FSS: Not only is it not yet living up to its design, but
the design may already be obsolete. The system was designed under the
assumption that flats volume would continue growing into the future.
Large postal rate increases, competition from other media, and the
economic recession have reversed that trend, causing flats volume to
decline at an annual rate of about 11% the past two years."
The
Economic Times has reported that "Post Office would not more limit
its banking system to old and traditional technology and would adopt
Core Banking System, on pattern of other commercial banks by the end of
current financial year. "The deposits in Post Office banks are not being
used for any commercial purposes like extending loans to people and all
the deposits were being utilised by the Government of India for welfare
schemes only", Kumar said while revealing the differentiation between
the commercial banks and post offices. Apart from banking sector, Postal
Department would emphasise on insurance sector especially in rural
areas."
Samaylive has reported that "A bill to regularise private courier
services would be introduced in the coming session of Parliament, Union
Telecommunications and IT minister, A Raja said today."
Ocala.com has reported that "U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek, a
Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate seat that Mel Martinez just
vacated, spoke Sunday to a group of about 30 at the Marion County
Democratic Party headquarters in Ocala. He cited Medicare as evidence
that affordable, quality health care can be attained through the
government, and the U.S. Postal Service as proof that "public options"
are worthwhile. Mailing a simple letter would cost more than a dollar if
not for a public option, he said."
The
Washington Post has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service sent
Metro a bill for $770 last week and told the transit agency that its
ability to receive business reply mail (those postage-paid envelopes)
from an address it uses in Alexandria had expired in July. Metro, which
rushed to hand-deliver a check to pay the overdue bill Friday, blamed
the Postal Service for poor communication. A spokeswoman said no one
knew money was owed until a letter dated Sept. 10 arrived."
The New Vision
has reported that "Posta Uganda has been lauded for the big
transformation it has undergone since it was established two years ago.
Aggrey Awori, the information and communication technology minister,
said the firm, which started with a lot of difficulties had utilised its
assets well."
September 20, 2009
The Times has reported that "Consumers could be hit with late credit
card payment fees of more than £150m as postal strikes leave bills
sitting in sorting offices."
Bloomberg has reported that "Japan’s new government may act this
year to freeze the breakup and privatization of Japan Post, the
state-run service that’s also the world’s largest bank by deposits,
Financial Services Minister Shizuka Kamei said. “We plan to submit a
bill to an extraordinary session of parliament to freeze plans” for
selling shares in units of the postal group, Kamei said in an interview
on NHK television today. A date for the session hasn’t been set."
The Guardian has reported that "A national postal strike will put
six-day-a-week letter deliveries at serious risk, the government's
independent adviser on the Royal Mail says today in a furious assault on
the government's inability to modernise the service. Richard Hooper,
author of a major report to ministers that called for part-privatisation
of Royal Mail, told the Observer he found it "immensely frustrating"
that the government was unable to act on his recommendations – and the
country now faced a crippling strike."
The
Rome Sentinel has told its readers that "For the past four decades,
letter carriers and other postal employees have had no more loyal
friends than Rep. Lacy Clay and his father, former Rep. Bill Clay, two
Missouri Democrats who have represented that state’s First Congressional
District since 1969. The senior Mr. Clay even was chairman of the House
Post Office and Civil Service committee for his last four years in
Congress. So when the time comes that Clay says the Postal Service must
"transform itself to survive as a viable entity," things must be
serious, indeed. They are."
September 19, 2009
The
New York Times has reported that "In 14 states and the District of
Columbia at least a tenth of the work force was unemployed in August,
according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report released Friday.
Compared with the same time last year, unemployment rates increased in
every state and the District of Columbia, fueling expectations that the
many government efforts to tame the recession will not prevent a jobless
recovery. “We’re not really seeing recovery anywhere yet, and it’ll
still be awhile before we see much of a difference,” said Dean Baker,
co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research."
The Telegraph has reported that "Consumers are entitled to be given
a book of 6 first class stamps, worth £2.34, as compensation if their
letter is lost or delayed by three days or more. People that suffer from
lost post are entitled to compensation worth as much as 100 first class
stamps. However, consumer groups said Royal Mail made it very difficult
to claim compensation and that millions of inconvenienced customers
would end up receiving nothing, despite the service admitting to
millions of letters already delayed. On top of this, Royal Mail has been
given special dispensation from the postal regulator to avoid paying any
large business compensation. During the last strike all compensation to
bulk mailers, such as catalogue retailers and websites that sent out
regular parcels, was suspended and it is likely this will be repeated."
Hellmail has reported that:
The Guardian has reported that "Postal strikes drive customers to Royal
Mail's rivals."
The
following
reports have been posted on the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General
website (http://www.uspsoig.gov/).
If you have additional questions concerning the report, please contact
Agapi Doulaveris at 703.248.2286.
September 18, 2009
Postmaster General Jack Potter told U.S. News that "advertising mail
is what allows us to finance universal service. If you eliminated
advertising mail, then stamp prices would be much, much higher because
we do make a profit on that mail. There's a real lack of understanding
of how much that advertising mail contributes to our economy. For every
dollar you spend on mail advertising, you get a $12 return, on
average....There have been many myths about the environmental impact of
mail. I think it's grossly overblown. There are more trees in America
today than there were several years ago. There's more recycled material
in the mail now than there has ever been. There have been many studies
about the impact of mail, and it is negligible. People [falsely] think
that electronic mail incurs no environmental costs, that we never throw
electronic components away and that energy costs nothing."
According to the
Jackson Citizen Patriot, "The U.S. Postal Service is looking
seriously at closing Jackson's postal distribution center (estimated
casualties: 50 jobs). Until Thursday, the center was slated to be shut
down. Now, postal officials will review operations there, at the urging
of U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer. If Jackson's distribution center ultimately
must close or shed jobs, however, let's not see postal officials stop
there. Any move ought to be part of a larger strategy. The Postal
Service ought to start getting away from the expensive tradition of
having post offices in every town, hamlet and burg. Any meaningful
effort to save money should focus on these, rather than closing
facilities that will slow mail delivery for everyone."
Bernama has reported that "Pos Malaysia Bhd announced Friday a
collaboration with the Taipei Investors Association in Malaysia (TIAM)
in an effort to extend its products and services to the members."
The Guardian has reported that "Robert Hammond, of the watchdog body
Consumer Focus, said: "Given the situation, banks, utilities and other
service providers should give their customers some flexibility if
payments are delayed in the post. To avoid additional charges, customers
could also use alternative ways to pay, such as by phone, online or at a
bank or post office. "It is in both the union's and management's
interest to resolve the dispute as soon as possible to give customers an
incentive not to turn to alternative delivery methods permanently." In
its tips to consumers, the organisation recommends sending payments and
urgent papers, including tickets and legal documents, by courier or
special delivery. Its sister organisation Consumer Direct has guidance
online for suppliers whose goods arrive late or damaged, and customers
whose documents are delayed in the post."
Marketing Week has reported that "Leaving any judgement on
the CWU’s case for strike action aside, it is clear that any
interruption in mail deliveries would cause businesses both
considerable inconvenience and money. It would also further rob
Royal Mail of brand equity at a time when it is under increasing
pressure from rivals such as TNT Post, as well as leading direct
marketers to question whether direct mail is a strategy worth
the potential hassle."
The
Times of India has reported that "Private courier services
are painting themselves in the colours of India Post. That is
not because they want inspiration from the government-run
service. It is more because having their vehicles painted like
postal service vans allows them to avoid paying toll. However,
the department is now set to stop this and has asked district
authorities to launch a challan drive against such vehicles."
The
Postal Service is building on its vision for Intelligent Mail® services.
Four new and exciting strategies have been added to enhance the
Intelligent Mail Vision! Check it out on RIBBS at ribbs.usps.gov. The
link is as follows:
http://ribbs.usps.gov/intelligentmail_latestnews/documents/tech_guides/IMVision2009.pdf.
The four new areas that we’ve added are: · Measure and Improve
Commercial Mail Performance · Drive Product Innovation · Sharpen
Operational Insight · Enrich the Customer Experience The updated 2009
Intelligent Mail Vision highlights areas that concern you. I invite you
to explore the entire document to realize the vision “to enhance the
value of mail by using information and insight from the mail to deliver
increased customer value and drive operational efficiency.”
The latest issue of
the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
The
BBC
wants to know: "Royal Mail's postal workers are voting on a national
strike. But with ongoing localised walkouts, how can they be sure their
ballot papers will arrive?"
Media Daily News has reported that "The decline in newspaper ad
revenues -- now several years old -- will continue for at least another
year, according to Fitch Ratings, which issued the gloomy prediction in
an overview of the media business released earlier this week."
Crienglish has reported that "Cuba expressed on Thursday its
satisfaction with the result of the first round of talks with the United
States to normalize the postal mail between both countries." See also
the
Financial Times.
The Telegraph has reported that "The national postal strike is set
to throw the pensions and benefits system into chaos, with the
Government forced to pay for couriers to ferry more than 300,000 cheques
to post offices - and then force people to pick them up."
According to The Mirror:
The
Peterborough Evening Telegraph has reported that "a postal worker
who stole packages containing pornographic DVDs and women's underwear
and stashed them in his loft has been warned he could face jail. Royal
Mail investigators received a tip-off in May this year and raided Alec
Clark's former home address in Peterborough to find 10 packets
containing sex toys and 60 pieces of lingerie, along with receipts from
adult companies, hidden in the attic. ADVERTISEMENT The haul, which he
had accumulated over 10 years, also included a pile of 24 explicit
DVDs."
According to the
London Daily News, "London is to bear the brunt of the battle
between the CWU and the Royal Mail with 6 million items in the post in
London."
Forbes has reported that "The United Parcel Service Inc. and others
received a $331.7 million contract from U.S. Transportation Command to
provide international airlift services, the Pentagon said late Thursday.
Others teaming up with UPS include ABX Air Inc., Alaska Airlines Inc., a
subsidiary of Alaska Air Group Inc., Kalitta Air LLC, National Air Cargo
Group Inc., Northern Air Cargo, Ryan International Airlines Inc. and
Southern Air Inc. Article Controls Work will be performed worldwide and
is expected to be completed by September 2010."
Transport Intelligence has reported that:
The Telegraph has reported that "Thousands of motorists could escape
speeding fines because of delays caused by the postal strike."
Hellmail has reported that:
The
Wall Street Journal has reported that "Within months, a nearly
decade-long process to privatize two of Japan's largest financial
institutions will come to a dead halt. Leading the revanchist charge is
newly appointed postal and financial services minister Shizuka Kamei. An
opponent of privatizing Japan's postal system, including Japan Post Bank
and Japan Post Insurance, since the start, Kamei's finally found himself
in a position to stamp it out."
TRUSTe has reported that "Comprehensive analysis of the privacy
practices of America’s largest brands found eBay, Verizon and the U.S.
Postal Service to be the winners of the 2009 Most Trusted Companies for
Privacy Award, commissioned by Ponemon Institute, an information
security research company, and TRUSTe, the most widely recognized
privacy trustmark company on the Web."
The
Financial Times has reported that "FedEx has declared that a global
economic recovery was under way, which it said would fuel demand for the
company’s package deliveries. The forecast came as the US logistics
company, considered a bellwether for the US economy, said that quarterly
results had exceeded its own expectations, reflecting corporate
America’s optimism for the immediate future.
Ethanol
Producer Magazine has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service
announced it will add 1,000 E85 flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) to its
fleet as part of a one-for-one replacement of 6,500 aging vehicles at
postal offices and facilities across the country. The remaining 5,500
vehicles will be replaced with gasoline/electric hybrid vehicles and
fuel-efficient, four-cylinder vehicles. With approximately 220,000
vehicles, the USPS operates and maintains the largest civilian fleet in
the country. The purchase will bring the total number of alternative
fuel-capable vehicles in the USPS fleet to more than 43,000, of which
37,000 are FFVs."
WDEF has reported that "The local postal workers union asks for your
support speaking out against the possible closure of four local offices.
Union reps say closing the offices will cut too many jobs and hurt those
communities."
According to one writer for
Hernando Today, "At least a decade ago, I began writing about what I
saw to be a looming disaster for our national
Postal Service. Indeed, as recently as Feb. 20 of last year,
there was another of my columns on that subject. I then wrote that the
Postal Service had been, and was still, ineptly and carelessly managed.
My allegation was based on their flawed
economic and business management policy, which routinely
awarded unjustified and unnecessary raises
to postal workers then tried to cover the added expense by increasing
the cost of services. Sadly, today it seems that my dire predictions are
coming true. Our present Administration, which seems ready and willing
to nationalize just about any independent business, may well save the
Postal Service by returning to the time when tax money was used to
subsidize the inefficiently-run service. There is no question, in my
mind, at least, that we need a national postal service, but if we must
use tax dollars to keep it afloat, then we must, at the same time,
force the Service to get its labor costs in
line, while also eliminating inefficiencies and waste."
The
Cleveland Plain Dealer has reported that "Eight local post office
branches have been removed from a list of potential closings, cutting
the number of Cleveland-area branches with an uncertain future in half.
Postal Regulatory Commission Chairwoman Ruth Goldway announced the
trimming of the list at the start of Wednesday's hearing at the
Independence Civic Center. The commission was in town for one of several
hearings it will hold nationwide on post office closings before giving
an advisory opinion."
September 17, 2009
The
Universal Postal Union has reported that "After last year’s
successful launch of a money-transfer service between the Posts of
Spain, Chile and Uruguay, nine new Latin American countries are set to
join the project. The directors general of the Posts of Argentina,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico,
Nicaragua and Peru pledged their commitment during a workshop in San
José, Costa Rica, last week. Guatemala was an observer at the workshop,
also attended by postal representatives from Spain, Chile and Uruguay,
pioneers of the service launched in July 2008. The new project, part of
the UPU’s regional development plan for the area, has two pillars:
ensuring that the operational, legal, financial and technological
frameworks are in place on the ground; and defining a system of
compensation for the participating countries."
The Guardian has reported that "A depressing sense of deja vu greets
the news that the Communication Workers Union, which represents most of
Royal Mail's 150,000 workers, is balloting members for industrial
action. It is less than two years since the last national postal strikes
over pay and proposed changes in working to eradicate what the chief
executive, Adam Crozier, described as "Spanish practices", such as
claiming overtime when finishing early and being asked to carry out
other tasks to complete a shift. That dispute resulted in a deal between
Royal Mail and the CWU that was long on good intentions ‑ such as the
need for a "fresh start" in industrial relations ‑ but short on
specifics."
Mmegi has reported that "Botswana is about to have a National Postal
Code and Address System. The Marketing and Communications Manager for
BotswanaPost, Keoagile Rafifing, told Mmegi in a telephone interview
yesterday that the system will be launched by the Ministry of
Communications, Science and Technology."
According to
The Telegraph, "There is...much more to the episodic destruction of
the Royal Mail than a bunch of intransigent union bosses in search of a
place among the Awkward Squad. To understand how an institution with a
500-year history has been reduced to an invalid of enterprise on a
life-support machine, one needs to examine the contribution of
vacillating management, perfidious government (Conservative and Labour)
and the European Union."
The Postal Regulatory Commission has approved a request by the U.S. Postal Service (Docket No. R2009-5) to to offer eligible companies a 20 percent postage rebate on qualifying presorted First-Class letter, flat, and card volumes mailed between October 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009. Under the proposal, which the Postal Service calls the First-Class Mail Incentive Program (Incentive Program), qualifying volume is defined as a single company’s First-Class Mail volume over and above a predetermined threshold.
According to the
Courier, Express, and Postal Observer, "There is now growing
evidence that we have passed the bottom in two of the Postal Service's
key businesses, delivering advertising and parcels."
FedEx Corp. will
increase shipping rates for FedEx Express by an average of 5.9 percent
for U.S. domestic and U.S. export services, effective January 4, 2010.
The rate increase will be partially offset by adjusting the fuel price
at which the fuel surcharge begins, reducing the fuel surcharge by two
percentage points. Rates and surcharges for FedEx Ground and FedEx
SmartPost also will increase for 2010. These changes will be announced
later this year.
FedEx Corp. today
reported earnings of $0.58 per diluted share for the first quarter ended
August 31, compared to $1.23 per diluted share a year ago.
“Better-than-expected FedEx International Priority® volume, decisive
management actions and our dedicated team members helped drive financial
performance above our initial expectations in the first quarter,” said
Frederick W. Smith, FedEx Corp. chairman, president and chief executive
officer. “For more than a year, we have vigilantly managed costs without
sacrificing service, invested wisely and minimized job losses so that
FedEx will emerge a stronger, more profitable company as the global
economic recovery takes hold.”
As the
Worcester News put it: "The Communication Workers Union (CWU) wants
a job security agreement in place before it agrees to Royal Mail’s
modernisation plans. The Royal Mail, meanwhile, says the union is
blocking change and that an agreement on pay and modernisation already
exists. It is a classic industrial dispute – and that means the real
losers are the rest of us. In the middle of a deep recession, small
businesses and hard-pressed families are suffering as cheque payments
and credit card statements pile up at sorting offices around the
country. And the situation will only worse if the current action becomes
an all-out strike. We are amazed that a union
in this day and age believes an employer will sign an agreement on job
security."
As
The Telegraph has noted, "Royal Mail and Communication Workers Union
blame each other for postal dispute."
The BBC
has published a Q&A on the Royal Mail dispute.
The U.S. Fund for UNICEF today announced the appointment of Daniel J.
Brutto as its newest board member.
Brutto, who serves as president of UPS International, brings 34
years of operations, finance, marketing and business development
experience to the Fund, which serves as the primary fundraising arm for
the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in the U.S.
The
Wall Street Journal has reported that "Dutch postal and express
group TNT NV unions said Thursday they need more time to come up with
alternatives to TNT's plan to cut 11,000 jobs at its postal unit by the
end of 2012."
International Finance Centre has reported that "Jersey Post has
released its latest performance statistics which show that over the
first six months of 2009 nearly 100% of local mail was delivered within
24hrs. The company also beat its four other delivery targets for mail
to/from Guernsey and the UK."
PC
Advisor has reported that "A database that contains the UK's 1.8
million postcodes along with other information such as longitude and
latitude references has been posted on the web."
Management Today has predicted that "With management and unions
still apparently miles apart, a national postal strike looks almost
inevitable... The prospect of a full-scale walk-out by Royal Mail staff
moved a step closer today, after the Communication Workers Union asked
its 100,000 members to vote on a proposed national strike. The various
wildcat strikes across the country in recent weeks have already played
havoc with the post – some estimates suggest that up to 20m letters and
parcels may be sitting around in warehouses waiting to be delivered,
which is bad news for any businesses that rely on the service.
Negotiations between management and unions seem to have reached a total
impasse – but the worry for both sides has to be that further disruption
will only hasten its decline." See also
Sky News,
The Guardian, and
Business Week.
According to
Media Post, "Looks like Wal-Mart Stores is shaking up the $254
billion prescription-drug business again. The company, which began
testing a mail-in prescription program last spring, says it will now
expand the program across the country, offering a 90-day supply of many
generic medicines for just $10."
Roll Call has reported that "The Senate unanimously approved the
nomination of Rep. John McHugh (R-N.Y.) to be secretary of the Army on
Wednesday." Congratulations, John!!
The latest digital version of
Postal Technology International is now available.
According to Hellmail:
The
Postmaster General has told a National PCC Day audience that the
Postal Service is "working closely with Congress and the Administration
on initiatives that are critical to the future of our business. We are
seeking legislation in three key areas. The first would reduce the
immediate financial strain resulting from a law that increased our costs
by more than $5 billion a year beginning in 2007 to prefund retiree
health benefits. With more than 450,000 retirees, the Postal Service has
already set aside a reserve that’s essentially sufficient to fund these
benefits for each of their lifetimes. I am optimistic that Congress will
act on this issue – which does not require the appropriation of any
funds – particularly after the house overwhelmingly passed HR22
yesterday. We will now work with the Senate and Administration on this
short-term action and then with the House, Senate and Administration on
payments in future years. Our next priority is legislation that would
allow us to adjust the capacity of our system to bring it in line with
reduced mail use....The law that created a self-supporting Postal
Service some 39 years ago didn’t come with all of the restrictions that
are making it so hard to succeed today....[T]he status quo is
unacceptable. The Postal Service must have the ability to manage its
business, to adapt quickly to the needs of our customers and the
marketplace. And our business model must change to reflect the reality
of a volatile economy and a communications marketplace that’s been
undergoing a transformation as profound as anything that has ever
happened before."
September 16, 2009
The Telegraph has told its readers, "For the past few months, the
union has staged a series of walkouts at sorting centres around the
country, in protest at management plans to modernise the service. For
many of us who now communicate principally by email, this action has had
little discernible impact. One of the more bizarre aspects of the
dispute, however, is that the owner of the business – the Government –
has had precious little to say about the disruption. Ministers should
have been far more robust in their denunciation of the union's tactics
and its antediluvian defence of the Spanish practices that disappeared
in most other industries decades ago. If the strike goes ahead, it will
be the second national stoppage in two years; the last one cost £300
million in lost orders, bank charges and administration costs. The Royal
Mail cannot go on like this, and our Trappist ministers should say as
much. It must be made clear to postal workers that they are being asked
by their union to strike themselves into oblivion."
According to the
Wall Street Journal, "Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and his newly
appointed cabinet have one major task: to pull Japan out of its absolute
and relative structural economic decline. The good news is that the
Democratic Party of Japan's landslide victory has given the new ruling
party a mandate and a parliamentary majority so strong that policies can
be passed quickly. The bad news is that the new leadership team is
populated with antireformers, socialists and union leaders who combine
an open hostility to free markets, deregulation and entrepreneurship
with a romantic longing for a somehow simpler, fairer economic and
social system. Prime Minister Hatoyama has also assigned Mr. Kamei to
re-reform Japan Post. In that position, he will likely stop the postal
privatization process and probably begin to reverse it. This would be a
significant mistake."
Reuters has reported that "The United States and Cuba will discuss
on Thursday the possible resumption of long-suspended direct postal
service in another small step toward seeking better relations after 50
years of hostilities."
The
Wall Street Journal has reported that "Brazilian postal workers
kicked off a nationwide strike Wednesday as government officials
scrambled to prepare a new wage offer. A total of 30 of the nation's 35
postal union locals were on strike as of Wednesday morning, according to
a statement by the National Federation of Postal Workers. The striking
locals cover about 70% of the nation's 110,000 postal workers. The
federation said the strike was set to last indefinitely."
The U.S.
Postal Service is co-sponsoring a series of free customer webinars
highlighting the benefits of Direct Mail with five online Direct Mail
Service Providers. Delivered by industry experts, the webinar series is
designed to provide customers with smart and imaginative solutions on
how to plan, design, and launch an effective direct mail campaign.
From
PR.com: "Harvey
Software has announced that its flagship Computerized Parcel System
(CPS™) shipping software now provides its most complete ever support for
United States Postal Service® shippers. Currently, the USPS, with its
host of flat rate Priority services, is making a strong bid to gain the
small package business from on-line stores, mail order businesses and
others. Shippers can use all USPS services to their best advantage with
CPS, a fast, easy-to-use system that supports both domestic and
international post office services. CPS supports those who manifest,
those who print Internet postage directly on their shipping label and
even those who apply stamps or a meter tape. CPS also allows shippers to
use the UPS Mail Innovations service, which includes the post office as
part of its final delivery system."
According to
Media Daily News, "U.S. ad spending declined for the fifth
consecutive quarter during the second quarter of 2009, and while the
rate of erosion moderated slightly from the previous quarter, a top
industry economist says it still isn't clear whether demand for
advertising is actually improving. In fact, a MediaDailyNews analysis of
quarterly spending data throughout the recession indicates that U.S. ad
spending has receded for eight of the 10 quarters since it began dipping
in the first quarter of 2007. Among the major media tracked by TNS MI,
only Internet display advertising (+6.5%), and newspaper free-standing
inserts (+4.6%), managed any growth. TV declined 10.0%, magazines
plummeted 20.9%, and newspapers and radio dropped 24.2% and 24.6%,
respectively. Outdoor media also declined 15.7%."
Advertising Age
has reported that "A year after the Lehman Bros. collapse sent financial
markets and consumer spending reeling, conspicuous consumption isn't
dead after all among the 23.9 million U.S. households with incomes of at
least $100,000. Of course, it's still hurting: The 2009 Ipsos Mendelsohn
survey of the affluent, being released a year to the day of the Lehman
collapse, finds consumers in that income bracket planning less overseas
travel than in 2008 (down 10%); fewer are planning on buying new cars
(down 18%); and are less inclined to invest in securities (down 5%)."
CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
Intense conflict is brewing between the trade unions and Belgium’s La Poste over the future of delivery staff. La Poste wants to begin to outsource large parts of delivery operations to so-called ’district deliverers’ at the end of this year. Unlike traditional postmen, this new staff category will consist of pensioners, students and temporary workers, who will distribute mail - to letterboxes only - in the area where they live.
Portugal’s post Correios has recently began offering Geocontact, a service for unaddressed advertising mail.
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.)
Reuters has reported that "The 1,400 U.S. mechanics who
maintain United Parcel Service Inc's worldwide fleet of 263
aircraft have authorized a strike, union officials said on
Tuesday, but contract talks will continue later this month. The
vote represents a ratcheting up of the pressure in negotiations
between the two sides just as UPS, the world's largest shipping
company, enters its busiest season."
The
Winston-Salem Journal has told its readers that "The U.S.
Postal Service should cancel any consideration of closing its
Center City branch in downtown Winston-Salem. Customers of the
branch can help by signing a petition against the move, and by
visiting the branch more often."
The Telegraph has reported that "Some letters and parcels
are taking up to two weeks to be delivered as the postal strikes
continue to bring chaos to the national post system, according
to postal union sources."
3news.co.nz has reported that "While you might throw
unsolicited mail straight into the recycling, there are others
who actually enjoy poring over each glossy page. But a recent
survey showed that as many as 80 percent of people who have 'no
junkmail' stickers on their letterboxes still get it, and that's
enough to drive some people postal."
From
PR-Inside: "The United States Postal Service - SWOT Analysis
company profile is the essential source for top-level company
data and information. United States Postal Service - SWOT
Analysis examines the company's key business structure and
operations, history and products, and provides summary analysis
of its key revenue lines and strategy.
CBonds has reported that "Standard & Poor's Ratings Services
said today that it had affirmed its 'BB' long-term issuer credit
and 'kzA+' Kazakhstan national scale ratings on Kazpost (JSC),
the state-owned national postal operator in Kazakhstan. The
outlook is stable."
Kyodo News has reported that "Shizuka Kamei, Japan's new
minister in charge of postal services and financial affairs,
expressed intention Wednesday to review the nation's postal
privatization reform."
Hellmail has reported that "The Communication Workers Union
announced today that ballot papers for narional strike action
are being sent out to all 121,000 postal workers across the UK
on thursday) as the dispute between the Communication Workers
Union and Royal Mail continues." See also
IBTimes and
Sky News.
The
Washington Post has reported that "The Smithsonian
Institution restated its policies on renting its facilities to
outside groups Tuesday, acknowledging that it had made an error
in allowing the Federation for American Immigration Reform to
hold an event Tuesday night at the National Postal Museum. "It
was a mistake," said Linda St. Thomas, the chief spokeswoman for
the Smithsonian, which oversees the Postal Museum, a facility
near Union Station dedicated to the history of the U.S. postal
service and stamps. "This was a violation of the special-events
policy that says it is unacceptable to have groups which are
partisan, political or religious in nature use the Smithsonian
space," she said."
The Journal of Commerce
has reported that "Wal-Mart Stores is turning to the
transportation industry for leadership in its fast-growing Asia
business, naming DHL Express senior executive Scott Price as
president and CEO of Walmart Asia. Price has been CEO of DHL
Express in Europe since July 2007 and before that was CEO for
DHL Express Asia-Pacific and president of DHL Japan."
The
Asahi Shimbun has reported that "Yukio Hatoyama made final
adjustments Tuesday to the roster of ministers for the Cabinet
he will form after taking over as prime minister today. One of
the biggest surprises Tuesday was the naming of Shizuka Kamei as
state minister in charge of postal as well as financial
services."
According to
Domain Name Wire, "USPS has prevailed in a dispute over the
domain name USPS.mobi, in a case heard by National Arbitration
Forum. Now for the forty-four cent question: will USPS use the
domain it just won?"
The
Daily Mail has reported that "Thousands of families and
firms are facing misery because of the postal strikes. Credit
card and store card statements are among more than 20million
letters trapped in a backlog as the chaos escalates. The delays
are leaving many people open to punishing bank penalty charges
and even black marks on their credit records. Small businesses
risk being hit with heavy overdraft charges as cheques sent to
them fail to arrive."
The Mail has characterized the British postal system as "the
last of the dinosaurs."
With concerns by Royal Mail bosses that widespread industrial
action by postal workers could see a mass exodus of business
clients, and worsen its financial position, Steve Lawson, the
editor for
Hellmail Postal News warned today that far from protecting
jobs, an extended period of strikes could actually see greater
damage to services and increase the scope for mandatory job
losses.
According to
Metro, U.K. "Postal services are set to be hit by further
walkouts amid calls for the Government to step in to break the
deadlocked row over jobs and pay."
The
Associated Press has reported that "The
House passed a bill Tuesday to let the struggling U.S. Postal
Service cover a budget shortfall by reducing its annual payment
to a health care fund for retirees by $4 billion.
Under current law the Postal Service is required to transfer
$5.4 billion to the Retiree Health Benefits Fund by Sept. 30,
the end of the budget year. Postal officials have said they
don't have enough money to make the payment. The House voted 388
to 32 to reduce the transfer to $1.4 trillion, which would keep
the Postal Service from defaulting on the payment. Officials
said the money is available because the fund is on track to have
a surplus. The bill now goes to the
Senate, which is considering similar legislation."
See also
Federal Times.
WickedLocal Randolph has reported that "Congressman
Stephen Lynch -- who had been expected to announce
his candidacy for U.S. Senate tomorrow -- has made a last-minute
decision not to enter the race,
his campaign spokesman said. Lynch spoke with his family last
night and decided that he didn’t have enough time to raise
enough money or adequately prepare for the race, said spokesman
Scott Ferson."
From
PR Newswire: "Endicia is now offering free USPS supplies
direct from www.Endicia.com/store. This new feature, which
launched July 13th, makes Endicia(R) an even more convenient way
to do business and handle shipping needs."
The Star has noted that "many may opt for e-mails instead of
snail mails today but the postal service still plays an
important role as handwritten letters, postcards or parcels are
always appreciated by the recipients. Even though we have
entered the broadband era, the growth of online shopping that
involves posting merchandise to the customers has given greater
significance to courier service."
Wakulla.com has reported that "A two month joint
investigation between the Criminal Investigation Division of the
Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of Inspector
General of the United States Postal Service has culminated in
the arraignment of April Taylor. Information received by the
agencies and investigated revealed Taylor, 30, was using her
position as a mail carrier in Wakulla County to intercept
personal mail and then used that mail for her own personal
gain."
September 15, 2009
 Welcome
to PostCom RadioA PostCom Postal Podcast Join PostCom President Gene Del Polito and Postal Regulatory Commission Chairman Ruth Goldway in a discussion of various postal questions and issues. |
WLUK has reported that "About 50 people gathered outside of Green
Bay's main post office and processing facility on Tuesday to protest its
possible closure. The U.S. Postal Service is conducting a study to
determine whether the facility is still necessary. Protestors say they
are upset because closing the facility would mean lost jobs, slower
delivery times, and the loss of the Green Bay postmark.
According to
Logistics Management, "UPS, the world’s largest transportation
company and operator of the world’s 12th-largest fleet of aircraft, is
negotiating a new labor contract with its 1,200 aircraft mechanics who
maintain UPS’s fleet of 262 planes. Recently those workers represented
by Teamsters Local 2727 in Louisville voted overwhelmingly approved a
strike authorization vote by a 90 percent margin to help jump-start
those negotiations that began three years ago. Another round of
negotiations was scheduled for Sept. 23-25 in Minneapolis. Air contract
negotiations are notoriously complex, but a UPS spokesman says many side
issues were largely settled and it’s now time to negotiate economic
issues, which he called the “meat and potatoes” of the contract."
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
The
President of the American Postal Workers Union has told his members
that "Advocates of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA)
— legislation that has brought the USPS to the brink of insolvency — are
now asserting that labor agreements are a major contributor to the
agency’s expected deficit of $7 billion in Fiscal Year 2009. Such a
suggestion would be laughable if the stakes weren’t so high."
The Journal of Commerce has
reported that "The Teamsters union, already fighting legal and
legislative battles to organize FedEx workers in the United States, said
Monday it is launching a “large-scale campaign” to bring FedEx workers
in Canada into the union."
September 14, 2009
The
latest blog entry has been posted on the U.S. Postal Service Office of
Inspector General’s Internet site “Pushing
the Envelope.” The public, mailers, postal employees, and other
stakeholders are invited to weigh in on the online discussions taking
place. To view the site, visit
http://blog.uspsoig.gov/. Mystery Shoppers. Like most
retailers, the Postal Service uses mystery shoppers — customers unknown
to the retail staff who fill out evaluations on their shopping
experience — to determine how well retail units are performing. Given
the variety of customers and types of transactions, the need for a
uniform approach to customers is important. Is it appropriate, however,
to include items generally viewed as “upselling” in the mystery shopper
program? Click on this OIG blog to vote. You can visit Office of
Inspector General’s public website at:
www.uspsoig.gov. You can also follow us on Twitter at:
http://twitter.com/OIGUSPS. If
you have additional questions, please contact Communication and Work
Life Director Agapi Doulaveris at 703.248.2286.
In
the
Daily Free Press, Moe Lepore, General President Boston Metro Area
Local 100 American Postal Workers Union has told Boston University
students that their campus post office is being studied for closure.
Politics.co.uk has reported that "Commenting on the continued
disruption to postal services caused by walkouts and strikes, David
Frost, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said:
"If the government is serious about helping businesses get through this
recession, it needs to get a grip on these postal strikes. The
disruption has dragged on for far too long and neither the Royal Mail
nor the unions involved have shown enough leadership. The net result is
that businesses are suffering at a time when they can least afford it."
The Local
has reported that "German publisher Georg von Holtzbrinck has teamed up
with private logistics companies to create a 'hybrid mail' service using
the internet for quicker delivery at a lower cost, according to weekly
news magazine WirtschaftsWoche. According to the magazine, Berlin’s Pin
Mail, Freiburg’s Arriva, Main-Post Logistik from Würzburg, and
Netherlands service Post TNT are meeting this week to discuss plans to
the combination of e-mail with traditional "snail mail" that could
revolutionise postal services. The meeting in Berlin on Thursday will
focus on bringing the new product to all of Germany, with a focus on
small and medium-sized companies."
Capital Business has reported that "Major General Mohammed Hussein
Ali took office as the new Post Master General on Monday with the
assurance that he was ready for the task ahead. However the immediate
former Police Commissioner who held a meeting with his Board, declined
to lay bare his strategies for the Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK)
saying he needed time to settle down."
According to
Federal Times, "The Postal Service can’t continue making its
scheduled payments to its retiree health benefits fund due to its
financial woes and a deficit expected to top $7 billion this year. One
bill, HR 22, would suspend those payments for three years and will be
passed by the House floor this week. The problem lies in the Senate —
unions dislike the Senate version, S 1507, and their influence could
persuade some senators to sideline the bill. Either way, expect floor
action quickly because the next payment to the retiree fund is due Sept.
30, and the Postal Service can’t make that payment."
The
Wall Street Journal has reported that "After decades of wrestling
for dominance in the U.S. shipping industry, United Parcel Service Inc.
and FedEx Corp. are squaring off on another front: the growing world of
online printing. UPS is rolling out
marketing Monday to highlight a push into Web-based printing, in which
clients can send documents such as business
presentations to UPS retail stores via the Internet to have printed
copies made. FedEx already offers online printing at its
FedEx Office/Kinko's locations." See also
Business Wire.
As the
Wichita Eagle has noted, "After a year of economic crisis and an
even longer slump, the nation's retailers are facing consumers who are
more reluctant to buy. Whether it's because of job losses, uncertainty
about employment, banks tightening lending, high debt or eroding income,
U.S. consumers aren't spending as much."
Reuters has reported that "HSBC said on Monday it is
partnering with Vietnam's state-run postal service, Vietnam
Posts Corp, to deepen its reach in the country of nearly 86
million people through the network of post offices. The
partnership allows retail clients of HSBC Holdings Plc's
(HSBA.L)(0005.HK) locally incorporated HSBC Bank (Vietnam) Ltd
to make credit card and other payments at post offices around
the country, while corporate clients can receive cash payments
and data from their own customers at post offices."
According to
IBTimes, "Workers at Royal Mail are to continue with a
series of localised strikes this week ahead of a ballot by the
Communication Workers Union for a nationwide strike. Workers at
the CWU have been striking on and off in different parts of the
country since June in opposition to Royal Mail’s modernisation
plans."
The Mirror has reported that "Firms which post millions of
mailshots yesterday pleaded with the Government to settle the
postal dispute which has seen mail "sorted" on the street. Local
walkouts over pay and jobs have hit services and in the incident
pictured above, letters were strewn outside a sorting office in
South West London. Shocked passers-by took photos." See also the
Daily Express.
The Independent has reported that "Businessmen have urged the
Government to intervene in the postal dispute, warning of the "damaging"
effects strikes were having on recession-hit companies. As members of
the Communication Workers Union (CWU) prepared to vote this week in a
national ballot for strikes following months of local walkouts, the
Direct Marketing Association said the Government should take action to
help to resolve the dispute. In a letter to the Business Secretary, Lord
Mandelson, the trade body's head of membership, Robert Keitch, said: "It
is quite clear that businesses cannot sustain these interruptions
indefinitely. Should a national postal strike take effect, this would
have a significant impact on businesses that rely on issuing invoices
and receiving payment via post." He added: "We are seeing evidence that
the economy might be staging a recovery from the recession and yet
strike action could be the final blow for many struggling companies."
Graphics Arts Online has reproduced an open letter to the President
and Congress pleading for help in determining the Postal Service's
future.
The
Daily Express has reported that "militant postal workers are
stepping up their action to bring chaos to the mail system this week
ahead of a crucial vote on a nationwide walkout."
September 13, 2009
Business Daily Africa has reported that "Traditional money transfer
service operators are losing their grip on the market as more Kenyans
turn to mobile phone-based platforms that offer instant movement of
cash, enhanced security and low transaction costs. Official data on cash
movement in the economy shows that nearly half (47 per cent) of all
money transfers in Kenya are taking place through the mobile phone – a
significant leap in use since the first such platform, M-pesa, was
launched in the country two years ago. Postal Corporation of Kenya’s
(PCK) money order service appears to have taken the biggest knock with
the latest shift. The service that held 21 per cent of the money
transfer market before the advent of mobile phone-based money transfers
in March 2007 now has near zero usage."
FWDailyNews has a historical retrospective: "The trip-the first to
deliver U.S. mail by flight-didn’t quite go as Prof. John Wise had
planned. Amidst great fanfare, Wise, a Philadelphia native and pioneer
in manned flight, on Aug. 17, 1859, was prepared to show that mail could
be delivered cross-country as his balloon would be lofted by the winds
from Lafayette to his expected destination of New York City. Estimates
were that 20,000 people had gathered in Lafayette, IN for the grand
event. A photograph of the time shows the hot-air balloon, in among
Lafayette buildings of the town square, prior to its launch. No doubt
with anticipation at a fever pitch, the balloon was sent aloft. The
great-and first-delivery by mail by on its way! It came down near
Crawfordsville, IN."
According to
Hellmail, "Postal workers could be in for a rough time over the
coming weeks with mounting criticism of plans to begin a national postal
strike at Royal Mail. With a difficult recession and only months away
from Christmas, sympathy for the plight of workers has already taken a
dent this week after both the Daily Mail and the Telegraph launched
scathing attacks on union members for trying to bring the network to a
crawl and of using underhand tactics to disrupt deliveries."
The
Daily Mail has told its readers "So it has come to this. Royal Mail
managers sort letters in a Wimbledon gutter – strikebreakers stooped
like medics over the wounded in some makeshift field-hospital. Trapped
between dithering Ministers, incompetent bosses and greedy unions, this
is the reality of our beleaguered postal service."
Transport Canada has said that "Canadians will benefit from a new
Service Charter for Canada Post following today's announcement by the
Honourable Rob Merrifield, Minister of State (Transport). The Government
of Canada created the Service Charter to outline its expectations
concerning Canada Post's service and makes these expectations known to
Canadians. The new Service Charter covers universal service, rates,
delivery, access to postal services, security, outreach and
consultation, and response to complaints."
The Telegraph has wryly asked the question: "Will anyone notice a
postal strike? There was a time when the thump of mail on the doormat
would be met with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Nowadays
when you get back from a holiday, going through the post is low on your
list of priorities. I suspect the striking postal workers haven't
realised how much times have changed. "What's that? You're going to
strike until your demands are met? Well, if you must. Perhaps you could
drop us an email to let us know when you've finished."
September 12, 2009
Parade has noted that "For more than 200 years, citizens have relied
on the U.S. Postal Service to deliver the mail through storms of all
kinds. But changing technology, a global recession, and rising debt now
threaten the national mail service. By any measure, the U.S. Postal
Service’s financial condition is dire. Some suggest that the solution
lies overseas: Germany, Britain, and Japan have opened their postal
services to competition from private companies in recent years."
According to the
BoyGeniusReport, "Early last month we reported on a policy change at
T-Mobile that we weren’t exactly happy with. In a nutshell, T-Mobile
decided it would force its subscribers to enroll in paperless billing
lest they wish to pay an additional fee for hard copies each month.
T-Mobile announced yesterday that it is reversing its decision on the
matter."
The
Financial Times has reported that "FedEx told investors yesterday
that stable fuel prices and a modest recovery in the world's economy had
helped lift the package delivery company's earnings well above
expectations for the first half of its fiscal year."
The BBC has
reported that "Postal workers across the UK have gone on strike again as
part of a long-running row over modernisation plans." [EdNote: Did
the sun come up over England? Yes. Well, then somewhere in the UK the
CWU is on strike.]
The Rutgers University Center for Research in Regulated Industries
will be holding a postal colloquium on November 20, 2009. The colloquium
will take place in the offices of the Postal Regulatory Commission located
at 901 New York Avenue, Washington, DC. More information to follow.
A Call for Papers
is being issued for the 18th Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics
sponsored by the Rutgers University Center for Research in Regulated
Industries. Conference Date: June 2-5, 2010; Conference Location: Haikko Manor, Porvoo, Finland; Abstracts Due: December 15, 2009.
According to
BNET, "An internal document from Time Inc. obtained by NBC
Bay Area shows the magazine giant, publisher of Time, Sports
Illustrated, People and other titles, wants to start competing with
Amazon's Kindle and other electronic readers before the end of the year.
It's a big shift in strategy by Time, which earlier this year said it
would not introduce its own e-reader. But things have changed, and
Time's plans for the e-reader market are on a fast track. According to
the in-house presentation, Time Inc. is seeking to unveil its plans
within the next three months."
September 11, 2009
The Journal of Commerce has
reported that "FedEx issued an upbeat new view of the economy Friday,
saying its earnings could end up nearly double earlier projections in
part because of gains in international express shipping. The company
said it is seeing “a continued modest recovery in the global economy,”
although rates remain under pressure across all domestic and
international businesses."
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority
Leader Steny Hoyer reportedly, through an amendment as a substitution
for H.R. 22, want the House to approve language that would require the
Postal Service to make only a $1.4 billion payment for FY 2009 toward
its retiree health benefits obligation. This relief would be for one
year only. Nonetheless, it would "save" having to make an additional $4
billion payment to fully satisfy the requirement that's a part of the
Postal Accountability act. Word has it this will all take place on
Tuesday.
The latest issue of
the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
According to one Bristol businessman writing for the
Evening Post, "members of the general public...do not appear
to realise the fundamental problem at Royal Mail – it seems to
be one of the worst managed businesses in the country. Not only
do I think that it is badly managed but I also regard it as
over-managed. To me, an outsider, it looks like there are far
too many managers. This comes right from the very top of the
Royal Mail. So much so, that I have visions of thousands of
meeting rooms filled with overpaid incompetents pontificating
about how to run the business.
Parcel2Go has reported that "industrial action organised by
the Communication Workers Union (CWU) can "only damage" the
Royal Mail, the company has claimed. In a statement, the postal
organisation has stated that it is "still committed" to entering
discussions with the union and warned that the strikes would
only have a negative impact on its parcel delivery services.
Royal Mail added that all of the changes it has made to services
in recent months were agreed with the CWU in official
agreements."
Marketing Direct has reported that "The Direct Marketing
Association (DMA-UK) has written to Lord Mandelson, the business
secretaryasking him to intervene in the current stand-off with
Royal Mail to end the ongoing strike action, which the DMA says
is damaging direct mail. The trade association, which has warned
of the damaging effects of the strike action on UK business and
specifically on direct mail, is also calling on members to
follow its lead by contacting their local MPs to demand action.
See also
Marketing Week.
Marketing Daily has reported that "About the
fast-approaching holiday season, Mike Duke says this will be "a
late Christmas. There will be deferred spending. The customer
will use every bit of intelligence, comparison shop, do lots of
research on the Internet." Duke addressed the Goldman Sachs
Sixteenth Annual Global Retail Conference in New York on
Thursday."
Hellmail has reported that:
According to
BoingBoing, "A South African IT company got so fed up with
the national telco's notoriously poor Internet service that they
decided to set up a race that pitted the telco's network against
a carrier pigeon. The pigeon won."
The Journal of Commerce has
reported that "The Freight Transportation Services Index rose 1.6
percent in July from its June level, the first monthly increase since
February and the largest increase since January 2008, the U.S.
Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
reported Thursday."
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
September 10, 2009
From
PR Newswire: "Deutsche Post DHL announced that Thomas Kipp has
assumed the role of worldwide CEO of DHL Global Mail. Lee Spratt will
continue to serve as CEO of Global Mail's Americas division. With the
appointment of Kipp, Deutsche Post DHL Board of Management member Jurgen
Gerdes is entrusting him with the responsibility of overseeing all of
Deutsche Post DHL's international mail business. Kipp has been advising
Deutsche Post since 1999 and has been a member of the company's
Divisional Board for Mail since 2006. Most recently, he was responsible
for the European mail business as the Deutsche Post DHL Board of
Management member for Global Mail Europe. He has also been in charge of
Global Mail's business operations at its Bonn headquarters and will
continue to hold both of these responsibilities."
According to
Reuters, "It's probably one of the last groups you'd expect to stake
out a presence on YouTube, the Internet video channel characterized by
irreverent rants from the guy next door and unwitting B-roll from
mainstream news. But last month the Small Business Administration, a
government agency better known for bureaucracy than cutting-edge
technology, put out the word that it had indeed begun to launch
informational videos on YouTube, the youth-oriented Web portal, here
www.youtube.com/sba. The first
instinct might be to chuckle. Anyone who has followed the SBA throughout
the travails of the recession realizes the agency has been under
scrutiny over the effectiveness of its primary mission of delivering
financial support to a vast array of small companies. Could this be a
bit off point? The reaction is exacerbated upon discovering that the
first 10-part series posted to the SBA YouTube site, entitled
"Delivering Success," was co-produced with another federal behemoth not
typically associated with leading-edge practices - The U.S. Postal
Service."
According to
Rag Content, "In reading about the UK's current postal troubles, as
well as the challenges faced by other posts around the world, I began to
wonder what things would be like if American postal workers were
entitled to go on strike. What sectors of the economy would be most
greatly affected and would commerce come to a punishing halt? How we use
a postal system in the United States differs somewhat than elsewhere
around the world, so one has to wonder just how a postal strike would
affect the nation."
Press Release: "Air Cargo World (www.aircargoworld.com),
the global news authority on air logistics and freight transport, has
announced it is to launch two new information resources for the air
cargo community. The North America Truckers, Forwarders & Express
Delivery Services Guide will be published in February 2010, followed by
the Worldwide Airports & Airline Services Guide in November 2010. The
content for these two guides will comprise the information currently
published in its five annual directories."
Media Daily News has reported that "From 2002-2009, weekly magazines
have suffered a bigger decline in overall paid circulation (paid
subscriptions and newsstand sales) than their monthly brethren,
according to a MediaPost analysis of figures from the Audit Bureau of
Circulations covering this time period."
From
Business Wire: "FedEx SmartPost announced today that it is
introducing a new and convenient way for consumers to return items back
to a retailer using the U.S. Postal Service for package pickup.
Consumers will gain the convenience of Postal Service(TM) access points
for a return pickup -- collection boxes, Post Offices(TM), and Free
Package Pickup from home or business addresses."
The
Erie Times-News has reported that "U.S. Sen. Bob Casey has sent a
letter to Postmaster General John Potter expressing "deep concern''
about a U.S. Postal Service plan that could close 37 post offices in
Pennsylvania. Casey, D-Pa., asked Potter to "work collaboratively" to
prevent the closures."
IB Times has reported that "The Royal Mail has rejected claims by
the Communication Workers Union that recent postal strikes have created
a backlog of over 20 million items. However a Royal Mail spokesman
dismissed the figure saying, "The amount of mail delayed in the capital
is absolutely not the 20 million figure claimed by the union but nearer
to four to five million letters, which we expect to clear in the next
few days."
The Guardian has reported that "A fresh row over the postal strikes
broke out today as union leaders confirmed plans for a national ballot
in the bitter dispute over jobs, pay and services. Members of the
Communication Workers Union (CWU) will start voting next Wednesday on
whether to back a nationwide walkout, with the result expected on 30
September – during the Labour party's annual conference. Royal Mail said
the decision to press ahead with the ballot was "wholly irresponsible"
because talk between senior management and the union leadership were
still ongoing." See also
Sky News.
Multichannel Merchant has reported that "Legislation in the House
(H.R. 22) and Senate (S-1507) is designed to temporarily relieve the
USPS of its federally mandated obligation to prefund retiree health care
benefits out of its operating budget. The USPS fiscal year closes Sept.
30, which is when a $5.4 billion health-care retiree payment comes due.
If the pending legislation is not passed, USPS probably can’t make this
payment. What happends then?"
Business Daily has reported that "President Kibaki on Wednesday came
under yet another scathing attack by Parliament over the appointment of
heads of State corporations, following his Tuesday’s naming of Major
General Hussein Ali as the Post Master General. Several MPs questioned
the deployment of the former Commissioner of Police, saying the
appointment was in disregard of the State Corporations Act, which
provides for the hiring of heads of parastatals. They claimed the
position was not competitively advertised and recruitment was not done
by the Board as required by the Act."
September 9, 2009
Yahoo! Tech has reported that "Cuba has authorized public Internet
access at post offices across the country, though it has yet to apply
what would be a landmark loosening of cyberspace rules in a nation where
information is strictly controlled."
The
BBC has reported that "The Royal Mail has denied it has plans to
seal postboxes in Bristol after the Communication Workers Union (CWU)
claimed the action was likely."
The
National League of Postmasters headquarters, state officials and others
have received inquiries about the reduction in grade being implemented
for some Postmasters to reflect their change in status from exempt to
non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Answers to these
questions can be found on the
League's
web site.
Press Release: "In the coming
months, GrayHair will be releasing round two of its successful PostCom
Postal Podcast Series. This series will again be moderated by PostCom’s
President, Gene Del Polito and will feature not only the expertise of
GrayHair Software but also will include leaders in the mail and direct
marketing industries. Some of the hot topics that will be covered in
Series 2 include discussions on e-Docs, Mailer IDs, Service Codes, and
the 5 Day delivery plan. The series is co-released on PostCom’s website
(http://www.postcom.org/) and on
GrayHair’s (http://www.grayhairsoftware.com/)
so stay tuned to each site for more details.
From
PR-Canada.Net: "WhitePages (www.whitepages.com)
today announced that the Ban The Phone Book campaign
(www.banthephonebook.org) has surpassed 12,000 signatures in less than
one month following survey results indicating that 81 percent of
consumers are willing to embrace "opt-in" programs to receive the white
pages phone book. According to WhitePages, if every US household stopped
receiving the white pages phone book, millions of trees and up to $17
million in taxpayer funded recycling fees would be saved every year."
Media Daily News has reported that "Media spending in the second
quarter of 2009 declined steeply compared to the second quarter of 2006
-- but the same period saw an even larger increase, in percentage terms,
in Internet revenues. It's worth noting that -- with the exception of
newspapers -- the percentage share of most traditional media in overall
spending has remained roughly the same."
AFP has reported that "The German logistics group Deutsche Post is
mulling the purchase of Dutch letter distributor Sandd along with other
possible European deals, a press report said on Monday. Deutsche Post is
also looking at Adrexo in France, DX Services in Britain and Letterbox
in Finland, plus companies in Denmark and the Czech Republic, the
business daily Handelsblatt said, citing sources close to Deutsche Post,
which owns the DHL courrier service. French rival La Poste is also
interested in Sandd, which is the second biggest courier distributor in
the Netherlands."
According to the
Washington Post, "In this new era of frugality, well-to-do shoppers
have gone into hiding and stowed away their splashy logos. But they may
hold the key to a consumer recovery. Affluent shoppers are the most
important segment of consumer spending, which in turn drives the
national economy. The top 20 percent of the nation's households -- with
income of at least $150,000 -- account for 40 percent of all spending,
according to government data. That makes them a crucial spoke to any
turnaround."
According to
In2Town, "The theory that sophisticated direct mail is the sole
preserve of large companies conducting bulk mailings, no longer stands
up. With an ever-increasing range of new marketing technologies
available small organisations can reap the benefits of this
cost-effective marketing medium."
The
Youngstown Vindicator has reported that "Postal customers and
informational pickets from the postal clerks’ union expressed their
displeasure concerning the proposed closing of the West Side post
office."
According to the
BBC,
"Recent postal strikes have caused as many as
20 million pieces of mail to become stuck in the post office system."
The
Communication Workers Union said it "strongly urges Royal Mail to
engage in meaningful negotiations to agree changes for the business. The
mail backlog is now bigger than at the height of the national strike of
2007 with well over 20 million items backed up in London alone."
[EdNote: Looks like the U.K. could use a dose of the "Reagan vs.air
traffic controllers" solution.]
The
Baltimore Sun has reported that "The
Baltimore County Council has banned delivery of advertising circulars to
residences. The legislation, which passed on a 5-to-2 vote
Tuesday and will take effect Jan. 1, exempts U.S. Postal Service
deliveries and those by private mail services, as well as campaign
literature and newspapers. Violators could face a $500 fine for the
first offense, with a $1,000 fine for each additional offense. The bill
originally also covered fliers left on car windshields, but that was
taken out of the final measure. Councilman John Olszewski, who sponsored
the bill, would make an exception for fliers printed with a "conspicuous
notice" that reads, "If you no longer wish to receive this publication,
please call the following toll-free or local number."
CNSNews has
reported that "The chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee
says it is time to do something to make the United States safer from the
threat of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). "The fact is that we are
still not properly prepared to meet this bioterrorist threat, despite
measures that have been taken since the 2001 anthrax attacks,” said Sen.
Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), “and that is what brings us to the
legislation that we introduced today, which would implement many of the
recommendations of the Graham-Talent Commission.” Among the proposals:
an expansion of the U.S. Postal Service’s ability to deliver medical
countermeasures; the provision of emergency “Medkits” to emergency
responders and their families and increased bio-security measures at
laboratories that handle dangerous pathogens."
Parcel2Go has reported that "A new wave of postal strikes that is
set to take place in the UK has been announced by the Communication
Workers Union. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has release a list
of the locations being affected by strikes across the rest of this week.
According to the body, a range of London depots are to be affected by
action taking place until tonight (September 9th), which may in turn
lead many to seek post office alternatives. Further afield, areas
include Birmingham, Bridgend, Carlisle and Coventry will be affected by
24-hour strike action involving network drivers at the weekend."
The Daily Camera
has reported that "The Regional Transportation District is investigating
complaints about an RTD bus plastered with political posters that was
part of Louisville's Labor Day Parade, while the U.S. Postal service
determined that a mail truck covered with similar posters was a mistake.
The two vehicles, driven by postal service and RTD employees, bore
posters that read “health care can't wait” and “no more business as
usual.” Both also had banners supporting the American Federation of
Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations — a national trade union
center — and the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that would create a
new system for organizing unions." See also
TheDenverChannel.
As the
Washington Post has noted, "Joseph Kennedy's decision to not run for
his uncle's U.S. Senate seat means several other Bay State pols will
soon join the contest. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) is considering a run
for the U.S. Senate. Among those considering a run in Massachusetts is
Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch, 54, a South Boston native first elected
to the House in 2001 to replace the late Rep. Joseph Moakley (D). Lynch
has taken out nomination papers, but said he must weigh family matters
before deciding to run. The Eye's readers
should take note of a possible Lynch candidacy because he chairs the
House Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the
District of Columbia. That makes him a go-to guy on every major debate
about pay, benefits and safety issues of concern to federal employees --
and also on the financial future of the U.S. Postal Service.
From Swiss Post, "Send and
receive e-mails with IncaMail just like a registered letter securely,
conveniently, and verifiably without installing further software. You
make sure that only the intended recipient can read the message. In
addition, you receive a digitally signed Post receipt on request."
According to Postal Sanity,
"Within the next 50 years standard mail may virtually disappear by
turning virtual."
From
PR Web: "QSI Corporation, designer and manufacturer of rugged
industrial and mobile data terminals, announce their new rugged TREQ®-M4
mobile data terminal is chosen by LoadTrek.net, a leader in
transportation management software. The first deployment of the in-cab
terminal is for Matheson Postal Services. One of the largest contract
carriers for the United States Postal Service, Matheson is a diversified
national transportation carrier serving the USPS since 1964. Matheson
offers specialized hauling, time sensitive material handling and
transportation, less-than-truckload freight delivery, underwing airport
operations, and terminal handling services."
Transport Intelligence has reported that "DHL this week announced an
expansion of its partnership with fashion weeks around the world to
include the prestigious London Fashion Week being held later this month
(September 18-22). DHL pointed out that it was already the official
logistics partner of the series of high profile fashion weeks in ten
leading cities around the world, including New York, Milan and Sydney.
Since September 2008, it continued, the company had also supported
Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden, London, a platform which aimed to find
and nurture undiscovered British designers and was part of the official
London Fashion Week calendar."
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
According to the
Australian Newsagency Blog, "While best practice around the world is
the open competition for the postal service and retail post offices
being dominated by, well, postal services, successive governments in
Australia have allowed and even encouraged the 100% government owned and
protected Australia Post to compete more with private enterprise.
Yesterday’s news that Australia Post is to sell insurance is more
evidence of selective interpretation of what is permissible under the
Act which governs Australia Post. Australia Post benefits from
government protection. Their retail outlets get rent deals, special
landlord treatment, better buying and cheap access to customers who have
nowhere else to go for the right to stand in a line for mediocre
service."
The
Japan Times has reported that "The government effectively delayed
Tuesday the planned Oct. 1 integration of the parcel delivery operations
of Japan Post Service Co., the mail arm of Japan Post Holdings, and
private-sector trucking firm Nippon Express Co."
The
Visalia Times-Delta has reported that "Postal inspectors have
interviewed the Visalia letter carrier who delivered a package suspected
of carrying a pipebomb to a local office in Visalia Tuesday."
The
Economic Times has reported that "Indians working abroad may soon be
able to send cash directly to their relatives at their doorsteps through
the widespread postal network. The department of posts is set to enter
into an agreement with Eurogiro, a global network of banks and financial
institutions, for direct money remittance through post offices."
VIPLoan
has reported that "It was long anticipated and at last the same has come
to the fore. The introduction of travel insurance for “gap year
gatecrashers” has been done by the UK Post Office. The insurance is
aimed at over-65s who wish for to travel abroad frequently, provides
year-round, multi-trip cover."
September 8, 2009
The
Journal Times has reported that "Postal employees are holding an
informational picket today to protest the potential closing of the
Downtown Racine post office. The pickets began shortly after 10:30 a.m.
outside the Downtown office, 603 Main St. They were organized by the
American Postal Workers Union Local 778, which represents clerks,
maintenance workers and drivers. Many of the roughly 25 people holding
signs were workers who came after their morning shifts ended. They were
joined by retirees, parents and even supportive postal customers."
Check out the new website for the
International Mailers
Advisory Group (of which PostCom is a member).
The
USPS has published a new
brochure on two key USPS address management programs: AEC (Address
Element Correction) and AEC II. According to the Postal Service, "it
explains the mailer benefits of the programs as well as how the programs
work. It also provides contact information for more information and how
to get started."
According to
Dr.
Tatiana Vazulina, Parascript, LLC, "Today’s world—characterized by
globalization, liberalization, deregulation, and technological
advances—challenges posts’ monopolistic position as the sole providers
of postal services. Their only opportunity to withstand increased
competition is to raise the bar for performance and efficiency standards
of mail sorting and the quality and variety of services offered. Having
the advantage of directly servicing the most consumers of any
communication-related industry on earth, posts have the opportunity to
convert expensive, paper-related, immobile postal mail service into an
advanced and more robust form of hybrid service, offering consumers
choices about paper or other media. This will enable both the postal
industry and customers to benefit from opportunities technological
progress is creating in the communications market (the Internet, for
example), and the trend towards convergence of e-commerce and
communications (home shopping, hybrid mail)."
It's
the last day to register for the second in a series of three
PARCEL Forum
Webcasts!
Advertising
Age has reported that "E-commerce has never reached even 1% of
Procter & Gamble Co.'s sales, but now the company is looking to increase
that share more than fivefold as it seeks to capitalize on its growing
investment in digital media." [EdNote: There was a time when P&G was
one of the largest mailers in the nation of coupons and product samples.
Postal product pricing sure took care of that.]
According to the
Courier, Express, and Postal Observer, "Recent news stories have
highlighted some of the absurd results that current labor contract
provisions and civil service rules create as the Postal Service deals
with workforce management today."
From
PR Newswire: "CSC has won a contract to provide technical
and management support for the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) Mail
Transportation Equipment Service Center (MTESC) in Detroit,
Mich. The contract has a three-year base period and two two-year
options, bringing the estimated total seven-year value to $46
million."
 |
PostCom welcomes its newest member: Freedom Graphic Systems, Inc., 1101 S. Janesville Street, Milton, WI 53563-1838, which will be represented by William J. Sloyan, Vice President Technical Service. |
Media Daily News has reported that "Bucking conventional wisdom, a
new survey of small and mid-sized advertisers from a media buying agency
found that 33% of respondents said they expect to increase their ad
spending compared to 2008. However, this unexpected positive finding was
tempered somewhat by other execs who said they planned to decrease ad
spending in 2009."
AllAfrica.com
has reported that "BotswanaPost has launched an ambitious initiative
dubbed the "Journey to excellence" in a bid to foster productivity and
ensure the quasi-government outfit meets the challenges facing the
postal and mail industry."
According to the
Financial Times, "The possible closing of more than 400 post offices
across the US in an effort to cut costs could further dent the
struggling commercial property market as rising retail vacancies
continue to weigh on prices."
Nazret has reported that "The Ethiopian Postal Service (EPS) said it
has a plan to collect 131 million Birr from provision of services to
customers during the current Ethiopian fiscal year. Speaking about the
2002 E.C action plan of the organization, EPS General Manager, Gidey
Gebreyohanis said on Monday his organization envisages collecting the
stated amount of income this year by improving the quality of its
services to customers. Besides, he said, the organization will be
striving to improve public access to postal service, boost its
institutional capacity, and to improve the positive image of the
organization during the reported time."
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
RULES New Postal Product , 46016–46019 [E9–21438] [TEXT] [PDF] PROPOSED RULES Competitive Postal Products , 46044 [E9–21476] [TEXT] [PDF]
Postal
Technology International has reported that "Itella Logistics’ parcel
and transport services were given new, consistent names in English as of
1 September 2009. The main products provided for companies are now
called Itella Express and Itella Economy. As a result of the renewal,
the Keltainen Kuljetus service names have also been replaced by new
ones. The new names are Itella Express Morning, Itella Express Business
Day, Itella Express Flex and Itella Express City. Itella Express Point
is an entirely new service – a quick delivery for shipments retrieved
from an Itella outlet. The service meets the needs of online retailers
in particular and is initially available in Finland in Helsinki, Vantaa,
Espoo and Kauniainen. The renewal does not apply to international
services, EMS, Priority and Economy, or foreign freight. The Parcel to
the Doorstep and the Postal Parcel, both paid in cash, will remain
unchanged."
The
Peterborough Evening Telegraph has reported that "more than 400
postal workers were expected to go on strike in Peterborough today
(Tuesday) – the largest number since industrial action began two months
ago."
PhillyBurbs believes that "If the government can spend hundreds of
billions to prop up banks and automakers, it surely can do the same for
an institution as vital as the post office."
Reuters has reported that "The 1,400 U.S. mechanics who maintain
United Parcel Service Inc's worldwide fleet of 263 aircraft will hold a
strike authorization vote next week, on the cusp of the company's peak
shipping season." See also
Gerson Lehman Group.
From
Business Wire: "Melissa Data, (www.melissadata.com),
a provider of data quality and data enrichment solutions, today
announced MatchUp Object, an API toolkit for finding and preventing
duplicate records that is now multiplatform. With this news, Linux,
Solaris, AIX and HPUX users can benefit from the advanced deduping power
of MatchUp Object to find more duplicate records and gain a single
accurate view of each customer."
The
Times of India has reported that "Renovation is happening in the
postal service in a massive scale. India Post and Accenture signed an
agreement last week under which the latter will develop a single
software to replace 20 existing ones. This software will connect all
post offices across India. To ensure speedy delivery of mails in large
numbers, India Post has introduced three flights, with a fourth one set
to join in soon. "Inefficiency is due to lack of staff (in India Post).
We have cleared 9,000 vacancies to solve this problem. India Post will
wear a new look with more and more young people joining it," said
Radhika. A chief insurance officer has been appointed to invest funds
directly. Even post offices in rural areas will be computerized and ATM
cards issued."
Solve Climate has reported that "Government researchers have
confirmed the ideal testing ground for electric cars: the U.S. Postal
Service. Now all they have to do is find the money to pay for it."
September 7, 2009
Federal Times
has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service, struggling with a massive
deficit caused by plummeting mail volume, spends more than a million
dollars each week to pay thousands of employees
to sit in empty rooms and do nothing. It’s a practice called
“standby time,” and it has existed for years — but postal employees say
it was rarely used until this year. Now, postal officials say, the
agency is averaging about 45,000 hours of standby time every week — the
equivalent of having 1,125 full-time employees sitting idle, at a cost
of more than $50 million per year. A thicket of
union rules prevents managers from laying off excess employees;
a recent agreement with the unions, in fact, temporarily prevents the
Postal Service from even reassigning them to other facilities that could
use them. So they sit — some for a few hours, others for entire shifts.
Postal union officials estimate some 15,000 employees have spent time on
standby this year. They spend their days holed up in rooms."
AllGov.com has reported that "By the end of this month, when its
fiscal year ends, the U.S. Postal Service will have lost $7 billion in
2008-2009, and it will need a loan from the U.S. Treasury just to pay
for health benefits for retired postal workers. USPS’s cash on hand,
which will be $700 million in the red by September 30, will make it
impossible to meet a $5.8 billion obligation to cover retiree health
benefits unless Congress adopts emergency legislation raising the Postal
Service’s ability to borrow more money."
Hellmail has reported that "New figures released by Comreg last
week, showed that Irish postal operator An Post achieved an 85 per cent
success rate for mail delivery by the next working day during April and
June this year. This represents a two percent improvement on the first
quarter (83%) and a five percentage point improvement on Q2 last year
(80%)."
The
Otaga Daily Times has noted that "New Zealand Post is today
launching the KiwiStamp, which for the first time does not carry a face
value. The KiwiStamp holds its value even if postage increases."
According to the
South London Press, "postal workers are threatening continued
strikes, resulting in sporadic deliveries of mail. Royal Mail operations
director Paul Tolhurst said: “It is now more clear than ever that the
CWU is focusing all its efforts on political posturing. Their
determination to damage services and undermine the future of the
business is increasing." See also the
Whitney Gazette.
The
New York Times has noted that "With a circulation of just over 8
million at last count, Reader's Digest is still one of the most popular
magazines. Reader's Digest has not ignored the Web. In fact the magazine
thinks its reputation for brevity can help lure information-saturated
readers. Its Web site's average unique visitors per month -- a critical
gauge of online traffic -- rose 23 percent year-over-year in July to 1.2
million, according to the tracking firm comScore. (The magazine says
online ad revenue doubled in that period. There's already an electronic
version of the magazine on Amazon's Kindle electronic reading device,
and an iPhone app is coming soon."
Computerworld has reported that "Just weeks after one of its
divisions opted to replace Microsoft software with Google Apps,
NZ Post is preparing to expand a proof-of-concept trial of open
source on the desktop. The project is about freedom and
diversity in the choice of operating systems, not about
specifically moving towards an open-source desktop, says NZ
Post’s technology innovation manager, Barry Polley. NZ Post
already uses some open source software, for example Red Hat
Linux in the company’s datacentre, but not on the desktop. The
trial is initially using Ubuntu 9.04, Polley says, but Linux
Mint is being tested as a longer-term candidate."
September 6, 2009
The
Wall Street Journal has noted that "State and local governments
stood out as safe havens for workers during the recession's early
stages. Now even they are laying off employees." [EdNote: Maybe they
should all go to work for the Postal Service. Heaven knows they'll be
insulated from the adverse effects of a depressed economy there.]
The
Sun-Sentinel has told its readers that "Last week, U.S. officials
said they and their Havana counterparts would include negotiations on
resuming direct mail delivery when they meet again Sept. 17. Wow, what a
breakthrough. What a concept. Allow us, however, to bring people up to
speed a bit on the telecommunications revolution that's taken place
since 1963, when direct mail was suspended. Most people, especially
younger ones, don't send snail mail. They e-mail. They text. They tweet.
They exchange photos and comments on Facebook and other social media
websites. All that's when they're not talking on cell phones, by the
way. So pardon us if the prospect of resumption of direct mail service
sounds a bit akin to allowing the Pony Express to sail a route across
the Florida Straits, too."
September 5, 2009
The
Winston-Salem Journal has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service has
added Winston-Salem's Center City Post Office, at the corner of Town Run
Lane and Second Street, to the list of post offices around the country
to be closed. Center City is the only Winston-Salem Post Office on the
list. Yesterday, the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership -- a nonprofit
organization that advocates for downtown -- sent out a letter and
petition urging the Postal Service to keep the branch open."
Yokwe Online has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service revised its
standards and custom label requirement due to new Foreign Trade
Regulations (FTR) issued by the U.S. Census Bureau."
September 4, 2009
According to
Dead Tree Edition, "The U.S. Postal Service is a bit schizophrenic
when it comes to talking about the Flats Sequencing System. It has
provided lots of information about the new technology but not answered
some basic questions that have been kicking around for a couple of
years."
Mail volumes are declining but the role of the mailroom is, coversely,
growing. As Markus Becker of Swiss Post Solutions explained to
FM Report’s editor, the integration of information management and
application of leading edge technology promises an exciting digital
future.
Press Release: BÖWE BELL + HOWELL
has announced the release of their new Web site at
www.bowebellhowell.com.
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
As
Advertising Age has noted, "The strategic goal behind every print
advertisement is probably a bit different. Some ads are designed to
build an image, some are written to drive readers to a website and some
announce limited-time offers. But most marketers hope the time, money
and creativity that goes into developing their advertising campaigns
moves the needle in terms of sales. It noted that "What
Matters Is Context, Price and Brand Perception."
The Institute For Research On The Economics Of Taxation
has a new paper out on "How Does The Sales
Decline At The Postal Service Compare To Those At Large Private-Sector
Businesses? How Do The Responses Compare?" The author
concludes that "Until now, a major, albeit de facto, pillar of the
Postal Service's business model has been that revenue growth would
compensate for inefficiencies that serve political ends but do not
advance the agency's core mission. However, the
growth-will-counterbalance-wasteful-spending pillar of the business
model is now broken. The Service can be financially solvent while
fulfilling its core mission, but only if Congress allows it to better
manage its costs."
The PMG has announced the selection of John T. Edgar as Vice President,
Information Technology Solutions. Prior to this appointment, John was
the Manager, Corporate IT Portfolios, and recently led the IT
organization’s efforts to implement the IMb/Full Service programs. He is
leading IT's efforts to fully modernize usps.com and its suite of
supporting applications and services for consumers and small businesses.
John holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Lehigh University, is a
licensed Professional Engineer in Virginia, and was a Government
Computer News Technology Leadership Award winner
KFSM 5News has reported that "The federal Postal Regulatory
Commission is recommending the closure of three Oklahoma branches, and
two others are being considered for elimination. All the branches or
stations targeted for closure are in the Oklahoma City or Tulsa areas
and were placed on a revised list released by the commission this week.
In Tulsa, the report indicates two stations will close — the Gilcrease
station on west Edison and the Tulsa Whittier location on south Lewis.
In Oklahoma City, the delivery operations at the Santa Fe station on SW
134th Street also will be moved. The revised list shows two other
stations are being considered for closure — Southwest station on south
Agnew in Oklahoma City and another branch at 4801 S. I-35 Service Road."
The latest issue of
the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
Channel5belize has reported that "The Belize Postal Service has
uncovered an international money order scam rooted in Africa but
cultivated in the USA and Belize. Fake money orders in sums of five
hundred US each were sent supposedly from one Edgar Dumigan of Illinois
to at least three Belizeans. But the stamps show that the money orders
actually originated from Lome’, a city in the African City of Togo.
Three thousand dollars worth have been cashed before the Post office
closed in on the scam."
Macauhub
has reported that "Portugal’s postal service, CTT, plans to launch
express delivery services in Angola and Mozambique by the end of the
year, with an investment of 1 million euros in each market."
According to Jim Adams, writing for
Foster's Daily Democrat, "The present dilemma of the U.S. Postal
Service, which includes closing post offices and eliminating Saturday,
is a prime example of how Congress can fix a problem....Congressman
Henry Waxman, Democrat from California, introduced into the bill a
requirement for the Postal Service to prefund its retirees' health
benefits to the tune of $5.4 billion a year over a 10-year period: $54
billion over 10 years. Now with the rate increases necessary to fund
this $5.4 billion mandate and the decline in volume due to the economy,
Congress has created the perfect storm. What the anthrax terrorist
attacks of 2001 could not do, the Congress has done in just a little
over two years.
Hellmail has reported that "The Communication Workers Union lent its
support today to proposals by the Federation of Small Businesses to
improve the long term future of the Post Office® network. The CWU, which
represents staff in Crown Post Offices and the whole of Royal Mail
Group, is keen to see an expansion of services provided by post
offices."
From the Federal Register:
Postal Service U.S. Census Bureau Electronic Export Information Requirements: Sending Shipments Between or to U.S. Territories, Possessions, and Freely Associated States , 45763–45765 [E9–21306] [TEXT] [PDF] Sending Shipments Internationally , 45760–45763 [E9–21307] [TEXT] [PDF]
WorldNetDaily has noted: "The other day, at my local branch of the
United States Postal Service, a devoted USPS customer told me in high
decibels to go back whence I came. Although I speak and write English at
a level this yahoo could not aspire to, I do the former sans an American
accent. In the chauvinistic, provincial mind of my post-office foe, my
accent condemned me. Even more of a liability was my apparently
un-American, unpatriotic audacity. I stood up to a USPS bureaucrat, who
has, for the past seven years, faithfully fulfilled her role as a bully.
Incidentally, the Asian service clerk in question had not managed to
master Pidgin English, but somehow I doubt that the brassy American
postal patriot would have dared to order her out of the country. For
well over a decade, I have been sending snail mail from North America to
South Africa, where friends and family still reside (and where the
accent originates). Having used the Canadian, South African and European
equivalent services, I can safely say that there is no viler or more
inhospitable dump than the United States Postal Service."
According to the
New York Post, "It's enough to make you go postal. Five New York
City letter slingers face crazy commutes of up to seven hours a day
after being transferred in July to remote Long Island outposts like
Montauk and Shelter Island, The Post has learned. Using trains,
automobiles and even boats, the US Postal Service workers rise in the
dark at 3 a.m. for their bleary-eyed voyages, and don't get home until
as late as 10 p.m. in some cases."
The
Courier, Express, and Postal Observer has reported that "The primary
debate that over the future of the Postal Service will be whether it is
time to seriously consider privatization. Independent of the value of a
mail delivery as a governmental or private sector service, the private
sector option will not be viable as long as members of Congress from
both parties see personal political value in interfering with Postal
Service operations, prices, or service. The value of interfering with
postal management decisions come from the positive news stories in local
newspapers and on TV. No member of Congress can pass up good press. Any
interview or press statement supporting a local plant and its workers or
retention of a local post office is good press. Good press relating to
constituent service raises the Congressperson's visibility and positive
ratings and may even endear him or her to voters of opposing political
viewpoints."
Dead Tree Edition has noted that "The Postal Service should consider
not accepting money from Congress so that it would be free to eliminate
Saturday delivery and close rural post offices, a new report says.
Postal officials are laying the groundwork for five-day-a-week delivery
but have had trouble winning permission from Congress. They can move
forward on that and other controversial measures without Congressional
approval, according to a report issued this week by USPS’s Office of
Inspector General."
The
Washington Post has reported that "The National Association of
Letter Carriers, which represents most of the folks who walk the streets
and drive the mail trucks, will honor six of its own in late September
for acts of heroism performed while on duty."
The
U.S. General Services Administration announced it has awarded a
contract for express and ground domestic delivery services to United
Parcel Service. The contract aims to save taxpayers more than a billion
dollars over the next five years. [EdNote: Well don't that beat all.
The U.S. Postal Service is strapped for cash, and a federal agency gives
their business to UPS.]
September 3, 2009
Advertising Age has reported that "In a potential advance for the
forces of paid content, The Economist is introducing a trial program
today that lets New Yorkers use their cellphones to order overnight home
delivery of the new issue at the regular newsstand price. Those who
order by 9 p.m. are guaranteed a hand-delivered copy by 6 a.m. the next
morning -- in time to beat the commute. The Economist's on-demand
delivery service aims to make it easier for occasional readers to buy on
demand. It also can't hurt at a time when magazines' newsstand sales
have been hammered by the recession, which has made people more careful
with spending and less apt to visit stores."
The
Courier, Express, and Postal Observer told its readers that "this
blog's previous post, "Management Approaches to Restructuring,'
generated substantial number of comments regarding my use of the word
"layoff" to describe Canada Post's planned 15% reduction in positions in
Winnipeg. The original memo used the word "cut" to describe Canada
Post's planned reduction in full time position and that word follows
CUPW's labor agreement that guarantees jobs to full time employees. A
subsequent investigation into the labor agreements and data available
from CUPW and the Postal Service provide some insight as to how Canada
Post will achieve the reduction without layoffs."
Hellmail has reported that:
The Finnish postal service (part of the Itella group) is to look at how the funding of the future universal service will affect the organization of the Group’s domestic functions. The review is to be carried out due to Itella's preparations for the revisions in the postal services legislation which will come into force at the beginning of 2011.
Norway Post has reported that earnings before non-recurring items and write-downs for the first half-year 2009 were higher than those for the same period in 2008 and ended at NOK 381 million. Electronic substitution and the economic downturn had a negative effect on revenues, however extensive efficiency measures and cost cuts led to an improvement in earnings.
Joy
Online has reported that "The Acting Managing Director of Ghana
Post, Nicholas Dery, says findings and recommendations made by a
committee set up to investigate complaints at the company are being
implemented."
The
Royal Gazette has reported that "Postal workers will visit
neighbourhoods in the coming weeks to ensure all residents are compliant
with the new Post Office regulations. As of Monday, all homes were
required to display a prominent house number, and place mailboxes as
close to the roadside or boundary entrance to the property as possible.
Government has warned that: "Non-compliance will result in non-delivery
of mail."
Bloomberg has reported that "Yesterday, the U.S. Postal Service
pared the number of urban and suburban facilities it may shut from about
3,600. The Fell’s Point’s branch is among three Baltimore area post
offices on the original list that were spared. Two remain. The proposed
shutdowns are part of a cost-cutting effort by the Postal Service, which
faces a loss this fiscal year of at least $7 billion. The reduction by
almost 90 percent in the number of post offices, stations and branches
being considered for closure shows the challenge confronting the service
as it tries to reconcile political opposition to shutting facilities
with its mandate to make a profit."
The
East London Advertiser has reported that "postal workers were on
duty two nights without pay after they refused to stop deliveries and
decided to sort parcels instead. The workers at the huge East London
sorting centre at Bromley-by-Bow involved in a long dispute with Royal
Mail said they needed to continue their work to make sure deliveries
were maintained. Some 29 workers were taken 'off pay' as they insisted
on carrying on with their work rather than switching to sort packets
instead, according to the Communication Workers' Union."
The
Daily Pennsylvanian has reported that Pennsylvania "University's
Mail Services will no longer accept unsolicited mail from the U.S.
Postal Service for redistribution to the college houses. Business
Services spokeswoman Barbara Lea-Kruger said the decision is a way to
effectively reduce paper waste and promote better recycling. Since 2007,
Penn Mail Services has recycled "no value" mail, which is addressed to
"occupant" or "resident," according to Lea-Kruger. About 35 percent of
mail delivered to Penn each week falls into this category."
According to the
Washington Post, "The U.S. Postal Service removed more than 200
sites Wednesday. The Postal Service's list is an update from one it
released in late July, which named 677 facilities as being possibly
closed. After that report was leaked to
reporters by congressional staffers,
it launched a firestorm of outrage from those who live in
affected neighborhoods, as well as their congressional representatives.
The Postal Service is required to provide the information to the Postal
Regulatory Commission, which is reviewing closure and consolidation
plans. Earlier, the Postal Service advised the PRC of up to 1,000 sites
facing the possibility of closure. Final decisions will be made after
Oct. 2, and postal officials have said privately that they expect no
more than 200 facilities to be on the final list."
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
The Reading
Eagle has reported that "Kenhorst and the U.S. Postal Service are
trying to come up with ways to fix a delivery problem that has
temporarily kept some residents from getting their mail. Residents from
various streets have complained that mail isn't delivered to their homes
when a vehicle is parked in front of the mailbox. The post office has a
policy that carriers should not get out of their vehicles to deliver to
a blocked mailbox. Instead, carriers are told to skip the delivery and
try again the next day. A few Broadway Boulevard residents reported last
September that they did not receive mail for up to six days at a time.
The residents argued that they had no control over who parked on the
street in front of their mailboxes."
September 2, 2009
Dow
Jones has reported that "French carmaker Renault SA Wednesday
said postal and express group TNT NV is considering using Renault's
electric vehicles for its operations in the Netherlands. Vehicle
development will start now and they will be available and operational by
2011, Renault said."
The
Star Tribune has reported that "Should you have to pay to get your
bills the old-fashioned way, through the mail? That's what a growing
number of companies are deciding, in their effort to force customers to
get their bills online and thus save money on mailing. Plenty of
companies have offered discounts or promised to plant a tree in your
name if you pay your bills online."
The
New Haven Independent has reported that "“They’re not only post
offices, they’re community centers,” said U.S.
Senator Joe Lieberman, promising to fight for two beloved centers that
are on the chopping block. Lieberman, who heads the Senate
committee that oversees the postal service, Homeland Security, promised
to try to keep the Hill and Westville branches open. He made the remarks
during a tour Monday of the city’s firing range. “I’ve talked
specifically to the postmaster general about this… about these two and
about the others that are on the list in Connecticut. The senator said
that he has urged the postmaster general not to close Connecticut
branches if they are being used. “If they have to close stations or
branches then we understand that, but don’t just take some down in
Connecticut because you’ve got to take some down everywhere,” he said.
Lieberman promised to keep working on the matter.
“I’m trying hard to stop it,” he said."
In
a
news
release, the Postal Service
announced today that 413 retail stations and branches remain under
consideration for possible consolidation. (The
complete list is posted on the Postal Service's web site.) Today’s announcement updates a
study begun earlier this summer that examined a wide range of stations
and branches in urban and suburban areas across the country, focusing on
offices in close proximity to determine where consolidations might
be feasible, while maintaining customer access to postal services. This seems to be in conflict, with what
the Postal Service
filed yesterday at the Postal Regulatory Commission, that says "the
updated list will reflect that over 750 stations and branches were
identified by the pre-screening process as discontinuance study
candidates." The USPS has yet to released its updated 750 list to the
PRC (LR N2009-1/4). [EdNote: Does anyone over there really know
what's going on and who's saying what? How many other versions are out
there? Any wonder why Congress questions the veracity of what it's
told?]
According to the
Washington Post, "The Postal Service has cut more than 200 sites
from its list of facilities for possible closure, including one site in
Maryland, the next step in a process that began earlier this summer amid
uncertainty over how many sites it would close. Officials will now
consider the fate of 413 retail stations and branches, down from a list
of 677 facilities released in late July."
From
PR Newswire: "Experian((R)) today announced that a federal court in
California denied a motion by LifeLock Inc. to reconsider the court's
prior ruling which found that LifeLock's practice of setting 90-day
fraud alerts for consumers with the three main credit bureaus is
unlawful. Experian filed the lawsuit in 2008 alleging that LifeLock
activities were contrary to certain provisions of the Fair Credit
Reporting Act (FCRA). Experian has requested a permanent injunction, for
which a decision is pending. "Experian is pleased the court continues to
recognize the unfair business practices of LifeLock which Experian
believes has resulted in a false sense of security and unnecessary costs
to consumers," said Kerry Williams, Group President, Experian Credit
Services and Decision Analytics. "Experian will continually seek to
ensure that consumers understand their rights and opportunities
regarding their credit histories and have access to a variety of
services to help protect their personal information."
Eyefortransport has reported that "DHL has launched direct LCL (less
than container load) services connecting Ho Chi Minh City to Hamburg,
Genoa and Los Angeles. Operated by DHL's in-house carrier, Danmar Lines,
the new weekly direct LCL services shaves up to a week off transit
times."
As
the
Postalnews Blog has noted, "Unaudited financial statements files
with the Postal regulatory Commission report that the Postal Service
lost an additional $865 million in July. That’s better than the $1.3
billion loss reported in June, but brings the total fiscal year to date
net loss to $5.6 billion, with two months left left to report in the
fiscal year, which ends September 30."
CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
Profits caved in by 90% for Slovenská posta during the first half 2009.
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.)
In a letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal:
The BBC
has reported that "Postal charges in Guernsey are to rise by 40% over
the next two years. Guernsey Post's chairman gave advance warning of the
expected price increase in his annual report. Despite reporting an
operating profit of more than £1m last year, Dudley Jehan said the
company had no choice but to raise its prices. He said it was agreed
with the Royal Mail, as Guernsey Post moves to a system of charging
according to the size of mail items as well as weight."
The
New Zealand Herald has reported that "Freightways will deliver
parcels in this country for Australia Post, which will increase its
market share as the business was previously with rival CourierPost.
Freightways' managing director Dean Bracewell said Australia Post was
the biggest parcel mover in this part of the world, and like all postal
operators was moving more and more into the international package
industry. Australia Post previously used CourierPost, a joint venture
between NZ Post and DHL."
The
Peterborough Evening Telegraph has reported that "postal workers in
Peterborough are set to strike for the third time from Thursday (3
September)." See also the
Cambridge News and the
Wiltshire Gazette. [EdNote: Maybe the purpose for these strikes
in the U.K. is to demonstrate that there is no real need for a post in
Britain any longer. So . . . how are is the CWU doin' in conveying that
message?]
The
Brisbane Times has reported that "Pallet supplier Brambles Ltd has
appointed the former chief executive of international express delivery
service provider DHL Express as a non-executive director. John Mullen,
who is also the main board member of German postal service Deutsche Post
World Net, would take on a non-executive director role with Brambles
from November 1."
Hellmail has noted that "TNT Post is celebrating five years of
success since it launched its services in the UK in August 2004. In that
time, the company has experienced incredible growth from delivering 300
million items in its first year to over 2.5 billion today. With a 14 per
cent market share, it has consistently been the leading competitor to
Royal Mail and now employs over 800 people."
From the Federal Register:
Postal Regulatory Commission RULES New Postal Product , 45327–45330 [E9–21208] [TEXT] [PDF] NOTICES Meetings; Sunshine Act , 45486–45487 [E9–21303] [TEXT] [PDF] 45487 [E9–21304] [TEXT] [PDF] Postal Service RULES First-Class Mail Incentive Program , 45325–45327 [E9–21072] [TEXT] [PDF]
The
BBC has reported that "Postal workers have formed a picket line
outside a sorting office in Swindon as they begin a 24-hour strike. More
than 800 members of staff are expected to walk out of the Dorcan mail
centre with two more strikes planned for Monday and Tuesday next week."
The
Viriginian-Pilot has reported that "Some U.S. Postal Service offices
will close by 2 p.m. Friday and will limit hours during the upcoming
Labor Day holiday weekend. Some offices will limit retail hours on
Saturday."
The
National Business Review has reported that "Google’s free and
corporate email and online document services have been misbehaving for
more than three hours this morning, with New Zealand users - including
the recently signed postal carrier - hit since around 6am. NZ Post
recently became Australasia’s largest user of the $US50 per user per
year Google Apps Premiere. And while inhouse email and document sharing
systems seldom enjoy, 100% uptime, the this morning’s outage is still a
rude welcome for NZ Post’s 2100 staff."
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
September 1, 2009
The
Associated Press has reported that "At package delivery behemoths
FedEx and UPS, last fall's meltdown and the worst recession in a
generation has meant a sharp drop-off in the number of documents and
packages sent overnight. And it's not just the delivery companies'
biggest customers. Small businesses and consumers are opting for slower
shipments to save money."
From GISUser:
"Pitney Bowes Business Insight, the leading global provider of location
and communication intelligence solutions, today introduces the newest
versions of its geocoding tools to help organizations display and
analyze important business data with greater speed and accuracy."
The
Central Penn Business Journal has reported that "Priority Systems of
Middletown, PA has introduced a product line called E-Billing. E-
Billing Presentment and Payment solution can help billers achieve
significant reductions in costs associated with paper, printing and
posting of bills and statements. By removing paper, mailing and manual
processing, operating costs can be reduced by between 65-85%, with
minimal capital outlay. The cost saving potential of replacing paper
bills and statements with electronic documents is undisputed. The
primary challenge today in realizing these cost reductions, is not in
the logistics of replacing paper with online, digital and electronic
formats, but in building customer adoption of paper turn off
strategies."
Rag Content has asked the question: "Is the [Postal Regulatory]
Commission "over-regulating?"
The Australian has reported that "Australia Post is expanding into
the $24 billion general insurance sector as part of a financial services
strategy that could ultimately see the nation's postal service with a
foothold in banking." See also the
Brisbane Times and
The Age.
The
Southend Standard has reported that "postal workers have voted for a
further one-day strike over job cuts and working conditions. Thousands
of Royal Mail workers from across south Essex were balloted on
industrial action on Friday and 90 per cent voted to stage a 24-hour
walk-out, beginning at 5am on Monday."
Hellmail has reported that:
From today, the Polish Postal service (Poczta Polska) becomes a sole joint-stock company called Post Poland SA, with the Polish Treasury as the sole shareholder. Post Poland SA said that the change would enable to service to fully develop with increased options on raising investment capital. "The newly established company, which has taken over the rights and obligations of the former Polczta Polska, will be able to use the word "post" in the name and use the registered trademark" said Andrzej Polakowski, president of the company."
According to
Marketing Direct, "Dun & Bradstreet, Teradata, Equifax and Pitney
Bowes have been ranked higher than household brand names Ford and
Starbucks in the latest profitability ranking of public companies by
credit rating firm Standard & Poor's."
Blogging Stocks has reported that "The United States Postal Service
has been heavily promoting it's flat rate deliveries based on the the
size of the box instead of the weight in an attempt to retrieve some of
the business that it has lost to Federal Express Corp (NYSE: FDX) and
United Parcel Service.(NYSE: UPS) over the years. The increasing use of
the internet has reduced snail-mail traffic, hurting USPS revenue, while
the internet has increased the traffic of package delivery services as
sites like Amazon.com and eBay continue to expand their businesses and
new enterprises and existing traditional companies expand their web
presence."
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
International Business Times has reported that "The Communication
Workers Union has launched another week of postal strike following the
biggest week of industrial action that saw 20,000 Royal Mail workers
participate. Millions of letters and parcels are expected to be delayed
across the country. London was particularly hit hard on Friday August 28
and Saturday August 29 with 4,100 and 7,500 workers participating on
respective days. The row over pay, job cuts and working condition
between the CWU and Royal Mail managers have lead to a series of strikes
that have disrupted mail delivery and collection. The union also opposes
plans for part privatisation of Royal Mail that is backed by the
government."
Reuters has reported that "The International Brotherhood of
Teamsters union urged shareholders of Fedex Corp to back its effort to
separate the positions of chairman and chief executive at the U.S.
package delivery giant. The proposal to revamp the company's top
leadership is one of several resolutions up for vote at the company's
annual meeting, which will take place in late September in Memphis,
Tennessee."