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Postal News from October 2009
October 31, 2009
According to the
Courier, Express, and Postal Observer, "The Postal Service's rate
structure is complicated and the use of worksharing discounts further
complicates thinking about pricing. The primary problem is the word
"discount." It suggests that the customer is getting a deal when in fact
they are buying a more basic product from the postal service for a lower
price. The alternative way of thinking of postal rates is to start with the
basic service as the basis for all pricing....Given the current economic and
competitive landscape, any APWU proposal would have to offer postal
customers a better value or preparing such a proposal would be a waste of
time and energy."
The
BBC has
reported that "The biggest walkout of the postal strike is under way, with
77,000 delivery and collection staff taking industrial action across the
country."
From the Federal Register:
Postal Regulatory Commission RULES New Postal Product , 5654456547 [E926271]
Today
on Hellmail:
According to the
Daily Mail, "Postal temps are delivering a 'better service' than the
striking workers they replace."
The
New Mexico Business Weekly has asked: "Is a driver for FedEx Express
part of an airline that should be regulated by a federal law that governs
railroads and airlines, or is he a trucking company driver who should fall
under regulations that cover such companies?"
Government Executive has reported that "As another deadline looms,
approximately 18,000 U.S. Postal Service employees so far have accepted a
$15,000 buyout offer, officials have reported. The final tally of buyout
acceptances from each job category isn't available yet, said Yvonne Yoerger,
a Postal Service spokeswoman. It's also too soon to determine the agency's
savings as a result of the buyout, she added."
October 30, 2009
The latest issue of
the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
The Guardian has reported that "Postal strikes union calls two more
24-hour walkouts." See also the
Financial Times.
The Telegraph has reported that "An estimated 35 million items of post
have been delayed as a result of the latest strikes, Royal Mail has
disclosed."
PostalSanity has noted that
"Zumbox and NoMorePost are providing paperless mail services and are
starting to compete with conventional delivered paper mail. NoMorePost is
based in the UK and zumbox is based in the US. We made a first short
comparison between zumbox and NoMorePost and here are our impressions."
According to the
Courier, Express, and Postal Observer has noted that "In August, APWU
President William Burrus was asked by Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill to
identify "the substantial steps the APWU is willing to take to assist the
Postal Service in weathering its severe financial crisis? Unfortunately for
the APWU, President Burrus's response will not appear to be responsive to
Congress."
Hellmail has reported that "Lithuanian Post, AB Lietuvos patas, is
seeking to further minimise costs by reorganizing some 72 loss-making rural
post offices by the end of this year."
A Conference on The Future
of the Postal Sector
The Center for Research
in Regulated Industries, Rutgers University
LOCATION: Venable LLP, 575 7th Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
DATE: November 20, 2009
Registration
Information
Presenters:
News on the U.K. postal strike:
Dead Tree Edition has noted that "Burrus muddied the waters
by proposing an obvious money loser for the Postal Service
remove First Class presort discounts that average 8.9 cents per
letter and pay APWU members 10.4 cents instead to do the
sorting. He tried to make his sloppy math more favorable to the
Postal Service this week by throwing in a bonus free sorting
of parcels along with his usual big-mailers-are-vermin
bluster. But the proposal is still too vague to be taken
seriously. Among many flaws with the Burrus plan is that it
would decrease the demand for First Class mail by raising
prices. So with APWU members getting their 10.4 cents on fewer
letters but still having to sort parcels for free, would they
end up having to take a pay cut? "
October 29, 2009
The
London Evening Standard has reported that "Royal Mail managers use taxis
to beat postal strike."
The
BBC has reported that "Thousands of postmen and women have stopped
working because they're unhappy about the way the Royal Mail is run. The
strike means letters and parcels you may be waiting for could take much
longer to get you. The strike is also delaying some important medical
letters, which has led to Scouts delivering them instead. Scouts from a
group in Bristol have offered to spend two weekends helping a medical centre
deliver letters about swine flu vaccinations."
The Pacific Areas management and control of Mail Transport Equipment (MTE) was not effective. We determined the Pacific Area developed standard operating procedures (SOP) for MTE, but did not always ensure compliance with inventory and accountability processes nor ensure assets were always safeguarded. Management of Mail Transport Equipment Pacific Area (Report Number NL-AR-10-001)
The Smithsonians National Postal Museum has launched Bringing the World
Home, another featured collection on its award-winning Web site Arago. It
is the story of the development, implementation and growth of the Rural Free
Delivery service and its impact on rural America; the collection is at
http://www.arago.si.edu/flash/?eid=342|s1=6|.
USPS CFO Joe Corbett has announced that
Joe Moeller
has been hired as the USPS' new Manager, Regulatory Reporting and Cost
Analysis (the job formerly held by Ashley Lyons).
Steve
Lawson, editor of
Hellmail, has had enough. Lawson told his readers that ""I see little if
any hope of the CWU and Royal Mail finding agreement, not now or in a months
time. The disparity between the two is so great, mediation alone will not be
enough to put an end to this. Business is sick of it, the public is sick of
it, and the only way this can be brought to an end is if a short, sharp
shock is delivered - be that an unwinding of the plans for the future of the
Royal Mail, including the Postal Services Bill as it stands, or kicking the
union into touch on this. "This country badly needs a working and reliable
service. If this continues, rivals will simply step up their own operations
further to poach business and there won't be much left to argue about. The
Royal Mail has done an incredible job in reducing the backlog with the help
of managers and temporary workers and they should be commended for that.
Without their efforts the situation would be a good deal worse for
consumers, but this whole dispute has so many issues attached to it, I fail
to see how locking Royal Mail and the CWU in one room will resolve this."
The
BBC has
reported that "The US economy grew at an annual pace of 3.5% between July
and September, its first expansion in more than a year. The official figures
indicate recession has ended, but some economists think there could be
further setbacks."
The latest issue of
Postal Technology International is now available online.
The
Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported that "Time is running out for
that long-haired, Fabio-looking guy who became a star of sorts for drawing
on a whiteboard in a series of UPS ads. A spokesman for Sandy Springs-based
United Parcel Service confirmed Tuesday that the companys new advertising
agency, Ogilvy & Mather, New York, will develop a new campaign, and that
means change.
The Japan
Times has reported that "the appointment of Saito, a former high-profile
bureaucrat in the Finance Ministry, and the ouster of Nishikawa is as
emblematic as anything that the DPJ-led administration wants to veer away
from the policies of former governments....Bankers and insurers have
criticized Japan Post as a behemoth hampering the private sector. More money
is in postal savings than in any other Japanese bank's outstanding accounts,
and postal insurance has more policies than any private insurer. Another
reason why experts say the postal group needs to be reformed is because
postal delivery services are not profitable."
According to
Sky News, "The national postal service in the Netherlands, TNT Post, is
facing similar problems to the Royal Mail, with the threat of strikes as the
company attempts to restructure in a more competitive marketplace."
The Guardian has reported that:
Politics.co.uk has noted that "Nationwide postal strikes will go ahead
tomorrow after negotiations between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers
Union failed to reach agreement. Commenting on the continued strike action,
David Frost, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC),
said: "There was a moment of hope that this damaging dispute would be coming
to an end when the unions and Royal Mail began formal negotiations this
week. Disappointingly, it appears this madness is set to continue."
Business Times has reported that "Singapore Post said on Thursday that
the new terminal dues starting January 1, 2010 will affect its underlying
net profit by 5 per cent yearly. 'The annualised impact is estimated to be
around 5% of underlying net profit,' the postal and logistic group said."
AdelaideNow has reported that "a new rural property address system being
rolled out across the nation will help emergency service, postal and
delivery workers find properties quickly and easily. By 2011, every rural
South Australian home and business will have a new address, based on a
simple location system, in line with all other states and territories, and
New Zealand. Rural properties historically have used various numbering
systems, including hundreds and sections references, lot numbers and
roadside delivery numbers. The new system, which has attracted the support
of emergency services, Australia Post and police, works on a distance-based
numbering system."
The
Gloucester County Times has reported that "U.S. Senator Robert Menendez
wants some answers from the postmaster general regarding the decision to
close a distribution center here. In a letter released Wednesday, Menendez
asks for a sit-down to discuss the U.S. Postal Service's announcement
earlier this month to shutter the facility. The move could lead to up to 575
layoffs."
The
Financial Times has reported that "A new round of nationwide postal
strikes will go ahead from today after three days of intensive negotiations
failed to produce a breakthrough."
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
October 28, 2009
Reuters has reported that "Talks between Britain's postal union and
Royal Mail management have stalled, the union said on Wednesday, and a fresh
wave of postal strikes will go ahead this week. The three-day strike will
start from Thursday after talks between the executive of the Communication
Workers Union and Royal Mail at the TUC failed to find a solution to a
dispute that has already created a massive backlog of letters and parcels."
See also
AFP and
The Telegraph.
Mother Nature Network wants you to "Lighten your carbon footprint when
shipping a package."
According to the
Courier, Express, and Postal Observer, "The Postal Service may be on the
verge of having an irrational price structure. The irrationally of the
Postal Service's price structure is driven by the regulatory constraints
within which it must price its products. Until the Postal Service is free
from those constraints, irrational pricing will have detrimental effects on
the Postal Service, its customers and its competitors."
From USPS Senior VP Customer Relations:
"This past June the Postal Service, in collaboration with MTAC and several mailer associations, initiated a letter-size study to better define folded self-mailer mailpiece characteristics that have emerged in the marketplace, as well as to ensure automation compatibility.
"Mail owners, printers and preparers have joined to participate in the study by providing industry-supplied material for testing. Many of the test samples are current formats entering the mailstream, and some are new innovative designs. Due to overwhelming participation and late submission of some samples, testing extended well into October. Now that testing has concluded, the analytic phase of the study has begun. Given the amount of data and various self-mailer attributes, the analysis process will take considerable time to reconcile.
"While we don't have a hard and fast timeline, we plan to communicate an aggregate summary analysis by the end of this calendar year well in advance of any proposed rulemaking. After we receive informal comments and suggestions from participants in the study, we will determine whether we can make any revisions, and then begin the more formal notice and comment process. It's important to us and to you to share the aggregate analysis with those who have participated in the study and with various industry leaders, including a presentation and discussion at the general MTAC session in February 2010.
"Prior to posting a proposal on usps.com and in the Federal Register, we will listen to industry feedback and incorporate those comments in any proposal that we develop. As you know, the standard Federal Register process always gives mailers opportunities to comment on mailing standard revisions. Now, with the additional round of feedback built-in upfront, there will be two rounds of industry feedback--before and during the Federal register process. This collaborative process is likely to extend into calendar year 2010. Please remember that our moratorium on proposing new rules that might negatively affect mailers continues at least through November 29, the date that new Full Service Intelligent Mail pricing takes effect."
The
Washington Post has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service has started
selling Hallmark greeting cards at some post offices, a one-year experiment
that may lead the nation's 34,000 postal outlets to eventually sell other
goods and services, including banking, insurance and cellphones. A Postal
Service study confirmed that customers think selling greeting cards at post
offices is appropriate and that they would buy them if offered. The goal is
for the cards to help boost postal retail sales by 30 to 40 percent. Most
European and Asian postal services sell financial or insurance services or
prepaid cellphones, and American postal officials want Congress to give them
permission to at least explore the possibility of doing something
similar....So perhaps the best way for the Postal Service to get well soon
is for you to buy a "get well soon" card from them."
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. To participate
in the webinars, customers must register using the reserve a seat link
provided below. The topics to be covered are: 1.
Mail Piece Design - November 4, 2009 @ 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST Learn
how to create effective headlines, write effective copy and select graphics
that get you the best response possible. To reserve:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/572697466 2.
Mailing List, The Key To Better Response - November 18, 2009 @
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST This webinar will cover the basics of choosing, using and
managing mailing lists for direct mail campaigns. To reserve:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/858339994
Yahoo! Tech
has reported that "Apple plans to release a tablet-sized version of the
iPhone and is trying to lock up content deals with major publishers,
according to media reports. Last week, New York Times Executive Editor Bill
Keller as much as spilled the beans about the new device in a speech he gave
to the paper's digital staff. Identifying seven major questions facing the
Times brand, Keller let slip that the paper has been in negotiations with
Apple. For 30-odd years the technology world has talked about a "paperless
society" in which news and books are delivered digitally. Could a compelling
Apple device be the tipping point that makes all-digital delivery a reality?
"
According to
Logistics Management, "Recent economic data indicates full recovery will
take at least six months."
The
Wall Street Journal has reported that "The Web is shaping up to be one
of retail's bright spots this holiday season, thanks in part to a new take
on an old-fashioned retail idea: good service. At a time when traditional
retailers are being ultra conservative, many Web sites have been spending to
make shipping times faster, consumer-generated reviews better, and to offer
new features such as online layaways. In contrast, many traditional
retailers have cut way back on inventory levels and holiday staffing, hoping
to avoid the massive profit-eroding discounts of last holiday season."
Press Release: "AddressDoctor Launches Version 5. Major New Release
Improves AddressDoctor Data Quality; Minimizes Risk and Lowers Costs."
From
PRWeb: "Mailbox Forwarding (http://www.MailboxForwarding.com)
is bringing modern mobility to one of the nation's oldest methods of
communication: postal mail. With their remote mailbox service, consumers are
finally able to cut all locational ties and keep in contact with their paper
mail from anywhere. "We give users a physical mailing address which is
accessible online. They can receive and view all their mail over the
internet: letters, documents, and packages, whether delivered by the USPS,
FedEx, or UPS." Mailbox Forwarding provides each of their customers with a
unique box number at their Grandville, MI address. When a piece of mail
arrives, they will automatically scan the envelope and upload the image to
the proper user's account. The user can then login to an online control
panel and choose from a number of actions. If they need to view a document,
they can request to have the envelope opened and its contents scanned. Mail
that must be physically received can be bundled and forwarded anywhere in
the world at affordable rates. And unnecessary mail can be shredded and
recycled at the click of a button."
According to the
President of the American Postal Workers Union, "The
Postal Services financial difficulties are caused by three major
factors, Burrus wrote [PDF] Oct 23: the requirement to pre-fund retiree
healthcare costs; the nations economic crisis, and
excessive workshare discounts. The American Postal Workers
Union has challenged the postmaster general to
discontinue the excessive discounts the USPS offers to large mailers,
and instead to compensate postal employees for
processing letters and flats at a cheaper per-piece rate, Burrus
noted. This would reduce the Postal Services costs; improve efficiency,
and make better use of underutilized equipment and employees.
As an added incentive, we propose to process
parcels at no charge. Burrus cautioned that any comprehensive
review of the Postal Service should analyze the entire postal system,
including private providers of mail services. All stakeholders including
postal unions, management, major mailers, private mail consolidators and
pre-sorters, transportation providers and suppliers have a role to play in
ensuring the long-term viability of the institution.
The
APWU has sent a letter
to local presidents in regard to electrical hazards related to the Postal
Service's failure to comply with OSHA Subpart S Electrical Standards. The
letter explains the Union's efforts to force the Postal Service to comply
with these standards, and includes a complaint package that contains
everything locals need to file OSHA complaints regarding these hazards. The
union is urging locals whose members are exposed to these hazards to file
complaints with their local OSHA offices.
Postmaster General Jack Potter has announced
the
selection of Drew Aliperto as vice president, Area Operations, for the
Pacific Area. He replaces Michael Daley, who will retire next month after a
37-year career with the Postal Service.
According to
The Telegraph, "hopes fade that this week's strikes will be called off."
See also the
Evening Standard.
PersonnelToday has reported that "Royal Mail bosses are offering to
transfer postal workers into depots and give them minders if they cross
picket lines in a bid to convert would-be strikers."
Kyodo has reported that "Japan Post Holdings Co. announced a new
management lineup headed by former bureaucrats Wednesday as the Democratic
Party of Japan-led government seeks to change the previous government's
postal privatization plan that was to be led by managers picked from the
private sector."
From the Federal Register:
Postal Regulatory Commission PROPOSED RULES Periodic Reporting Rules , 5550455505 [E925994]
The
Wheeling News-Register wrote: "We urge Postal Service officials to
reconsider their proposals for both Steubenville and Wheeling. We doubt that
they will save much, if any, money. On the other hand, we have no doubt that
service - part of the federal agency's name - will suffer."
From
BaystreetNewswire: "Registered Express Corporation has announced the
start of its targeted marketing campaign to key Universal Postal Union (UPU)
Member Countries' Postal Bureaus. Through relationships with the UPU and
specific member countries, Registered Express has gained a tremendous
understanding of what is needed and wanted and has designed a customizable
solution for the global Postal model. Registered Express is well positioned
to be a digital solution to traditional mail delivery and an enhanced
replacement to standard email services that offer no comparable features to
the Registered Express system."
October 27, 2009
Pat Donahoe and Joe Corbett will be hosting a webinar meeting on Thurs Nov 5
at 11:00 am Eastern Time on the topic of barcode readability.
According to
Yahoo! News, "Iraqi refugees in Syria will receive UN food vouchers
through text messages on mobile phones, the World Food Programme."
[EdNote: Hmmmm. Could it be the UN doesn't trust the mail? Looks as if text
messaging capable mobile phones are going to be the glue that "binds people
and nations together.".]
The
Financial Times has reported that "Britains postal union is preparing a
potential High Court challenge to stop Royal Mail from using agency staff to
clear the backlog of letters and parcels caused by strikes. Lawyers warned,
however, that it may not be easy for the Communication Workers Union to
demonstrate that the state-owned operators plan to hire 30,000 temporary
staff to deal with the backlog and the Christmas rush breaks employment law.
The CWU said it was taking legal advice on an injunction and assessing the
evidence. A decision was expected later on Tuesday."
Go-Jamaica
has reported that "The Government is reporting that it is reviewing the
viability of its postal outlets without reducing the vital services that
they provide for rural residents. The minister with responsibility for
information Daryl Vaz said the government is considering joint ventures with
the private sector to ensure that all postal outlets remain open."
B2B has reported that "American Business Media reports that recent
developments affecting the U.S. Postal Service will contribute to an overall
savings of about $25 million for ABM members. The association of business
information providers, which represents more than 300 member companies,
cited Congress decision to absolve the USPS from paying $5.4 billion to its
retiree health care fund."
Press Release: "FedEx
has launched a new global advertising campaign reflecting the companys
commitment to helping its customers navigate the global marketplace."
Rag Content has asked the question: "Why doesn't the USPS want a price
increase in 2010?"
From
Business Wire: "Newgistics Inc. (www.newgistics.com),
a leading provider of USPS-based small parcel delivery and returns
management solutions, today announced that it is offering a new set of
Undeliverable Services designed to help shippers lower costs and improve
service. Undeliverable parcels are a huge expense for merchants, as they are
typically returned at the full single-piece rate. This new service
represents Newgistics latest offering and includes dynamic change of
address, address correction, move update, undeliverable mail handling, and
forwarding services for shippers utilizing the Postal Services Parcel
Select1 ground delivery service."
The
BBC
has reported that "Strike action by postal workers is one of the most high
profile pieces of industrial strife in recent years. The battle between
postal workers and the Royal Mail has seen gloomy predictions about
far-reaching consequences. The idea of people finding a 21st Century way to
express season's greetings, for instance by an e-card, is on a lot of
people's minds. Mr Crozier's wider point about the decline of the mail as a
method of communication is more difficult to contest. His concern about the
amount of business generated by people paying bills by cheque is still
significant."
PostCom Members!! If
you've never attended a meeting of the Universal
Postal Union, here's your chance to do so in a virtually. The International Bureau has set up once again an audio streaming,
which will allow you to follow
the audio
of the Consultative Committee (private sector members) meeting, in English,
through the web (Real Player), and ask questions or make comments through
e-mail, on 3 November from 9:30 12:30 / 15:00
-18:00 Central European Time. (That's
3:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time.) The Direct Mail Advisory Board will
be doing the same, but for members only.
The
Washington Post has reported that "U.S. newspaper circulation has hit
its lowest level in seven decades, as papers across the country lost 10.6
percent of their paying readers from April through September, compared with
a year earlier. The newest numbers on newspaper circulation, released Monday
by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, paint a dismal picture for an industry
already feeling the pressures of an advertising slump coupled with the worst
business downturn since the Great Depression. Average daily circulation of
all U.S. newspapers has been in decline since 1987 as papers have faced
mounting competition for reader attention and advertising. Online,
newspapers are still a success -- but only in readership, not in profit. Ads
on newspaper Internet sites sell for pennies on the dollar compared with ads
in their ink-on-paper cousins."
Dow Jones
has reported that "TNT NV's struggling mail unit may be facing strikes after
unions said Monday they haven't found an alternative for a new collective
labor agreement with the Dutch postal and express group."
Trend has reported
that "National postal operator Azerpoct LTD plans to put into operation new
postal offices in Quba, Gusar and Imishli, Azerpoct said. Postal offices
have been built in a new corporative style. They are well-equipped. They
will be able to provide clients with necessary information."
Kyodo has reported that "State minister in charge of postal reform
Shizuka Kamei said Tuesday he is pushing for about half of Japan Post
Holdings Co.'s board members to resign from their posts as the government
seeks to overhaul the privatization plan for the state-owned entity."
AllAfrica.com
has reported that "pensioners
of the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) staged a peaceful protest at the
premises of Ministry of Communications, Lafiaji, Lagos last Friday.The
pensioners alleged that management had been mismanaging their pension by
causing undue delay in the payment of their pension."
The Baltic
Course has reported that "Smartpost, an investment project of the
Estonian state-owned Development Fund, started providing its postal services
in Milan, Italy. According to Oolup, if the pilot project in Milan is
successful, Smartpost may earn hundreds of millions of kroons per year in
Italy as then the red postal boxes would be erected in many places in Italy.
Italian package services market is fifth-largest in Europe and the Italian
post is implementing actively modern technologies to stay competitive.
Smartpost is currently also negotiating with different enterprises and
postal companies in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Sweden, Finland, Belgium,
Russia, Egypt, Canada and in Latvia."
The
BBC has
reported that "The Communication Workers Union (CWU) plans to go to the High
Court to stop Royal Mail using agency staff to clear the post backlog caused
by the strikes."
He's at it again.... The
President of the
American Postal Workers Union (APWU) has told his members that "The
American Postal Workers Union has waged a
continuing battle against the exorbitant rate reductions afforded
large mailers and consolidators under the misguided
premise that such worksharing practices are good for business.
A label far more appropriate than worksharing would be a
postal subsidy extended to big business at the expense of
American citizens. Postmaster General John E. Potter repeatedly expresses
his concern that individual mailers are abandoning the use of hard-copy mail
for personal communication in favor of computer-driven transactions, yet his
policies force them to subsidize commercial mailings every time they use a
44-cent stamp."
From the Federal Register:
Postal Service RULES New Move Update Assessment Procedures for January 2010 for Automation and Presort First-Class Mail, etc. , 5514055142 [E925462] [TEXT] [PDF] Return Address Requirement; Outbound International Commercial Bulk Mailings , 5513955140 [E925461] [TEXT] [PDF]
According to
Government Executive, "Despite the U.S. Postal Service's persistent
financial distress, Congress appears unlikely this
year to approve the postmaster general's cost-cutting proposal to eliminate
Saturday mail delivery. But House and Senate lawmakers have not
completely abandoned the idea of a shift to five-day delivery. Chairmen of
the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and House Homeland
Security subcommittees that deal with postal issues -- Sen. Thomas Carper,
D-Del., and Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass. -- have said lawmakers should keep
the option on the table. Hurting prospects for a cutback in mail delivery is
a continuing dispute over how much money the change
could save."
Reuters
has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service is seeking permission to show
lower retiree costs in upcoming annual financial results, after a delay in a
law designed to relieve financial pressure on the mail agency. The Postal
Regulatory Commission's decision will determine whether the Postal Service
has to list its 2009 payment to the retiree health benefit fund as $5.4
billion, or $1.4 billion, as intended by the legislation."
Advertising
Age has reported that "a team led by Ogilvy has been chosen after a
global review to handle advertising duties for shipping giant UPS,
executives familiar with the matter said. Havas' EuroRSCG, and Ogilvy's
sister shop, WPP-owned Y&R, were the finalists remaining in the pitch to
handle UPS more $200 million-plus global ad account, after JWT withdrew from
contention late in the game."
October 26, 2009
TradingMarkets has reported that "German postal and logistics company
Deutsche Post's DHL express unit is expected to lose 400 jobs as the company
planned to close three locations that worked as the sole logistics provider
for Quelle, a mail-order business that went burst recently."
NoMorePost.com is a company that provides businesses with a secure
facility to send customers their post via an online postal system. When you
are receiving a paperless postal item for the first time from a new sender
you must enter what's called a Passkey and Account Code, this should be
given to you by the sender. Remember, these codes are only entered once,
from that point on any paperless postal item sent to you by that sender will
now automatically appear in your Postbox. To view your received postal items
you will need to log into the website.
Audience Development has reported that "A Winter Sale for standard
mailers, similar to the Summer Sale incentive that was implemented earlier
this year, is beginning to take shape, according to a letter recently sent
to members of the American Catalog Mailers Association. Executive Director
Hamilton Davison wrote that this latest incentive would have similar
features to the Summer Sale, but also notable differences. The Winter Sale
will offer the top 3,500 mailers an incentive to increase their mail volume
from January to March 2010. The incremental volume will receive a 20-30
percent discount on mail volume over that sent in the same period last
year."
 |
PostCom welcomes its newest member:
Mutual of Omaha,
Mutual of Omaha Plaza, Omaha, NE 68175 |
The
Universal
Postal Union (UPU), the worlds second-oldest international organization
and one of the few United Nations agencies to pre-date the creation of the
mother organization, moved a step closer today to becoming the first to have
its own domain name on the Internet to be known as .post. The Berne-based
UPU, established in 1874 as the primary forum for cooperation between postal
sector players, successfully concluded negotiations with the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in what Agency Director
General Edouard Dayan called an historic agreement, providing a platform
for innovation in global postal services with opportunities to link their
physical and electronic dimensions. The agreement must now go through a
30-day public comment process before ICANNs board of directors will
consider it for final approval.
The latest blog entry has been posted today on the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector Generals 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/.
DM News has reported that "business-to-business marketers seeking
hard-to-reach prospects and looking to address their pain points and
know that direct mail provides key benefits as part of an integrated
campaign.
The
Press Association has reported that "talks aimed at heading off fresh
postal strikes have been adjourned and will resume on Tuesday." See also the
BBC and
Parcel2Go.
The Telegraph has reported that striking postal workers may continue to
disrupt the Royal Mail's operations until the Government underwrites the
company's 7 billion pension fund deficit, union leaders have warned.
On
Hellmail today:
Reuters has reported that "Dutch logistics firm TNT (TNT.AS) said it
disagreed with the findings of a study commissioned by postal unions on the
savings it had to implement but welcomed proposals to slim down employment
packages. Plans by the country's largest postal firm to cut up to 11,000
jobs have strained relations with unions since they were announced more than
two years ago. Unions on Monday announced the results of a study carried out
by research agency Ecorys that they commissioned after they rejected a draft
accord by TNT on April that included wage cuts." See also
EasyBourse.
A Conference on The Future
of the Postal Sector
The Center for Research
in Regulated Industries, Rutgers University
LOCATION: Venable LLP, 575 7th Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
DATE: November 20, 2009
Presenters:
Here's an interesting take from the
New York Times: "Newspaper sites are not holding on to ad dollars,
even while overall Internet advertising is creeping back. Newspaper sites
are the patent-leather stilettos of the online world: they get used for
special occasions, but other shoes get much more daily wear."
Patent-leather stilettos??
From
PR-Inside: "Express Logistics in the United States - research report
released."
The
Federal Times
has reported that "About 18,000 U.S. Postal Service employees are expected
to take $15,000 buyouts to leave their jobs this year far fewer than the
30,000 originally hoped for by the agency. Postal officials say that figure
could drop. Employees were required to sign up for the incentives by Oct.
16, but they can still opt out of the program over the next few weeks. Most
employees have until Nov. 30 to opt out but those close to retirement age,
called optionally eligible employees, must decide by Friday. When the
Postal Service announced the buyout program in August, it projected up to
$500 million in savings next year if 30,000 employees accepted the offer.
Yvonne Yoerger, a spokeswoman for the Postal Service, said its too early to
calculate how much money the Postal Service will save from the buyouts if
only 18,000 employees accept. The final sum will vary depending on the
salaries and seniority of the employees who accept the offer. Most of the
employees who took the offer are close to retirement age, Yoerger said."
More
news on the U.K. postal strike:
You can file this under "gimme a break" . . . .An article is
New Scientist claims that Rover is a big enough part of our ecological
challenge to warrant the claim that it might be "Time to Eat the Dog."
The Times has reported that
October 25, 2009
The Guardian has reported that "Royal Mail head Adam Crozier tells union
to 'shut up' on eve of peace talks." See also
Reuters.
TheWorld has reported that "though e-mail has eroded postal mail since
the Internet began, the decline of physical mail has been steeper in the
past year. The economic crisis has cut into direct-mail advertising. Also,
credit card and mortgage companies are sending out fewer offers and
applications."
From
The Telegraph: "Postal strike: Q&A Here we explain all you need to know
about the Post Office dispute."
The
Press Association has reported that "The head of Royal Mail has
expressed hope that fresh talks will avoid further crippling postal strikes.
Chief executive Adam Crozier said he hoped "common sense" would prevail when
leaders of the Communication Workers Union resume talks with bosses at a
meeting organised by the TUC. Up to 120,000 workers are set to stage a fresh
round of strikes from Thursday in a long-running row over jobs, pay and
modernisation. Mr Crozier admitted today there was a lot of "confusion"
about the dispute, but he stressed the importance of pressing ahead with
modernisation of the the postal service." Frazier told the
BBC "he hopes
"common sense prevails" and this week's UK-wide strikes are called off." See
also
The Mirror and an additional story by the
BBC..
The
Bowling
Green Daily News has reported that "Elected officials passed resolutions
against it. Workers picketed in opposition to it. And now theyre waiting
for results of a study that might move Bowling Greens mail processing
operations to Nashville. The U.S. Postal Service is trying to save money by
consolidating mail processing facilities, but people in communities across
the nation, including Bowling Green, are protesting those consolidations."
October 24, 2009
The
Times has reported that "Fresh talks to prevent further postal strikes
are to be held, following mediation by the TUC. Royal Mail and the
Communication Workers Union will return to the table on Monday in a bid to
iron out a deal before the next strike. The talks have been arranged by the
TUC union organisation after they were approached by both sides of the
dispute."
According to the
Financial Times, "Potential bidders are set to demand stiff conditions,
including a government indemnity from strikes, in return for the future
privatisation of Royal Mail. Their tough stance underlines the difficulty of
bringing private capital into the state-owned postal operator while it
remains beset by poor industrial relations and a soaring pension fund
deficit."
Dow Jones has reported that "A woman who managed a Georgia UPS store has
been arrested and accused of stealing a package of marijuana and selling the
contents for profit."
The
Times has reported that "Postal staff returned today to face a backlog
of tens-of millions of letters, following the two-day Royal Mail strike.
According to official Royal Mail figures there are about 30 million
undelivered letters and parcels as a result of the industrial action, but
the Communication Workers Union estimate the actual number could be more
than double that." See also the
BBC.
Dead Tree Edition has announced that it's "Such a deal! A
labor union is offering to charge only 10.4 cents per letter
to do work for which mailers are in essence only charging the
U.S. Postal Service an average of 8.9 cents. The offer from the
American Postal Workers Union would also require a substantial
increase in postage rates that would drive profitable business
away from the Postal Service and harm its customers."
The
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has reported that "A mail facility
in Cranberry used by the United States Postal Service will close
early next year, laying off an estimated 86 employees of Serco
Inc. Most employees are expected to be terminated during the
two-week period following Dec. 18. The plant will close on Jan.
31, 2010, when the Postal Service's contract with Serco expires.
The center manages mail distribution equipment and machinery,
and is staffed and leased by Serco, a Reston, Va., information
technology service company. The closing is part of the Postal
Service's plans to consolidate the nation's Mail Transport
Equipment Service Centers from 23 to 15."
Today on Hellmail:
From the Federal Register:
Postal Regulatory Commission NOTICES Postal Service Price Adjustments , 5507555076 [E925750]
October 23, 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:
"The Postal Regulatory Commission today issued
amended regulations
for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests that specify the
presumption of openness policy for Federal agencies articulated earlier
this year by President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder. The
new rules also incorporate changes in keeping with the OPEN Government Act
of 2007. Order No. 322 is available on the Commissions web site,
www.prc.gov, and will be published in the Federal Register."
AppScout has noted that "This is the day the US Postal Service has
dreaded--the beginning of the end for Netflix mailers. Of course, the old
DVD system still has some life her yet--the company's newly-announced
streaming-only plan is targeted at non-US users (specific countries haven't
actually been announced), scheduled for the second half of next year."
Press Release: "BCC Software, a BWE
BELL + HOWELL company and the leading developer of high-performance
solutions for professional mailers, has launched a new service that will
provide United States Postal Service Move Update processing to anyone
concerned with address quality, regardless of what mailing software they may
be usingor even if they use no mailing software at all. BCC File
Processing provides a secure FTP-based gateway where packaged lists can be
submitted for NCOALink or DPV processing. Users requesting NCOALink, the
leading proactive method of USPS approved address correction, may choose
between having their lists updated using NCOALink LSP (the most recent 18
months of Change-Of-Address data) or NCOALink FSP (the full 48 months of COA
information). BCC Software is a non-exclusive NCOALink Full and Limited
Service Provider of the United States Postal Service. For more information
about BCC File Processing, visit
www.bccsoftware.com/fileprocessing."
Press Release: BCC Software, a BWE BELL
+ HOWELL company and the leading developer of high-performance solutions for
professional mailers, has announced the 2010 Classroom Workshop Training
Schedule for Mail Manager software. The schedule has been posted at
www.bccsoftware.com/Support/ClassroomTraining.aspx, and in the
customer-exclusive BCC Customer Portal. Among the changes for 2010 are
increased frequency of Classroom Workshops held at BCCs Rochester, NY,
headquartersat least one per monthto make it easier for mailers to get
training at their convenience. Classes held in Rochester are offered at a
reduced rate compared to other locations around the country: Additional 2010
locations include Orlando (Standard Training Feb. 16-18; Power Training Dec.
7-9), Las Vegas (Power Training March 23-25; Standard Training Oct. 12-14)
and Chicago (Power Training March 23-25).
From
Stephen Kearney: "Many of you have told us recently that your companies or
organizations are burdened with expensive new software and hardware changes
as a result of new reporting requirements. Your postage pricing also is
influenced by the costs incurred by the Postal Service to meet new
requirements. You should be interested in the Postal Regulatory Commission's
(PRC) request for comments on its new proposed rules for Periodic Reporting
of Service Performance Measurements and Customer Satisfaction (RM2009-11).
The PRC really needs to hear from the entire mailing industry on this very
important issue through formal comments on the proposed rules. Your comments
on these proposed rules will be important because PRC reporting requirements
add costs to the Postal Service which ultimately impact our prices. The
deadline for comments is November 2, and you can read the proposed rules by
going to
http://www.prc.gov/prc-pages/library/dockets.aspx?activeview=DocketView&docketType=Single&docketid=RM2009-11&attrID=-1&attrName=
The latest issue of
the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
Press
Release: "AddressVision Inc., a Bull Group Company, La Crosse, WI and
Mail Automation, Inc., Circleville, OH are partnering to assist United
States Postal Service (USPS) clients in complying with the November 2009
Intelligent Mail requirements for Full Service mail. The USPS requires
mailers to provide accurate electronic postal documentation to take
advantage of postage cost savings. The Intelligent Mail program offers
postage savings for Full Service mailers and provides greater end-to-end
visibility into the mailstream. Mail Automations TrayTraker reads and
stores data from the bar-coded tray label for updating to Mail.Dat and
Mail.XML by AddressVision software. The AddressVision software also provides
capability to print Tray tags and Pallet placards."
The House postal oversight subcommittee will hold a
hearing on November 5 on the issue of postal revenue. Witnesses
will include USPS President of Shipping and Mailing Services
Robert Bernstock and a representative
from GAO.
Air
Cargo World has reported that "Deutsche Post DHL and Calif.-based
software company Oracle Corp. have formed a partnership that could pave the
way for new logistics services and notification systems, the companies said
this week. The alliance will center on the use of data from AutoID systems
such as radio frequency identification (RFID) and sensors, according to a
DHL statement. Using Oracle capabilities, such data will be integrated into
DHLs logistics management and information systems. Any new services will
target the automotive, entertainment electronics and trade industries, the
companies said."
DMM Advisory: Intelligent Mail Services Special Update
The
Saudi Gazette has reported that "The Saudi Standards Commission has
approved the procedures followed by the Saudi Post and has made them the
mandatory standards for the numbering of buildings and establishments in the
Kingdom. These standards will now be applied in all provinces, cities and
villages in the Kingdom and are the first of their kind in Gulf and Arab
countries. The approval was made after the commission formed a committee
which prepared the technical regulations for these standards. The main
reason behind developing a united national numbering system for postal
addressing is to help achieve sustainable development and to contribute to
the development of e-government, said Majed Aal Ismail, head of the
Technical Committee for standardization. He said that postal addresses are
one of the main elements in the development of the governments electronic
transactions and national infrastructure. The national united numbering
system for addresses which has been developed by the Saudi Post is entirely
dependent on geographical information."
The Telegraph has asked: "Why is Royal Mail apparently losing the PR
battle? Can it because the companys chief executive Adam Crozier and its
chairman Donald Brydon have been completely anonymous from our TV screens?"
According to
Hellmail, the participants in the U.K.'s postal strike are "in an
apparent stalemate with the union refusing to call off strikes as a
precondition for assistance from Acas, and Royal Mail refusing to entertain
the prospect of abritration unless the CWU actually cancels strike action,
progress seems to have reached a dead end. The government has said it will
not intervene in the row other than recommending that both sides seek help
from Acas. In the meantime both sides seem determined to stare each other
out. A compromise of sorts, but with British Gas and Barclays both pushing
hard to get customers to move to e-billing and many of Royal Mail's
customers now switching to other firms, some of whom will not come back,
time and money is running out."
Bloomberg has reported that "The strike by workers at Royal Mail Group
Plc highlights the need for an alternative U.K. postal carrier, said the
chief of TNT NVs British unit, which is planning to roll out a competing
service."
From
PR Web: "Over 5,500 couriers and transport companies, many of whom are
small family-run businesses, are using the internet and Shiply.com to help
public left stranded without a postal service. Royal Mail strikes which
started on Thursday have been seen as an opportunity by thousands of small
delivery firms who are harnessing the power of the Internet and the UK's
online transport marketplace - Shiply.com to help meet demand."
According to
Dow Jones, "FedEx Corp. said its express parcel delivery business in
China continues to gain market share, but competition with local rivals
remains very tough."
From
PRLog: "The Royal Mails loss could be the courier industrys gain as a
number of delivery companies are set to gain from the recent industrial
action. Daniel Parry, founder of delivery quote comparison service
Deliveryquotecompare commented that ; Since publicity of the strikes began,
we have experienced a 30% surge in customers using our courier cost
comparison service.
According to
Transport Intelligence, "Scott Davis, CEO of UPS might be "encouraged by
the signs of economic recovery" but his company continues to suffer heavily
depressed volumes and profits. "
From the Federal Register:
Postal Regulatory Commission RULES Modification of Complaint Rules 5475454755 [E925343]
All Headline News has reported that "Officials and residents of Lantana
have mailed 2,000 coconuts to the Postmaster General to convince the
official to not close the Florida town's post office. A plane delivered
Wednesday the coconut to the U.S. Postal Service headquarters in L'Enfant
Plaza in Washington, D.C. Each nut have $4 stamp written notes telling
Postmaster General John E. Potter the sentiments of Lantana residents,
according to Palm Beach County Commissioner Steve Abrams."
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
The Japan
Times has reported that "The Cabinet this week decided to revamp the
two-year-old privatization process for Japan Post group. The decision, which
responds to fears among some people that Japan Post group may curtail
services in the countryside, emphasizes the public role of Japan Post group.
The privatization begun on Oct. 1, 2007, was aimed at making Japan's postal
services, including banking and insurance services, more efficient; ending
the practice of using funds deposited in postal savings accounts for
wasteful government projects; and, instead, increasing the flow of those
funds to the private sector. Under the government decision this week, Japan
Post will be required to make not only postal services but also banking and
insurance services available nationwide on an equitable basis. The
government also plans to use the network of some 24,000 post offices as
bases to help narrow economic gaps and protect the rights of weaker members
of society. Post offices would thus serve as outlets for administrative
services such as nursing care."
Reuters has reported that "Britain's postal union on Thursday called a
fresh wave of national strikes for next week, threatening to paralyse a mail
system already hit by stoppages and dealing a blow to Prime Minister Gordon
Brown." See also the
Financial Times.
Tribune has reported that "Royal Mail is clashing with the Unite union
over attempts to make managers provide cover during the national postal
strike, in a move which could plunge the company into a dispute with two
unions at once. Unite, which represents several thousand Royal Mail
managers, says this goes beyond their members contractual obligations and
puts them in an intolerable position between their fellow trade unionists
and senior managers."
The Mail has reported that the "public has been advised to carry out
personal business online - even if millions can't."
October 22, 2009
DMM
Advisory:
Intelligent Mail Services Update
New Presentation Available: CRIDS and MIDs - Obtain and Manage Customer Registration Identifiers and Mailer Identifiers : Working jointly with the industry through the Mailer's Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) Group 124, we have developed this presentation to explain the use of Customer Registration Identifiers (CRIDs) and Mailer Identifiers (MIDS). The presentation explains how to obtain a CRID or MID and what the role each plays in a Full-Service mailing.
Full-Service Changes in November, October 30: The November PostalOne! Release 22.0 software upgrade for Full-Service will address functionality to support the discounts for Full-Service and enhanced Mail.XML capabilities. This webinar will explain the new functionality and enhanced Mail.XML capabilities. The links, phone numbers, and meeting IDs for these two webinars are posted on RIBBS under Intelligent Mail Latest News.
Guides and Specifications: The Postal Service Mail.dat Technical Specifications, Version 7.2 has been updated and is posted on RIBBS. Section 2.2.6.1 of this version includes an additional By/For verification and Appendix D has a more comprehensive list of error messages. The specification's Change History enumerates the revisions.
PostalOne! Release 22, November 15: On November 15, we will implement PostalOne! Release 22. Among other things, this release will prepare the PostalOne! system to process discounts claimed by Intelligent Mail Full-Service option mailers and allow mailers to submit Mail.XML files for electronic documentation. Full details are available at RIBBS>Intelligent Mail Services>Latest News>PostalOne! Release Notes>PostalOne! Pre-release Notes 22.0 Implementation Date: 11-15-2009.
The PostalOne! system be down on November 15 from 1:00 AM to 10:00 AM CST to incorporate Release 22. This timeframe is based on our current timing estimate. We will provide you with an update if we believe the time will change.
Full-Service Intelligent Answers: We conduct weekly telecons entitled Full-Service Intelligent Answers. The calls continue this Friday from 1:00-2:00 PM EDT. These calls are for customers who are testing file submission in the Test Environment for Mailers (TEM) or for customers who have migrated to using Full-Service in production and have questions or are experiencing issues. Mailers can exchange information among themselves and postal experts are available to answer questions. If you are currently testing in TEM or have successfully completed the TEM process, but have not received an invitation to the calls, please contact the PostalOne! Help Desk at 1-800-522-9085.
Assistance: Please call the PostalOne! Help Desk at 1-800-522-9085 if you have any questions or problems accessing the Business Customer Gateway, your accounts, or submitting electronic documentation. The PostalOne! Help Desk is accessible from Canada at no charge.
According to the
Courier, Express, and Postal Observer, "the combination of the recession
and electronic conversion has created a new market environment that requires
new ways of thinking about the postal workforce. Naturally, postal employees
fear that the new market environment will mean changes to decades-old
compact between national postal operators and their employees. The fear is
driving actions by unions and postal employees to strike national postal
operators refuse to cooperate in annual assessments of employee
satisfaction, and lash out at customer unwillingness to pay higher prices
that would support the old employment compact."
According to
Deutsche Welle, "Tens of thousands of postal workers in Britain have
walked out in what could become the biggest industrial action in the country
since the 1980's. More strikes in the state-owned Royal Mail are planned
next week."
Press Release: "Superior Mailing Services has been selected for the 2009
Best of Chicago Award in the Direct Mail Advertising Services category by
the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA). The USCA "Best of Local Business"
Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the
country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have
achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business
category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small
business through service to their customers and community. "
The
Financial Times has noted that "Where postal services once delivered
handsome profits to their state owners, now they often bring problems. In
recent years, many governments have tried to have
it both ways: they want an incumbent that will preserve a universal delivery
service at a price electorates will accept, but they also want the benefits
of competition. Postal operators can to some extent compensate by
winning more lucrative packets and parcels business particularly
delivering books, DVDs, clothes and the like that consumers order from
internet retailers. But that is where competition is most intense. Private
rivals cherry-pick the most profitable segments, such as bulk mail, express
delivery and packages. If this goes on, the question will be: for how much
longer will universal delivery services survive? The business is investing
2bn ($3.3bn, 2.2bn) in technology and demanding greater flexibility from
its workforce. Short-sighted politicians
in both main UK parties, as well as industrial
strife, have played their part in holding it back." [EdNote:
Substitute the words "union lobbying" for "industrial strife" and you'll
have a pretty good picture of postal in the U.S.]
Reuters has reported that "The Mailers Council [of which PostCom is a
member], the nation`s largest coalition of mailers and mailing associations,
has published a new white paper that warns of
United States Postal Service insolvency without significant new legislative
reform. The paper suggests other non-legislative steps to avoid
collapse of the nation`s postal system. The white paper is available on the
Mailers Council`s website:
http://www.mailers.org/News_Releases/news_releases.html. According to
Mailers Council Board of Directors President James R. O`Brien, "The mailing
industry, and the nearly nine million jobs it represents, and every American
who depends on a reliable, affordable postal system, need Congress` help
now. Our research shows that recent legislation offers only temporary relief
of the agency`s financial problems. Without more significant measures, such
as those outlined in our white paper, the Postal Service will soon be unable
to meet its financial obligations."
Hellmail has reported that "Preliminary results from a Sky
News survey suggest that 62% of people did not support the
postal workers and 70% did not support the decision to strike.
The findings have been mirrored across online business forums
and in comments made by the public in national newspapers as
mail collection and deliveries is disrupted. More strike action
is planned for next week. Confusion over what the dispute is
about has also infuriated customers with many convinced it is
wholly about pay whilst others are unsure what it is that the
CWU is striking for. Rival mail firms have said that this
Christmas could be their most profitable ever as businesses
switch operators to ensure goods reach customers in time for
Christmas."
 Welcome
to PostCom RadioPostal Podcast on Issues Plaguing ACS and Move Update Join PostCom President Gene Del Polito, Experian Vice President Steve Lopez, and PostCom Vice President Jessica Lowrance in a discussion of the many issues mailers are having with the Postal Service's Move Update program, particularly ACS. Notes that accompany this podcast have been posted on this site. Refer to these during the podcast. |
The
Wall Street Journal has reported that "The U.K's
Communication Workers' Union is to announce that workers at
Royal Mail, the state-owned postal service, will stage a further
three days of strike action next week, in addition to this
week's industrial action."
The
Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported that "UPS, the
world's largest package carrier, beat Wall Street earnings
estimates by three cents in the third quarter, with profits of
$549 million, or 55 cents per share. However, the results
represented a 43.4 percent drop in profits from the same period
a year ago. Revenues dropped about 15 percent to $11.2 billion.
The company said Wednesday its customers have "widely different
views" on how the peak season -- the holidays will play out,
casting more uncertainty on the recession's outcome.
UPS's total package volumes were down,
reflecting "weakness in the U.S. economy."
UPS is delivering 70 tons of food and relief supplies to communities
affected by the earthquake and tsunami in American Samoa, as a UPS relief
flight has delivered the first payload to assist the ongoing recovery
efforts, with additional supplies scheduled to arrive in November by ocean
freight.
Multichannel Merchant has reported that "The stop-gap legislation signed
by President Obama on Sept. 30 reduced the U.S. Postal Services $5.4
billion health-care retiree payment for fiscal 2009 to $1.4 billion. Thats
a big help, but the USPS needs permanent change, says Joseph Corbett, its
executive vice president and chief financial officer."
The
International Finance Centre has reported that "The Office of Utility
Regulations actions are damaging Guernsey Post and will have a lasting and
destructive effect on the Bailiwicks postal service, according to Gordon
Steele, Guernsey Posts Chief Executive."
Pak Watan
has reported that "The Cabinet on Wednesday formally cleared the
much-debated Kerry-Lugar Bill (KLB), along with an explanatory note, and
allowed 100 percent increase in inland postal tariff from November 1, 2009."
Marketing Direct has noted that "WPP-owned OgilvyOne Worldwide has
launched a mobile-accessed video of its iconic founder David Ogilvy
extolling the virtues of direct marketing. The video campaign was timed to
coincide with this week's DMA US annual convention in San Diego, California.
It is part of what OgilvyOne calls 'a movement' entitled 're:direct' that
aims to reinvent direct marketing in the digital age and "reassert
creativity at its core".
From the Federal Register:
Postal Regulatory Commission NOTICES New Postal Product , 5459854599 [E925473] [TEXT] [PDF] 5459954600 [E925474] [TEXT] [PDF] 54600 [E925477] [TEXT] [PDF] Postal Service RULES Nonmailable Items Prohibited in All Outbound International Mail; Update , 54485 [E925363]
The
BBC has
reported that Postal workers have begun two days of national strike action
following the collapse of talks between Royal Mail and the Communication
Workers' Union. See also the
Wall
Street Journal and the
Washington Post. Other stories on the U.K. postal strike:
Today
on Hellmail:
Reuters has reported that "German postal services company
Deutsche Post has not yet benefited from the recent economic
upswing, its chief executive said on Wednesday, after rivals
made upbeat noises about market improvement."
Press Release: "BWE BELL +
HOWELL (BBH), a leading provider of document management
solutions and services, has introduced the next generation of
management tools for production mailers who are looking to
increase their message relevancy and the integrity, quality and
productivity of their production operations. A powerful and
scalable solution, BWE One 2009 features many new
capabilities, including the ability to easily manage operations
across one or multiple locations from a single interface, ensure
maximum uptime and reliability by minimizing the impact of
server failures, simplify job startup and control by centrally
managing and controlling job templates for JETVision users,
track item details across multiple production operations such as
print, inserting and manual operations, and many more. For more
information on BWE One or BWE BELL + HOWELL, call
1-800-220-3030, e-mail
marketing@bowebellhowell.com, or visit
www.bowebellhowell.com.
Postal Service Goes Mobile. Its a Post Office on your
phone. Customer convenience and product access are the focus of
expanding the most popular online services onto web-enabled
mobile devices. Some of the most popular functions currently
available on usps.com are now available on cell phones and other
mobile devices. The new features include Track & Confirm, Post
Office locator, and the most popular application, ZIP Code
lookup. With more than 232 million mobile communications devices
in the United States a growing number of which can access the
web the promise of Internet access from virtually anywhere in
the country is fast becoming a reality. Our new mobile
capability makes USPS services even more convenient for our
customers, said Robert Bernstock, president, Mailing and
Shipping Services. Any mobile user with web access will be able
to log on to the Postal Service mobile site no matter where they
are, without having to use a personal computer, Bernstock said.
Advertising Age has noted that according to "agency
buzz...we're all masters of measurement and analytics. Every
agency worth its salt claims to not only solve its client's
business problems but has the data and case studies to back it
up. By the same token, CMOs cite producing measurable results as
their No. 1 priority. That's all great. CMOs want results and
agencies deliver. Shouldn't everybody be happy? Not so fast. The
other buzz out there is that agencies are getting killed on
price and are frequently viewed as a commodity service. That's
no way to treat someone who helps drive your business success.
Maybe agencies are not measuring enough, or measuring the right
variables? Maybe the measurement is fine, but the results just
aren't good enough? In any case, there's a gap between what
agencies are saying about the ROI of their programs and how
they're valued in the market. Direct agencies can argue that
they have solved this problem, and digital agencies get high
marks for raising the bar on analytics. But right now everybody
suffers from the same price erosion and competitive pressure.
While we debate the merits of one approach over another,
billions of dollars are gushing straight to Google and
contextual advertising."
The
Wall Street Journal has reported that "The union
representing workers at U.K. state-owned postal service Royal
Mail said Wednesday it will go ahead with a planned nationwide
strike Thursday and Friday."
October 21, 2009
The
New York Times has reported that "In August, news that the United States
Postal Service was planning to close 14 of New York Citys roughly 250 post
offices elicited an outcry from residents and politicians alike, who
clamored to protect their local branches. On Tuesday morning, the City
Councils Committee on Governmental Operations held an hour-long hearing on
a resolution urging Congress to pass two bills that could help prevent the
shuttering of hundreds of post offices nationwide."
The Baltic
Course has reported that "The Transport Ministry's State Secretary Nils
Freivalds made the decision because management at Latvijas Pasts have been
unable to reach agreement on the company's further operations and were
inconsistent in their decisions, writes LETA. Before the shareholders
meeting was announced, Latvijas Pasts board member Dita Danosa handed in her
resignation to the Transport Ministry.
The
Bermuda Daily Sun has reported that "Controversial changes to the mail
system are here to stay, insists Postmaster General George Outerbridge. He
is urging the public to comply with the new regulations to help create a
faster, more efficient service. He said: "My job is to make the postal
system as effective as possible. "If we have people using the correct
addresses, if we have houses properly numbered and if we have mailboxes as
close to the perimeter of the property as possible, we can guarantee the
timely delivery of mail. "That is what our goal is - not to upset people,
but to have a system everyone can be proud of. I feel committed to that."
The Telegraph has reported that "Thousands of people could miss
appointments for their swine flu vaccine due to the postal strikes, Sir Liam
Donaldson, chief medical officer has warned." See also
Postal strike Q&A: How will it affect me?
The Times has reported that "Gordon Brown clashed fiercely with David
Cameron over the handling of the postal dispute at Prime Minister's
Questions today, as hopes faded that union leaders would call off tomorrow's
national strike. The Conservative leader accused Mr Brown of dithering and
weakness for shelving legislation to part-privatise the Royal Mail after
failing to convince his own backbenchers. In rowdy exchanges, Mr Cameron
said it required leadership, some backbone and some courage to prevent
union militancy - traits, he said, which Gordon Brown did not have to offer.
Instead, he claimed, union leaders had scented weakness and were taking
advantage of it. Mr Cameron recalled that Business Secretary Lord Mandelson
had said that abandoning part privatisation of the Royal Mail would be
irresponsible, an abdication of an important commitment and would threaten
the sustainability of the network. Yet five months after the Bill left the
House of Lords, it still hasnt come to the House of Commons. Why have you
allowed this appalling display of weakness? he demanded. Mr Brown said
there was no commercial buyer for the Royal Mail." [EdNote: Wow!]
The Association for Postal Commerce has launched its own
Facebook page. This site will provide up-to-date information as
well as major postal events. We will also be highlighting one Board
member company per week on our Notes page. In order to view this page, you
need to have a Facebook account.
The
Philadelphia Inquirer has reported that "President Obama has renominated
Philadelphia lawyer Alan C. Kessler to one of the toughest federal jobs
around: member of the U.S. Postal Service board of governors." Kessler is a
partner at Duane Morris LLP and a top national Democratic fundraiser. He was
nominated to the Board in 2000 by President Clinton, and his term is set to
expire in December. The article explains that "If Kessler is confirmed by
the Senate, his new term will run through 2016. Obama submitted Kessler's
renomination on Oct. 14, after he underwent the administration's famously
rigorous vetting process."
According to the
Courier, Express, and Market Observer, "The parcel market is at the cusp
of change. Long established distribution patterns are changing as e-comerce
competes more aggressively against brick-and-mortar retailers. On-line
retailers are looking for ways to cut the time from order to delivery and
find that the FedEx, UPS, and the Postal Service all are too inflexible to
allow for later pick-ups and early-morning deliveries that on-line customers
want. They are turning to not only same day couriers but to regional parcel
carriers that operate out of one or more distribution hubs to cover most of
the United States."
The
Wall Street Journal has reported that "Big companies that sell to
corporate customers are growing more bullish about their prospects for 2010,
a sign that a revival of business investment could buoy the sluggish U.S.
economy in coming quarters."
AllAfrica.com
has reported that "African workers send home more than US$40 billion to the
region each year but restrictive laws and costly fees hamper the power of
remittances to lift people out of poverty, according to a new report by the
UN's rural poverty agency, the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD). Two major money transfer companies - Western Union and
Money Gram - control nearly 65 per cent of the locations where remittances
can be picked up. Most African countries restrict the kind of institutions
that can offer remittance services, penalizing microfinance institutions,
which have a greater geographical reach than banks."
The Budapest Business Journal
has reported that "Wing, the property development unit of Hungarian-owned
holding company Wallis, is willing to sell the Budapest headquarters of
state-owned postal services company Magyar Posta back to Hungary's national
asset management company MNV at the price for which the company paid for the
building in 2008, Wing informed MTI. The state audit office Sz reported on
September 2 that the sale of Magyar Posta's 19,000-square-meter headquarters
derived 23% less revenue than expected and questioned the cost-efficiency of
the sale."
DMNews has reported that "Direct marketing's share of total US
advertising spending will reach 54.3% for 2009, increasing by 1.6% over last
year's total, according to statistics released by the Direct Marketing
Association for its DMA09 conference. Direct marketing ad spend will
increase 2.7% next year, reaching $153.3 billion in total, according to the
group's predictions. The DMA also forecasted that the percentage of total ad
spend occupied by direct marketing will remain above 53% for the next five
years."
ICANN and the Universal
Postal Union (UPU) have reached an agreement in principle for the
UPU sponsorship of the .POST Top-Level Domain.
Final approval of the agreement is subject to ICANN's public comment process
(which will commence after ICANN concludes its meeting in Seoul on 30
October 2009), and consideration by the Board of Directors.
Federal News Radio has reported that "About
18,000 U.S. Postal Service employees are likely to take a buyout
to leave their jobs. But the post office was
planning on 30,000 people to leave. The buyouts pay up to
$15,000. The FederalTimes reports the deadline for signing on to the buyout
plan was last week, but most employees have to the end of November to make a
final decision. The Postal Service is hoping the employee buyouts will save
it $500 million."
The
BBC has
reported that "There are "no credible alternatives" to the Royal Mail for
delivering post to all addresses in the UK, Jersey Post's general manager
has said. The company looked for alternative ways to get mail to and from
the UK if postal workers there go on strike." [EdNote: Yes, all us
"Jersey boys" are used to getting short shrift from the larger governments
that are our neighbors. :)]
Internet Retailing has reported that "Parcel2Go, the online parcel
delivery service that uses carriers including UPS, DHL, City Link and Home
Delivery Network, has launched a Light offering to suit smaller businesses
that send out up to 500 parcels a week. Parcel2Go Light, launched to
coincide with the national postal strike due later this week, enables
businesses to send packets of up to 3kg for 3.99 each. A 5 charge for
collection of the items applies, regardless of volumes sent, with the flat
3.99 per item fee covering delivery to any address in the UK."
Personnel Today has reported that "Royal Mail has stopped the pay of
hundreds of postal worker who refuse to pick up the extra work created by
63,000 job cuts, the Daily Mirror has reported. According to the report,
union leaders have said that Royal Mail told staff to take on the extra work
even if it means working longer hours to deliver all the mail."
IBTimes has reported that "The Communication Workers Union has hit back
at Business Secretary Lord Mandelson after he condemned an imminent Royal
Mail postal strike as totally self defeating.
The Guardian has reported that "The looming national postal strike could
lead to advertisers writing off direct mail campaigns worth at least 10m
and force 40% of companies to rethink their Christmas advertising plans if
industrial action continues."
According to
SecurityPark, "The impending postal strike is causing headaches in
companies large and small across the UK, but the strike could actually do
firms a favour by accelerating their move away from the paper trail that
binds our businesses to the Royal Mail."
Contractor UK has
reported that "in a rare display of leniency, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
said it was gearing up to waive fines for self-assessment tax forms filed
late due to the postal strike."
STV.tv has reported that "The Scottish Government has delivered a blow
to the Royal Mail just hours before workers prepare to walk out on strike. A
multi-million pound public contract has been awarded to private delivery
firm TNT. The Government says using the company to deliver mail for dozens
of public sector groups will save the taxpayer millions." See also the
Aberdeen Press and Journal.
Infozine has reported that "Matt J. Whitworth, United States Attorney
for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo.,
mother and son were indicted by a federal grand jury for assaulting a
federal postal inspector."
CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
The circulation of free newspapers in Europe has dropped by 20%.
India Post customers will be able to retrieve the status of mail consignments via SMS in future.
Aramex, express market leader in the Middle East, is now using Dubais new underground transit system for inner city deliveries. Last Thursday Aramex announced that more than 5 couriers were regularly using the first Dubai Metro line - the so-called Red Line - which opened at the beginning of September.
Declining turnover in the courier and express segments is leading Schweizerische Post to cut jobs.
Around six months after largely pulling out of the Austrian market (CEP News 15/09), Hermes has announced the opening of new parcel shops.
The MRU, founded in 1992, is the only consultancy in Europe, which has specialised in the market of courier-, express- and parcel services. For large-scale shippers and CEP-services in particular, the MRU provides interdisciplinary advice for all major questions of the market, as there are for example market entry, product design, organisation, and EDP.To learn more about the stories reported above, contact CEP News. (We appreciate the courtesy extended by CEP News to help whet your appetite for more of what CEP offers.)
The
Washington Post has reported that:
"There was no red carpet or pregame show. No musical acts or (good) jokes. No celebrity appearances, and perhaps best of all, the ceremony didn't drag on for hours (just 58 minutes).
But the awards distributed Tuesday at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium honored achievements much more noble than "best supporting actor" or "best on-screen kiss." They heralded the federal watchdogs who last year investigated and audited their way to taxpayer savings.
In fiscal 2008, inspectors general identified $18.6 billion in potential savings, and their work resulted in more than 6,800 successful criminal prosecutions, according to a report by the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) , which hosted the awards. Watchdogs issued more than 6,900 audit, inspection or evaluation reports, handled about 5,000 suspensions, and processed nearly 338,000 complaints to telephone or online hot lines.
"You have a different kind of job. . . . You're the guardians of the public. Your job is to protect the people from the excesses of government," said David C. Williams, inspector general of the U.S. Postal Service and co-chairman of the awards program. Put another way, Williams joked: "In many places and in many times, presenting the kinds of reports that you did would not receive an award. It would be punishable by death."
Bloomberg has reported that "Japan appointed former finance ministry
official Jiro Saito to head the nations postal service after the month-old
government scrapped plans to privatize the company and forced out his
predecessor."
Today
on Hellmail:
From the Federal Register:
Postal Regulatory Commission NOTICES New Postal Product , 5410854109 [E925346]
At
the Postal Regulatory Commission:
Reuters has reported that "Three U.S. states said on Tuesday they plan
to sue FedEx Corp., accusing the second-largest U.S. package delivery
company of violating labor laws by illegally classifying drivers as
independent contractors rather than employees to save money. The attorneys
general of New York, New Jersey and Montana intend to begin litigation
against FedEx Ground Package System Inc after Oct. 27, saying the unit of
Memphis, Tennessee-based FedEx has caused a "serious injustice" to more than
1,000 drivers in the three states."
SocalTech has reported that "Westlake Village-based Zumbox, which is
developing a system to deliver postal mail electronically using street
addresses, said today that it has hired Peter O. Price as head of its media
division. Price has served at Time Inc., Publisher of the New York Post, and
as President at Media Networks, Liberty Cable, National Sports Daily, and
Television USA. He's also chairman and CEO of Premiere Previews, a role he
will continue to maintain. Zumbox said Price will develop partnerships with
major print and electronic media companies for the firm."
October 20, 2009
According to the
Yomiuri Shimbun, "We would welcome enhanced convenience of
postal services, but it would not be right if the new government
policy reversed the ongoing efforts that started following the
postal privatization drive to make Japan Post group firms
efficient and transparent. It is particularly questionable that
the government plans to oblige postal offices across the country
to offer universal services of not only postal delivery but also
of postal savings and insurance under the envisaged law."
DMM
Advisory:
Double Post Cards Information Sealed
Against Inspection.
A double post card, as
described in
Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 201.1.2.8,
consists of two attached post cards, one of which is for the
transmission of information from the addressee back to the sender. Each
card is subject to the card rate; however, postage need not be paid for
the reply portion until it is detached and mailed as a reply piece.
DMM 201.1.2.4c provides that a card may bear an attachment that is a
small reusable seal or decal prepared with pressure-sensitive and
nonremovable adhesive that is intended to be removed from the first half
of a double card and applied to the reply half.
An example that is often seen is a
solicitation to subscribe to, or renew a subscription to a Periodicals
publication. Often, in addition to the solicitation itself, will be a
small reusable decal or sticker, with instructions on the card to remove
it from the top half of a double post card and place it in the
appropriate place on the reply half in order to receive an additional
gift. However, such removable
attachments may not be used to conceal personal information, such as a
PIN number, or to prevent the Postal Service from examining the
visible message without defacing the double post card. See also
DMM 201.1.2.8c that prohibits any
sealing on the left and right sides of double post cards.
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
The
Wall
Street Journal has reported that "U.K. Business Secretary Peter
Mandelson Tuesday urged the union representing workers at Royal Mail, the
state-owned postal service, to call off this week's planned two-day national
strike for the sake of the company."
According to
Rag Content, "many mailers want to know why the Postal Service does not
allow for 100% passthroughs on all cost avoided. In some cases the
passthrough are less than 50%. How does this promote efficient behavior
within postal operations? It is hard to understand how the Postal Service
makes these decisions and why. Under the new law, the Postal Service can use
its pricing flexibility to retain earnings and make these types of decisions
without really explaining why as a real business would. Whether or not you
agree with worksharing discounts or how they are currently being employed by
the Postal Service, it is hard to deny that worksharing discounts have
helped grow volume throughout USPS history."
United States Postal Regulatory Commission Chairman
Ruth Y. Goldway today urged continued international cooperation to
create modern postal and express delivery networks as a key to economic
growth. Chairman Goldways remarks came at the 3rd annual U.S.-China
Symposium on Postal Reform and Express Delivery held October 20-21 in
Nanjing, China. Chairman Goldway headed a U.S. delegation that included Joel
Secundy, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Services at the U.S. Department of
Commerce and Pranab Shah, Vice President and Managing Director, Global
Business, United States Postal Service. The Chinese delegation was headed by
Mr. Ma Junsheng, Director General of Chinas State Post Bureau, which
regulates public and private delivery operators in China." See also
http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/102009p2.html
MediaDailyNews has reported that:
Happy Birthday,
Dead Tree Edition.
The
Financial Times has reported that "The threatened Royal Mail strike this
week could have a "very serious impact" on the value of the company,
damaging the amount a Conservative government could raise for taxpayers by
privatising the postal operator, the opposition party warned yesterday.
Jonathan Djanogly, the shadow business minister, told the Financial Times
the strikes were "a potential disaster for the company, in so far as it
could lose revenues". The industrial action in 2007 had lost Royal Mail a
reported 300m of business and the company "can't afford to lose that sort
of revenue again."
According to Communications Workers Union President Billy Hayes writing in
The Mirror, "Postal workers across the UK just want to get back to
delivering a first-class postal service. But right now we can't avoid a
dispute about the heart and soul of the future of mail delivery. It's
important that the public know that Royal Mail are running down the public
services and we are determined that this will not happen. Running down those
services has meant running down jobs and terms and conditions of the
workforce. It also means you will pay more for a worse service and be
expected to pay for one you currently get for free."
NewMediaAge has reported that "More than three-quarters of online
retailers (77%) believe strikes by Royal Mail workers will discourage
consumers from shopping online in the run-up to Christmas, according to
etail body the IMRG."
In the News this week
from
Postal Technology:
Hellmail has reported that "Larry Whitty, Chair, Consumer Focus, has
written to both sides of the postal dispute, and to Peter Mandelson, urging
them all to take urgent action to avert an unnecessarily protracted and
damaging national strike."
eWeek Europe has reported that "The Postal strike and the recession will
leave small businesses in a completely different situation, according to
former government minister, Lord Digby Jones of Birmingham. "It's a huge
opportunity," said Lord Digby Jones, at the start of the BT-sponsored Small
Business Week, based around research into small business attitudes. "After
this recesssion and the postal strike, there will be a different way of
managing the last mile."
The Telegraph has reported that "HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is in
talks with the Post Office about the feasibility of providing the services
from Crown Post Offices, the biggest and most suitable for providing the
privacy needed for consultations, appointments with advisers or access to
helplines and contact centres."
From
WebNewsWire: "Business
Secretary Lord Mandelson said: A national postal strike defies logic. It
would be a suicidal act turning more hard pressed consumers and businesses
away from using mail. The Government has backed Royal Mail financially with
billions of pounds so that the company can modernise, but these strikes will
impede that essential process. We remain in close contact with the Union and
Royal Mail management and our message is clear strikes are not the way to
resolve differences or safeguard the future of our postal services."
WebCPA has reported that "UBS, the embattled Swiss bank that is being
forced to divulge the names of about 4,450 account holders to the IRS, may
have inadvertently tipped its hand on their identities by sending them
registered letters through the U.S. Postal Service."
The
Financial Times has reported that "The threatened Royal Mail strike this
week could have a very serious impact on the value of the company,
damaging the amount a Conservative government could raise for taxpayers by
privatising the postal operator, the opposition party warned on Monday.
Jonathan Djanogly, the shadow business minister, told the Financial Times
the strikes were a potential disaster for the company, in so far as it
could lose revenues. The industrial action in 2007 had lost Royal Mail a
reported 300m of business and the company cant afford to lose that sort
of revenue again.We have huge concerns that the dispute . . . is going to
have a very serious impact on the value of the company, he said."
The News International has reported that:
Reuters has reported that "The president of state-owned Japan Post
[JP.UL], Yoshifumi Nishikawa, will resign, Japanese media said on Tuesday,
as the government prepares to revise a privatisation scheme once applauded
as a symbol of bold, pro-market reforms. Under the previous government's
plan, Japan Post was supposed to float its savings and insurance units on
the stock exchange as early as 2010 and sell out of them by 2017."
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
October 19, 2009
|
Welcome
to PostCom Radio Postal Podcast on Issues Plaguing ACS and Move Update Join PostCom President Gene Del Polito, Experian Vice President Steve Lopez, and PostCom Vice President Jessica Lowrance in a discussion of the many issues mailers are having with the Postal Service's Move Update program, particularly ACS. Notes that accompany this podcast have been posted on this site. Refer to these during the podcast. |
|
Postal Podcast on
A Review of the October PostCom Board of Directors Meeting Join PostCom President Gene Del Polito, PostCom Vice President Jessica Lowrance, and PostCom Consultant Kathleen Siviter in a discussion of some of the issues discussed at the October 6-7 Board of Directors meeting. |
The
Universal Postal Union Direct Mail Advisory Board has announced that its "Direct
Mail Guide for Developing and Least Developed Countries In the Digital Age"
is now available for purchase.
Alan Kessler has been nominated to continue his service on the U.S. Postal
Service Board of Governors. His confirmation is expected.
The
Wall Street Journal has reported:
The
Washington Post has noted the "Frugality [may be] falling out of
fashion? A returning hunger for retail therapy thaws out the credit card."
The
Express and Star has noted that "Surely the postal workers are just
shooting themselves in foot by going out on strike this week? It just
doesnt make any sense to me at all. This strike will cost the Royal Mail
millions in lost revenue, many business users will go elsewhere and may
never return. Why would you want to do that to the company you work for, the
company that pays your wages and keeps food on your table? The pension pot
already has a deficit of however-many billion, the company is already on its
knees and making people redundant. This will just make everything worse."
The
Financial Times has reported that:
AMEInfo has reported that
"GAC has signed a strategic partnership agreement with leading integrated
document management specialist Swiss Post Solutions to bring its core
document services and solutions to the Middle East."
As
the
Washington Times put it: "Even within the federal family, there are
sibling jealousies of the Mom-always-liked-you-best variety. In this case,
some workers say that Uncle Sam favors folks in his largest operation by
paying a much larger share of their ever-growing health premiums. So, if you
are tired of paying high health-insurance premiums and sick about increases
coming next year, here's a tip: Join the service. The U.S. Postal Service,
that is. Although the USPS is losing money,
handling fewer letters (can you say e-mail and Twitter?) and trying to get
thousands of workers to take early retirement, it continues to pay a much
larger chunk of its employee health premiums than does the Justice
Department, General Services Administration or most other federal agencies."
The
London Evening Standard wants to know: "Would it be the stupidest thing
in the world to wonder whether - rather than hoping to commit mass suicide
by destroying the company that employs them, or making war on customers for
the fun of it - the thousands of postal workers going out on strike have a
legitimate grievance?"
And
The Mirror asks: "Are the posties the new miners?"
The
Financial Mail has reported that "Snail mail - the postal system
operated by disaster-prone Royal Mail - is about to get slower than ever,
thanks to the looming national postal strike. As a result, people are being
urged to lessen their reliance on monthly statements, cheques, postal orders
and other forms of paper-based payments. Insurance-related documents,
including tax discs for thousands of vehicles, and crucial medical
information, such as test results and appointment notifications, are among a
range of modern communications still reliant on the post. But many financial
transactions can be conducted entirely independently of Royal Mail, and
firms are taking advantage of the strike to encourage customers to ditch
snail mail altogether and use the web or phone instead."
The
BBC has
reported that "Royal Mail has offered to approach the conciliation service
Acas to discuss modernisation, but only if union members call off planned
strikes."
The
Wall Street Journal has reported that "Japan's minister for
financial and postal affairs said Monday he met with the
president of Japan Post Holdings Co. last week to explain his
plan to get Cabinet approval for a reform of postal operations."
The Telegraph has reported that "Royal Mail denies it is
trying to 'break' Communication Workers Union."
According to
Farming UK, "The forthcoming postal strike will cause chaos
across the country, but the CLA believes that the damage done to
rural businesses and communities will be greater."
Transport Intelligence has reported that "A senior FedEx
executive has claimed that the market for air express and air
freight in Europe and Asia Pacific is showing "some life". The
comments were made to journalists by Robert Elliott, Chairman of
FedEx's European, Middle East and African Operations, during the
opening of the company's new facilities last week at Paris
Charles de Gaulle airport."
The
Daily Mail has reported that "Police chiefs tonight warned of outbreaks
of violence sparked by the postal strikes. The Association of Chief Police
Officers has issued guidance to every police force telling them to be ready
for possible clashes during the industrial action."
The Guardian has reported that "TNT, Britain's largest private mail
operator, is pressing ministers to allow it to put its own orange-clad
postmen on the streets in a door-to-door service that would further
undermine a threatened postal strike, which is due to start this week."
The
Times has reported that "A union warned yesterday that it might take legal
action against Royal Mail for hiring 30,000 temporary workers to clear the
backlog of undelivered post from this weeks nationwide strikes."
According to
The National, "The UK postal service is in disarray: that much, at
least, everyone agrees on. The descent of this national institution to comic
cuts is generally agreed to have originated in the 1990s, when the Royal
Mail was repackaged and rebranded Consignia. No matter that nobody knew
what the word meant; it was sexy, up to date and thoroughly in keeping with
the new image of cool Britannia. By the time anyone realised the absurdity
of this makeover and changed it back again, the postal system was
chronically underinvested and dispirited. But 10 years on and the current
debacle involves far more than a lick of paint or a fancy logo. It revolves
around that oldest of industrial problems, that of modernisation. On the one
hand the management need to cut staff, introduce new technology and
rearrange delivery rosters to improve efficiency. The unions, on the other
hand, are desperate to retain jobs, preserve hard-won working practices and
protect their members from having to train as marathon runners to keep up
with proposed working patterns."
October 18, 2009
The
Waterbury Republican-American wants to know: "Can you detect the
pattern? About 15,000 postal workers,
including (so far) more than a dozen in Waterbury, will spend at least part
of some or all of their shifts this year in "standby rooms," where they
will collect their paychecks but will be prohibited
from earning them. The cost to the Postal Service of paying 7
percent of its work force to do nothing will exceed $50 million this year.
Facing a $7 billion deficit this year and having lost money in 11 out of the
last 12 quarters, the Postal Service can't contain
labor costs effectively."
Sky News has reported that "Thousands of small companies across the UK
are taking steps to avoid serious problems arising from the planned postal
strikes on Thursday and Friday this week. Many mail order retailers have put
costly contingency plans in place so that customers don't have a bad
experience buying from their websites and catalogues."
The
Herald Scotland has reported that "Senior union sources told the Press
Association they believed the recruitment of temporary staff during a strike
was illegal. We will be looking at the legal side of this and we are
calling on recruitment agencies to be aware of the law if they are asked to
supply temporary workers to the Royal Mail, said one official."
According to the
Tewkesbury ADMAG, "THE postal strike could spell disaster for small
businesses and charities, Bidfords county councillor has warned. It has
been reported that charities would stand to lose 50million as a result with
a single example being the Countryfile calendar which raises money for
Children in Need. Due to the calendar not being delivered its likely that
they will miss out on 400,000 of charitable donations."
STV has reported that "Scottish postal union officials say Royal Mail is
only inflaming their long running dispute with plans to recruit up to 30,000
staff to cope with strikes by postal workers."
According to the
Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette, "Theres a connection between the dramatic
decline in junk mail and the possible closure of the Waynedale and Diplomat
Plaza branches. People and business are mailing less 28 billion fewer
pieces this year than last and the Postal Service is looking at a $5
billion deficit. There are more reasons for the red ink than the fact that
many of us now send Facebook birthday greetings instead of a Hallmark card
with a stamp. But the trend is away from posted mail and toward electronic
bill paying, e-mailed notes, online banking, E-vites. Yet when Postmaster
General John Potter says those trends have to be reflected in the agencys
business plan fewer retail outlets, fewer mail carriers, fewer blue boxes
on the street corner, fewer delivery days people go ape poopie. The
financial decisions the Postal Service is facing and our collective reaction
to the possible ways of coping (we dont want fewer branches, higher stamp
prices or mail-less Saturdays) is a good example of why the federal deficit
is heartbreaking."
The
BBC has
reported that "As a postal strike looms, the positions of the two sides
appear more and more entrenched, the papers believe. It is still not too
late, says the Sunday Express, for the government to show a little courage,
stand up for the people and save our Christmas post. The Observer, too,
feels the fate of the postal service should be taken out of the hands of
unions and managers. It says ministers must either devise a system that
works, or tell voters they cannot have the service they want."
Today
on Hellmail:
The
Press Association has reported that "Royal Mail is to recruit up to
30,000 temporary staff to cope with strikes by postal workers and deal with
the Christmas rush." See also
Bloomberg,
The Telegraph, and the
BBC.
October 17, 2009
The Times has reported that "In an interview with The Times, Billy Hayes
signalled that he was willing to order further industrial action in the
run-up to Christmas if Royal Mail and the Government fail to accede to
demands for independent arbitration."
The
Times of India has reported that "Pulling up the postal department for
its lackadaisical attitude while dealing with an undelivered money order
complaint, UT state consumer commission held that officials should not take
advantage of a blanket immunity provided to them under the Indian Post
Offices Act."
Sky News has reported that "The leader of the postal workers' union has
raised the prospect of more strikes if its bitter dispute with Royal Mail is
not resolved soon."
WBZ has reported that "Managers at three southern New Hampshire post
offices manipulated employees' time sheets, causing some people to be
underpaid, the inspector general of the U.S. Postal Service said."
Octobetr 16, 2009
According to
Media Daily News, "A total of 383 magazines have closed in the first
nine months of 2009, compared with just 259 new titles launching. This
continues the trend of the last couple of years, when more magazines closed
than launched, according to MediaFinder.com, a property of Oxbridge
Communications. Conversely, the number of closures in 2009 was smaller than
2008, when 525 titles closed and 335 titles launched."
The latest issue of
the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
DMM
Advisory:
Move
Update
The Move Update standard requires periodic matching of a
mailers address records with customer-filed change-of-address (COA)
orders. Its goal is to reduce the number of mailpieces in a mailing that
require additional handling for forwarding or return.
Yesterday we filed notice with the Postal Regulatory
Commission (PRC) to describe the new method our Business Mail Entry Units
(BMEU) will use to determine whether or not to assess the $0.07 Move
Update charge to First-Class Mail and Standard Mail pieces evaluated
during acceptance.
Originally intended for a Standard Mail implementation date
of May 2009, we deferred the effective date of the new standard until
January 4, 2010. For consistency with the treatment of Standard mail, we
also apply the same effective date to First-Class Mail. Both classes will
be assessed the additional postage charge on pieces determined at
acceptance to have an error rate above a 30% tolerance level.
Sample testing will be done for each mailing accepted at
MERLIN locations, and the BMEUs will provide feedback to the mailer on
the effectiveness of their Move Update process. The assessment applies
only to those pieces in the mailing that are found to exceed the
tolerance level, based on the sampling.
Example: if a mailing is found to have an error level
of 50%, then 50% minus 30% (tolerance level) = 20% of the mailing that
will is assessed $0.07 per piece.
Any mailing that has five or fewer update errors is not
assessed the fee, regardless of the percentage that is not
updated.
Complete details of the assessment process are available at:
http://ribbs.usps.gov/move_update/documents/tech_guides/Move_Update_Advisement_Policy.pdfh
The Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
is available on Postal Explorer
(
pe.usps.com). To subscribe to the
DMM Advisory, send an e-mail to
dmmadvisory@usps.com. Simply
indicate "subscribe" in the subject line.
According to the
Wall
Street Journal, "Much of what used to be done through the mail,
including bill payments and personal correspondence, is now handled
electronically. So why does the catalog, which helped Richard Sears launch
his eponymous retail empire more than a century ago, continue to thrive in
the electronic age? Because glossy catalog pages still entice buyers in a
way that computer images don't. Catalogs, marketers say, drive sales at Web
sites, making them more important than ever.
Virtually no one expects the mail-order catalog to go away --
even though only 1.3% of those catalogs generated a sale, the survey found.
The average U.S. catalog retailer reported mailing about 21 million catalogs
in 2007, sending out a new edition every 26 days.
The
Azerbaijan Business
Center has reported that "Within Financial Sector Development Project
(FSDP) being implemented by the Azerbaijani government jointly with World
Bank Group (WBG) Azerpoct (national postal operator) has announced a tender
procedure for purchase of computer equipment facilities for connection in
postal offices. The project executive group says that the tender was
announced for purchase of desktop ((UPS, operating system and antivirus);
multitask machine (copy templet, fax machine, scanner, printer); matrix
printer. Tender participation cost is AZN 300 or $375. Each bid should be
guaranteed for $8,000. The bids must be submitted till 3:30 pm 1 December
2009 at the address: 36, Uzeir Hajibeyov Str."
From
PR Web:
"Companies often reward customers who choose to pay their bills or unsecured
loans by direct debit, in several cases reducing the total payment amount
due. But a number of those who have decided to pay by other means have now
found that the postal strike has cost them a little extra, possibly giving
them credit problems. "Many people are concerned that paying by direct debit
takes away the control they have over their finances, which could lead to
poor credit or even defaults and CCJ's" explains a spokesperson for
http://www.creditproblemsnoproblem.co.uk. "However, those paying by direct
debit are relatively unaffected by the postal strike, with their loan &
credit card payments still being made through their bank on the due date".
According to
Marketing Direct, "Direct mail users advised to switch to Royal Mail
rivals - but questions remain on whether rivals can cope."
Today
from Hellmail:
Brand Republic has reported that "Royal Mail denies plans to bypass
postal workers union to reshape business."
The
Boston Globe has a very nice piece on Bob Hoobing, who recently died.
Many will remember Bob when he served on the Communications Department staff
at the Postal Service.
According to
Dead Tree Edition, "Potter's statement did not clarify whether he was
referring to all market-dominant rates or to the average rates for each
class. For example, could new discounts be introduced and some rates in a
class increased in a way that caused no change in the average cost of the
class's mail? But Potter's statement made clear that he understands the two
dangers of an exigent rate increase. In the short run, higher rates would
suppress mail volume. An exigent rate increase would signal to mailers that
the Postal Service is unreliable and that they can no longer count on rate
increases being capped by inflation. Continued downsizing is clearly in the
cards. Just last week, USPS announced possible consolidation of nine more
processing and distribution centers. Nearly 40 such Area Mail Processing
studies are in the works, along with the possible closing of hundreds of
post offices. Postal officials are looking into new revenue streams, and
Potter's statement today mentioned that they want "to grow the mail through
innovative incentives like the Summer Sale and contract pricing." And,
inevitably, the issue of the retiree-benefits shell game will be on the
table."
From
Capital.gr: "A
top United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) executive called for lower global trade
barriers during a speech in Colombia Thursday, saying nations that reject
protectionism will flourish over those that don't. Bob Lekites, president of
UPS Airlines, also said reduced trade barriers hold the key to a global
economic recovery. He made his comments during a keynote address at the
Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association's Airline Leaders
Forum in Cartagena, Colombia."
As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability and environmental
leadership, the
U.S.
Postal Service voluntarily conducted an inventory of its greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions. The study establishes the baseline for future, annual
evaluations to help determine if the Postal Service is meeting its stated
GHG reduction goals. The Postal Service's direct GHG emissions total 5.3
million tons, only 1 twentieth of 1 percent of the total GHG emissions in
America. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, this is roughly
the equivalent of 1 million gasoline cars driving an average of 12,000 miles
on the road each year. Contracted transportation represents the source of 52
percent of the Postal Service carbon emissions. Emissions from facilities
represent 36 percent. Given that the Postal Service has 43,000
alternative-capable fuels delivering mail across the country, only 12
percent of the carbon footprint is attributed to vehicles. The Postal
Service has stated goals to reduce energy use 30 percent by 2015, reduce
petroleum fuel use 20 percent by 2015, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
20 percent by 2020. Achieving electric and fuel reduction goals will be
included in pay-for-performance goals for postal managers.
The Guardian has reported that:
At the Postal Regulatory Commission: Section 3030.11 of the Commissions rules, 39 CFR 3030.11, specifies that
complainants must serve their complaints on the Postal Service via email at
a specified email address. This order changes the email address referenced
in 39 CFR 3030.11. To accurately reflect the current status, the email
address listed in that section is, by this order, changed from
Sandra.t.broadus@usps.gov to
PRCCOMPLAINTS@usps.gov.
October 15, 2009
From the Postmaster General to Postal Service Customers:
Many of you have expressed concerns regarding mailing costs for 2010. The tough economic climate has presented significant challenges to all of us and pessimistic speculation has suggested that postal prices could increase by as much as 10 percent. As we begin a new fiscal year and as many of you, our business clients, are preparing your 2010 operating budgets, we want to end all speculation.
The Postal Service will not increase prices for market dominant products in calendar year 2010. Simply stated, there will not be a price increase for market dominant products including First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, periodicals, and single-piece Parcel Post. There will be no exigent price increase for these products.
This is the right decision at the right time for the right reason. Promoting the value of mail and encouraging its continued use is essential for jobs, the economy, and the future of both the Postal Service and the mailing industry. While increasing prices might have generated revenue for the Postal Service in the short term, the long term effect could drive additional mail out of the system. We want mailers to continue to invest in mail to grow their business, communicate with valued customers, and maintain a strong presence in the marketplace.
Changes in pricing for our competitive productsPriority Mail, Express Mail, Parcel Select, and most international productsare under consideration. We expect to announce a decision in November. We are committed to working with customers to find ways to grow the mail through innovative incentives like the Summer Sale and contract pricing. Mail is the most effective means of communication and advertising and we will continue to work together to increase the value of the mail. Mail is a smart investment for the future.
The Postal Regulatory
Commission has posted its September 2009 update on cumulative change to
CPI-U over the past 12 months. Calculated through September, inflation has
amounted to -0.3%. [EdNote: Reductions in postal rates anyone?]
The Telegraph has reported that "Householders are unlikely to see a
return to a normal postal service until November, as union leaders refused
to rule out further strikes after next week's stoppages."
Reuters has reported that "Thousands of postal workers will strike for
two days next week, their trade union said on Thursday, in a dispute over
pay, jobs and modernisation at Britain's state-owned Royal Mail. The CWU
said 42,000 mail centre staff and network drivers would strike on Oct. 22
and 78,000 delivery and collection staff would walk out on Oct. 23." See
also the BBC.
CNET News has reported that "The search giant announced Thursday at the
Frankfurt Book Fair that in the first half of next year it will launch
Google Editions, a new service that will deliver e-books to anyone with a
Web browser."
According to the
Panama City News Herald, "At a time when many
American businesses and industries are being forced to cut back, reorganize
and rethink their operations, theres no reason why the United States Postal
Service should be immune to similar changes, painful as it might
be for some. The mail carrier is hemorrhaging red ink like the Exxon Valdez
and must adapt to rapidly evolving technological and social
environments....When facing such daunting challenges in the marketplace,
savvy private businesses will take drastic measures, from innovating
(incorporating new technologies into revamped processes) to restructuring
management and operations hierarchies. This often involves closing offices
and cutting staff. When forced to, they often find they can perform better
with less. The full range of those options, though, are not available to the
USPS because it is a quasi-federal agency. When the service has proposed
cutting post offices and consolidating service areas, it has been met with
congressional resistance lawmakers block the
moves to curry political favor with constituents. It also has a
large and heavily unionized workforce, which has hamstrung reform.
The best solution would be to get government out of
the mail business. Privatize mail delivery, just as many European
nations and New Zealand have done successfully, and end its legal monopoly
on first-class mail delivery, opening it up to competition."
The
Omaha
World-Herald has reported that "When the president for the Association
of Postal Commerce speaks in Omaha next Thursday, he will tell the business
people in the audience that its time they tell Congress what they need and
what theyll pay for from the Postal Service. Like roads, the postal system
is part of the nations infrastructure, but the country needs to decide how
it should be organized and paid for, in light of todays economy and
increasingly popular electronic communication, Gene Del Polito said by phone
from Washington, D.C."
American Postal Workers Union William Burrus
has launched an attack on the Association for Postal Commerce. As
for his solution for the Postal Service's woes, Burrus recommends:
"Discontinue the exorbitant postage discounts that are offered to large
mailers which are currently as high as 10.5 cents per letter and allow
members of the APWU to perform all mail-processing functions at the rate of
10.4 cents for every letter and flat." According to Burrus, "the union offer
would save the Postal Service one tenth of one cent on each letter and flat,
the challenge is a win-win proposition, Burrus said. I hope that the
postmaster general gives it serious consideration. [EdNote: Why attack
PostCom? Because it's the one association with the brass to say "mailers
have had enough" of postal rate increases, cost-shifting to mailers'
shoulders through an ever-increasing variety of postal regulations and
operational rules, postal inspectors pressuring mailers to pay penalties for
violations where none exist, and a whole laundry list of issues that stem
from the Postal Service's being ham-strung by a cost structure that's
still--after all these years--80% labor-related. Labor contracts and
outmoded work rules that fail to comport with today's economic reality have
condemned the Postal Service on the road to perdition.]
The Wrap has reported that "Im your worst fear. That's what Reed
Hastings, founder and CEO of Netflix, told a group of magazine executives in
New York on Wednesday, when he was asked which magazines he has
subscriptions to. I read them online. I love the content. And I dont pay
for it.
DM News has reported that "Magna, an agency in the Interpublic Group
division Mediabrands, predicted this week that revenue for owners of direct
media a diverse group comprising search engines, the US Postal Service and
phone directories, among others will rise 3.3% next year. That rise occurs
when national and local brand-based advertisers are included and revenue is
evaluated as a whole."
Glamsham has noted that "October 9 is celebrated all over the world as
World Postal Day, and this year to kindle interest in the young generation
about the charm of the written words a special campaign is being organized
by the Postal Departments to underline the virtues of letter writing.
Indeed, letter writing has indeed gone out of vogue and it has been replaced
by Tweets, SMS and electronic mail, which cannot come in the public realm
after the users are gone as it would be password protected. Vital period of
history and social development is in the danger of getting lost, as the
individual views would not find any mention, as they are lost in the
electronic maze."
Marketing Direct has reported that "The Prime Minister said yesterday
that Royal Mail could lose major contracts if the "unnecessary" national
strike is not averted." See also
Parcel2Go.
Supply Management has reported that "Of the buyers surveyed by Supply
Management, 37 per cent are looking to switch to another postal supplier,
fearing disrupted services. A number of purchasers had already abandoned
Royal Mail, citing poor service and uncompetitive pricing."
Federal News Radio has reported that "For the first time ever, a federal
agency is releasing a report of its greenhouse gas emissions. The
United States Postal
Service measured emissions from its buildings, vehicles, and contracted
air, rail and ship transportation. Sam Pulcrano is the Vice President of
Sustainability for USPS."
The Telegraph has reported that:
Today
on Hellmail:
From the Federal Register:
Postal Regulatory Commission PROPOSED RULES Periodic Reporting Rules , 52942 [E924860]
October 14, 2009
According to
BloggingStocks, "Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has been the leader in DVD sales
in the U.S. for years now. It's estimated that 40% of all U.S. DVD sales
originate within the doors of the world's largest retailer. But, could those
days be coming to an end? With Blu-ray DVD players coming with built-in
internet video streaming, cable and satellite having video-on-demand choices
of all recent movies, and more people buying content from Apple Inc.'s
(NASDAQ: AAPL) iTunes every day, what is the future of the physical DVD?"
According to
Rag Content, "the Postal Service needs to put together a real
strategic plan for the next three years to get itself out of this fiscal
mess and back into the black. There is merit in asking Congress to
restructure the retiree health benefits payment and to stop interfering in
closures and union contracts, but there no place in the market for the
Postal Service to directly compete with other segments of the economy or its
customer base. If the Postal Service cannot survive on stamps alone, then
it needs to enlist its customers' help in divining what its future should
hold."
Customer Support Ruling
on "Computer Readable-Media Eligibility for Media Mail Prices." According to
the USPS, "video games, whether on CD-ROM, diskettes, or similar software,
regardless of form, or playable systems including computers, do not meet the
standards for Media Mail. In addition, storage devices such as portable
hard drives, "thumb drives," "flash drives," "jump-drives," and "USB
drives for use with computers are also not eligible for Media Mail prices.
Qualifying computer-readable media may contain no advertising except when
provided for by standard, e.g. incidental announcements of other books with
books in a computer-readable format."
Tech Blorge has reported that "If Netflix CEO Reed Hastings is to be
believed, DVD is preparing to go the way of the VHS cassette. According to
Yahoos Today in Tech, Mr. Hastings said that DVD will remain the primary
delivery format for movies for the next two years at his company which
currently boasts 11 million customers. He did not, however, say if it would
be Blu-ray or streaming movies that would replace the aging format. This
isnt to say that DVD will just disappear overnight as he sees the format
holding on in some way for another decade or so past 2012. This is a
reversal of previous statements Mr. Hastings has given where he saw DVD
remaining Netflixs primary focus through as late as 2018."
The
BBC has
reported that "Royal Mail will suffer long term damage if the planned
national postal strike goes ahead, Gordon Brown has warned. The Prime
Minister said the firm could lose major contracts if the "unnecessary"
walk-out was not averted."
Reuters has reported that "Target Stores has
begun offering a magazine newsstand on its Web site. The retailer
has signed on Zinio, which offers electronic
versions of magazines and books from more than 350 publishers.
The electronic magazines are designed to look much like the print versions
of the titles. On Target's site Zinio will sell magazines as single editions
of current and older issues, or as annual subscriptions -- usually at a
discount. People can read them in a Web browser version or through an
application that Zinio offers for download." [EdNote: Postage? We don't
need no stinking postage!]
According to
Dead Tree Edition, "Ads in magazines have more impact on consumers, with
less cost, than ads on either the Web or television, an extensive new study
indicates. "Overall, magazines drove consumer behavior more effectively and
efficiently than television or online among consumers who were reached by
each medium," according to a summary of the Dynamic Logic study prepared by
the Magazine Publishers of America. Though it didn't commission the study,
MPA has good reason to publicize the research company's findings, which are
based on an aggregation of 39 different client-commissioned studies.
Magazines kick butt especially when it comes to influencing whether
"consumers have a favorable opinion of the brand" and whether they are
likely to purchase a brand, the study found. In both categories, they have
more influence than TV or the Web combined. Magazines have a slight lead in
aiding brand awareness and are virtually tied with TV for ad awareness."
The
Financial Times has reported that "As President Barack Obama reconsiders
his strategy for the war in Afghanistan, the US military is closely watching
the Pakistani city of Quetta from where Taliban commanders are believed to
be overseeing the stubborn insurgency across the border. According to
western officials in Islamabad, US officials have focused on Pashtunabad, a
dusty suburb of Quetta, which they believe is a vital link between the
Taliban's 12-15 member top leadership council, known as the "Quetta shura ",
and the Taliban in Afghanistan. "This place is like the Taliban's post
office in Baluchistan," says one western official, referring to the western
Pakistani region that borders the southern Afghan province of Helmand. "The
people who travel across this border with Taliban connections include those
carrying out assignments for the Quetta shura . They carry messages to and
from the shura to people on the ground, and work as eyes and ears for the
shura ".
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.
To participate in the webinars, customers must register using the reserve a
seat link provided below.
The topics to be covered are:
ePolitix has reported that "A group of Labour MPs has backed the
Communication Workers Union's efforts to find a resolution to the current
postal dispute."
The
Courier, Express, and Postal Observer has noted that "This blog has
noted earlier the efforts of Deutsche Post and Post Denmark to automate
their acceptance process and solve the problem of delivering parcels to
people who are not at home. Hellmail has just reported that Post Denmark
will install an additional 60 of these Dgnposten bringing the total number
to 108. To put this in perspective, this Postal Service would need to
install nearly 25,000 to have the same level of customer access as will
exist in Denmark."
The
Postalnewsblog has reported that "In a letter posted on the web site of
the National Association of Postal Supervisors, USPS Human Resources VP
Anthony Vegliante has admitted that the USPS Pay for Performance program
will not accurately reflect the contributions of supervisors, postmasters
and managers for the fiscal year just ended. Citing the economic downturn,
Vegliante warns that the USPS may end the year with a corporate NPA score
for which the adjective rating would be non-contributor. Employees who
worked diligently and contributed to the organizations performance may
receive an end of year rating of 3 or less and a personal adjective rating
of non-contributor.
The
Business Standard has reported that "the Department of Posts
today launched a new service that would enable customers to
trace their mails through Short Messaging Service (SMS). Also
Read Related Stories News Now - B-school chalks out DoP revamp -
DoP to launch Retail Post in 5,000 post offices - Now, postman
to collect data for consumer price index Also Read Related
Stories News Now - Bulls Day Out: Markets at 17-month highs -
State Bank of Indore Q2 profit rises 25% to Rs 78 cr - Exide
Industries surges on Q2 net jump - Property sale boosts Unitech
- Can Fin Homes net up 22% in Q2 More "This new service will
enable public to locate their mails, especially speed post, by
sending an SMS and they will receive the location of their
mail," T Murthy, post master general, Tamil Nadu circle
(business development and marketing) told reporters here."
CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
Belgium is currently the scene of massive rumours concerning the possibility of La Poste going public.
Pos Malaysia has announced some internal transformation measures. Without mentioning any details, CEO Datuk Syed Faisal Albar told The Business Times (09.10) that the board of directors had approved the corresponding plans. In the last two years the Malaysian post suffered deficits that were almost exclusively attributable to the posts stake in cargo airline Transmile Group.
Spains post Correos is expecting mail volumes to shrink noticeably this year.
The Finnish post Itella has announced the axing of 360 jobs. The jobs will have gone by the end of 2010 as part of a streamlining process.
The Tunisian post is turning increasingly toward the provision of financial services.
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.)
FedEx
Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and one of the worlds largest
express transportation company, has further enhanced its overnight services
between Asia and Europe with the introduction of a new next-business-day
service connecting mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore with France and
Germany.
The Mirror has reported that "Postal union leaders last night unveiled a
last-ditch plan to avert a national strike. But Royal Mail bosses seemed to
condemn it out of hand, saying it amounted to a fresh set of demands."
Bloomberg has reported that "Japan Post Holdings Co. could expand into
the aged care business, Financial Services Minister Shizuka Kamei said in a
speech to the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo today. Kamei, who also
oversees the postal service, said branches in rural areas could also be used
for aged care."
The Telegraph has reported that "Householders are to be hit with a
three-day postal strike next week after it emerged that unions are planning
a co-ordinated series of 24 hour stoppages to cause maximum chaos."
Stories today on Hellmail:
The
Globe and Mail has reported that "With a free postcard you can send from
your keyboard, Hippopost puts its own stamp on direct-mail marketing."
MediaDailyNews has reported that "Bloomberg LP has purchased the
80-year-old BusinessWeek from McGraw-Hill Cos. The acquisition includes the
print magazine and the BusinessWeek.com Web site."
According to
Adweek, "the findings of a survey released today by The NPD Group, based
on fieldwork last month has revealed that eleven percent of the NPD
respondents said they plan to spend more for the holidays this year, vs. 30
percent planning to spend less. Based on its research, NPD anticipates
year-to-year growth of 0.5 percent to 1.5 percent in consumers' holiday
spending."
The
Wall
Street Journal has reported that "Pitney Bowes
Inc. (PBI) has filed a lawsuit accusing privately held Zumbox Inc. of patent
infringement. The suit filed in California Central District Court
claims Zumbox, which is developing a paperless postal system, is infringing
upon three of Pitney Bowes' U.S. patents. Traditionally known for its
expertise in physical mail, Pitney Bowes recently has expanded its
capabilities to include online communications products that link to and run
in parallel with physical communications. Pitney Bowes invested more than
$200 million in research and development in 2008, with much of that total
dedicated to software products, said Bernie Gracy, vice president of
strategy and new business development at Pitney Bowes. Zumbox has built a
postal system that combines features of email and the U.S. Postal Service.
The company has created digital mailboxes that correspond to every street
address in the country, through which customers may receive digital mail.
"We want to prevent [Zumbox] from using our intellectual property in the
commercialization of their service," Gracy said. "We have an obligation to
our shareholders to protect those patents."
1up.com
has reported that "Gamefly's legal struggles with the United
States Postal Service are getting heated as the company seeks to
prove preferential treatment for competing services, reports
GamePolitics (via Hacking Netflix). The legal complaint, filed
in April, accused the USPS of giving preferential manual sorting
to Netflix and Blockbuster, which Gamefly contends could help
prevent costly broken discs. The company claimed about 1% of
discs are broken in transit, but the post office contends that
their sorting is done like any other company, and Gamefly's
packaging is to blame."
According to the
BBC,
"The union representing Royal Mail workers has said national
postal strikes could begin on Thursday 22 October. A number of
localised walkouts have already been taking place across the
country for several months. Some of those braced for further
disruption tell their stories."
October 13, 2009
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
According to the
Courier, Express, and Postal Observer, "The research that Oliver
Williams completed that brought him the Nobel Prize in Economics highlight
key issues in the transformation of the courier, express and postal (CEP)
business over the past two decades. In its press release, the Nobel
Committee stated that "Oliver Williamson has argued that markets and
hierarchical organizations, such as firms, represent alternative governance
structures which differ in their approaches to resolving conflicts of
interest. The drawback of markets is that they often entail haggling and
disagreement. The drawback of firms is that authority, which mitigates
contention, can be abused. Competitive markets work relatively well because
buyers and sellers can turn to other trading partners in case of dissent.
But when market competition is limited, firms are better suited for conflict
resolution than markets. A key prediction of Williamson's theory, which has
also been supported empirically, is therefore that the propensity of
economic agents to conduct their transactions inside the boundaries of a
firm increases along with the relationship-specific features of their
assets."
The Hollywood Reporter has claimed that "Better-than-expected retail
sales growth in September is further boosting UBS' growing optimism in the
U.S. advertising market outlook. Analyst Michael Morris said in a report
Monday that the "modestly better retail environment may embolden ad buyers."
Media Daily News has reported that:
From
Marketwire: "In one of the world's most high-profile and relevant RFID
postal applications, AIDA Centre and Alien team up to provide a complete
solution for the Universal Postal Union's (UPU) 21 member country quality
efficiency program."
Voxy has reported that "New Zealand Post Group companies are getting
behind relief efforts for tsunami victims with a combined $50,000 cash
donation, a special bank account for New Zealanders to make donations and
large shipping containers for staff to send essential goods to family and
friends. Acting Group Chief Executive Sam Knowles said the tragedy that
devastated Samoa and hit other Islands has had a profound impact across the
Pacific Island community."
RoadTransport has noted that "In the face of continuing industrial
action, Royal Mail has won a 19.5m contract with the Qualifications and
Curriculum Authority (QCA). The three-year contract will see the postal
service collect 960,000 packages of unmarked scripts from 5,500 examination
centres and deliver them to approximately 50,000 examiners and six scanning
bureaus throughout England."
Politics.co.uk has noted that "Commenting on the Communications Workers
Unions (CWU) decision to widen postal strikes, and on-going disruption to
mail services, David Frost, Director General of the British Chambers of
Commerce (BCC), said: The announcement today will be a serious knock to
business confidence. The run up to Christmas is a vital trading period for
firms and if this strike goes ahead orders will be lost and the fragile
recovery will be undermined. It is about time those involved in the
industry showed some much needed leadership and brought an end to this
disruption.
According to
PrintWeek, "A national postal strike action could begin as early as next
Thursday (22 October) if an agreement with Royal Mail cannot be reached, the
deputy general secretary of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) has said."
The
Azerbaijan Business Center
has reported that "Azerbaijani postal operator Azerpoct Ltd forecasts that
more than half of its earnings will be received due to bank services.
Rovshan Rystamov, technical manager of project System of postal & financial
services and system of computerization of postal operations for Azerpoct,
says that Azerpoct is just coming in the market of bank services and it is
difficult to define the share of this market to be held by Azerpoct."
The
IBTimes has reported that "Royal Mail postal strike dates could be
announced today if CWU demands not met."
Marketing Direct has reported that "The Communication Workers Union has
written to Royal Mail offering a deal to avoid strike action, but warns that
strikes could still proceed starting on 22 October. The offer comes a week
after members of the CWU voted by three-to-one to support strike action as
part of an increasingly bitter dispute over pay, modernisation and working
conditions. The vote has forced e-commerce firms and direct mail users to
develop contingency plans for mail and parcel delivery." See also
SkyNews and
ITN.
The
European Commission has published its report on "The
Role of Regulators in a More Competitive Postal Market."
Hellmail has reported that:
The Telegraph has reported that "The national postal strike, expected to
start next week, will cost retailers 840 a week, according to a forecast
which predicts the economy will be hit to tune of 1.5 billion."
The
Belfast Telegraph has reported that "A seven-day national postal strike
could lose the Northern Ireland economy 34m, experts have warned. According
to the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) one week of strike
action by 120,000 workers could particularly hit retailers across the
province by an estimated 6.2m."
"China has experienced amazing changes since the historic meetings between
Chairman Mao and U.S. President Richard Nixon in the early 1970s," said
Scott David, Chairman and CEO of UPS, U.S. package and shipping giant United
Parcel Service. "Over the last four decades, the world has watched in awe as
China has risen from a state of relative isolation to become a major player
on the global stage," said Davis in a recent exclusive interview with
Xinhua.
The
Daily Mail has reported that "A national postal strike would cost the
economy 1.5billion in terms of lost orders, extra administration and higher
delivery costs, a survey claims. At the same time, it would have a massive
impact on the troubled Royal Mail, which would lose tens of millions of
pounds in income as its business customers switch to rivals. Consumers who
rely on the post to pay utility bills and manage their credit card bills
also face enormous disruption and a risk of penalty charges."
According to
Business Week, "Mobile commerce is gaining momentum as consumers get
comfortable with ordering all sorts of products by cell phone and companies
such as Papa John's watch sales climb."
Logistics Management has reported that "Effective April 19, the United
States Postal Service (USPS) will offer its Global Express Guaranteed (GXG)
service from seven USPS locations in the Honolulu, Hawaii area. USPS
officials said this roll-out will provide expanded international shipping
options for businesses and consumers."
According to the
Financial Times, "Industrial militancy tends to be suppressed by
recessions: in the first half of this year, days lost through strikes ran
close to record lows. But there are startling exceptions. The 1984-85
miners strike took place at the peak of postwar unemployment. Now postal
workers threaten strikes as joblessness heads towards 3m."
According to
Joseph Lazzaro for Blogging Stocks, "What's one change the federal
government should implement quickly to increase revenue and also end a
needless subsidy? Increase mail rates for business. Investors know it's the
fall season - a time when students return to school and Americans get back
to work. But it's also catalogue season catalogues that consumers often
have a hard time convincing companies to remove them from their lists,
despite not having considered a purchase from them in eons. And the reason
the catalogues keep coming is obvious enough: commercial U.S. Postal Service
mail rates are low: that 44-cent U.S. postage stamp you buy for a private,
first-class letter subsidizes commercial mail delivery, which pays a
dramatically lower rate on a per once basis."
October 12, 2009
LiveMint has reported that "Global IT and consultancy firm Accenture on
Monday said it won an order from the Postal Department to modernize the post
offices across the country. The financial details of the deal were not
known."
According to the
Wall Street Journal, "Email has had a good run as king of
communications. But its reign is over. In its place, a new generation of
services is starting to take holdservices like Twitter and Facebook and
countless others vying for a piece of the new world. And just as email did
more than a decade ago, this shift promises to profoundly rewrite the way we
communicatein ways we can only begin to imagine. We all still use email, of
course. But email was better suited to the way we used to use the
Internetlogging off and on, checking our messages in bursts. Now, we are
always connected, whether we are sitting at a desk or on a mobile phone. The
always-on connection, in turn, has created a host of new ways to communicate
that are much faster than email, and more fun. Why wait for a response to an
email when you get a quicker answer over instant messaging? "
ABS-CBN News has reported that "A lawmaker on Monday challenged the
state-owned Philippine Postal Corp. (Philpost) to aggressively engage in the
remittance trade and install Internet cafs in order to stay competitive and
viable. "The advent of modern and instant communication technologies such as
mobile telephone text-messaging and electronic mail threatens to make the
post office irrelevant," said Catanduanes Rep. Joseph Santiago, chairman of
the House of Representatives Committee on Information and Communications
Technology. He added: "Advanced communication technologies have already
killed the telegraph business. If Philpost wants to keep on making money and
stay fully functional, it should play a part in new emerging markets."
Daily News and Analysis has reported that "Private sector bank HDFC is
looking to increase its reach in the microfinance segment by tying-up with
the postal service department and is in talks with it for the same."
The
Financial Times has reported that "postal workers are planning a series
of rolling nationwide strikes aimed at causing maximum disruption to
families and businesses in the run-up to Christmas. A 24-hour all-out
stoppage - probably on Monday or Tuesday next week - followed by a
succession of three-day rolling strikes will be high on the list of options
when leaders of the Communication Workers' Union meet today to plan their
campaign. Royal Mail says it has reduced the backlog of letters and parcels
delayed by recent regional strikes from 9m to 4m, but it is feared that
national stoppages could send that soaring to 100m or 200m items."
According to
Parcel2Go, "Leaders at the Communication Workers Union (CWU) are
considering calling on all postal workers to launch ten days of rolling
strikes which could leave a backlog of up to 100 million undelivered letters
and parcels."
The
Wall
Street Journal has reported that "Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced
Monday that the U.K. government plans to cut 16 billion ($25.35 billion)
from its huge debt pile by selling off a portfolio of state-owned assets and
real estate, ranging from a betting service to a book of student loans.
Speaking to an audience of economists, Mr. Brown said that this "marks the
beginning of a radical program" in which his Labour government will examine
what other state assets can be sold. Still, the government has typically
faced opposition from unions and its core working-class supporters when
selling state assets. This led to postponing the partial sale of the Royal
Mail postal service earlier this year."
Deutsche
Welle has reported that "A number of German postal companies are joining
forces to take on market leader Deutsche Post. The companies want to build
up a nationwide delivery network under the name of Mail Alliance. Regional
postal companies, such as Berlin-based Pin Mail, Citipost in Hannover, and
Arriva in southwest Germany will join the consortium."
According to
Advertising Age, "The 2010 Census is expected to find that 309 million
people live in the United States. But one person will be missing: the
average American. "The concept of an 'average American' is gone, probably
forever," demographics expert Peter Francese writes in 2010 America, a new
Ad Age white paper. "The average American has been replaced by a complex,
multidimensional society that defies simplistic labeling. The message to
marketers is clear: No single demographic, or even handful of demographics,
neatly defines the nation. There is no such thing as "the American
consumer."
Marketing Direct has reported that:
Transport Intelligence has reported that:
Deutsche Post DHL has deployed a Disaster Response Team (DRT) to Padang Airport in Indonesia at the invitation of the United Nations. The team has already started handling first incoming aircrafts, bringing in medical supplies and generators. The DRT will temporarily help manage the expected surge in air cargo operations at the Padang Airport, thereby reducing bottlenecks and keeping the airport open for additional relief flights. The DRT team consists of 10 trained DHL volunteers, coming from the DRT Asia Pacific in Singapore and the DRT Middle East in Dubai. Their deployment is a pro-bono activity and they are working closely with UNOCHA, the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team and national authorities to coordinate relief logistics activities.
Environmental Protection has reported that "Zumbox, the nation's first
paperless postal system, launched in New York City this month, after Mayor
Michael Bloomberg announced a pilot project that will send municipal
paperless mail to all five boroughs of the city and explore further
opportunities to cut down on the cost and environmental impact of printing
and delivering "snail mail." Bloomberg launched the program as part of a
comprehensive set of initiatives to employ new technologies to make city
government more accessible. The Zumbox Web-based platform powers the world's
first paperless postal system. For every U.S. street address, there is a
corresponding Zumbox a digital mailbox which enables postal mail to be
sent as digital files and received online with no paper and no scanning.
This new category paperless mail represents the first practical
alternative to traditional postal systems. When using Zumbox, municipal
governments will save on printing, paper, and postage costs, reduce their
environmental impact, and connect with residents through an entirely new and
interactive communications channel."
|
Postal Regulatory Commission Chairman Ruth Goldway is a featured
"Federal Face" in today's Washington Post. |
 |
The
Daily Mail has reported that "Royal Mail bosses have shared more than
10million in bonuses for implementing cost-cutting measures that union
leaders blame for pushing the organisation to the brink of a national
strike. Thirteen current and former executives at the state-owned company
have pocketed large rewards since 2002-3 for hitting targets aimed at
modernising the business. But a spokesman for the Communication Workers
Union said Royal Mail directors have been getting 'unwarranted bonuses' for
cost cutting and axing jobs."
October 11, 2009
As
The Mirror put it: "Unless the CWU goes back to the table to find a
compromise, there wont just be a cut in jobs at the Royal Mail, there will
be no jobs at all."
As
one writer for
The Scotsman put it: "short of a grassroots campaign among the turkey
community calling for all our Christmases to come early it's hard to think
of a more wilfully self-destructive act than the decision by postal workers
to go on strike and thus ensure that all our presents actually come sometime
in February. I wonder if the guys at the Royal Mail even begin to realise
just how fragile their position is. Because if they did they'd no more go on
strike than a pensioner diagnosed with pneumonia would think the answer was
40 Capstan Full Strength before bed."
KFBB has reported
that "Post offices in Choteau, Conrad, Cut Bank, Fort Benton, Belt, and
Black Eagle will all be seeing changes to their retail desk hours. The
changes are all part of an effort to save money by cutting hours at 50
postal facilities statewide."
As
The Telegraph has noted, "National postal strike misery to start next
week."
October 10, 2009
KYIVPost has reported that:
People's Daily has reported that "China has basically formed a modern
postal service network which comprehensively utilizes a variety of
transportation modes including aviation, rail and highways to connect urban
and rural areas, cover the whole country and reach every corner of the
globe, said Liu Andong, general manager of China Post Group, on October 9."
The
Cebu Daily News has reported that "the volume of letters mailed through
the Philippine Postal Corp. in Eastern Visayas continued to decline over the
first nine months of the year due to faster and Internet-based form of
communications provided by private companies."
The
Star-Ledger has reported that "Waving cardboard signs and wearing
matching orange T-shirts emblazoned with the words "Keep Our Mail in West
Jersey," more than 100 employees of the West Jersey Processing and
Distribution Center packed the Hanover Recreation Center Friday tonight to
protest the possible closure of the 20-year-old processing center.
Shuttering the mail facility, in the Whippany section of Hanover, could
result in the loss of 187 jobs."
According to the
Adam Smith Institute, "One of the merits of competition is that it
limits the power of producers. Most people focus on how firms have to
compete with each other if consumers have a choice, but
competition also limits the power of organized
labour. The degree to which it can impose uneconomic terms on
employers is severely limited if customers can move elsewhere and cause
their employer to go under. Where competition is
introduced into a state monopoly, it also limits the power of the unions to
put political pressure on government by interrupting the service.
When the UK featured many state-owned monopolies, strikes were a common
feature as unions exploited the power which monopoly gave them. But it was
not only privatization and the competition which usually accompanied it
which undermined their power; technology played an important role.
The Post Office provides a classic example."
The
Derby Evening Telegraph has reported that "DHL Express says it will
deliver if Royal Mail staff walk out."
The Telegraph has reported that "Royal Mail is braced for a wave of
compensation claims from customers who are set to lose out in the national
post strike."
As
DM News has noted, "Postmaster General John Potter took on proponents of
do-not-mail legislation last week, saying that mailed advertisements help to
fund the US Postal Service during a time of financial instability for the
agency."
The
Waterbury Republican-American has reported that "Beyond the cavernous
hallways on the second floor of the Post Office building downtown,
14 employees sit in a room where they watch movies,
read books and magazines, play board games anything to stay
busy during their eight-hour overnight shift. The only rule of the standby
room: They can't do any work. "We're on dead time,"
said Donna Briglia, a mail processing clerk for 22 years. As the Post Office
moves mail processing from Waterbury to Wallingford, employees whose jobs
involve operating and maintaining machines have nothing to do. By the end of
October, when the move is complete, most mail processing clerks, mail
handlers and maintenance workers will be on standby.
Because of a "no layoff" clause in the employees' union contract,
the Post Office can't simply hand out pink slips. Instead, the employees are
placed in the standby room while the federal agency tries to place them into
new jobs."
Tunisia Online has
reported that "Mr. El Hadj Gley, the Minister of communication technologies
has confirmed on Friday the new orientation of postal services towards
financial activities, which currently account for 65% of the revenues of the
Tunisian Post Service, against only 40% in 1999."
The Guardian has reported that "Online retailers and small businesses
are calling on the government to intervene in the ongoing postal dispute,
amid fears of a "disastrous" Christmas if mail strikes continue."
Fox28 has
reported that "A postal carrier has pleaded guilty to charges that he
stockpiled hundreds of pieces of undelivered mail in vacant mailboxes and
parcel lockers along his Elkhart County route."
According to the
Daily Mail, "harities fear losing more than 50million as a result of a
Royal Mail strike that would hit fundraising and sales of their Christmas
cards. The voluntary groups have already seen a disastrous drop in
individual and corporate giving because of the recession."
The
Financial Times has reported that "Royal Mail is recruiting hundreds of
temporary staff at special sorting centres in an effort to keep services
going in the face of national strikes threatened by 121,000 postal workers."
The Star has reported that "the Royal Mail last night edged closer to
disaster as leading firms hinted they were deserting it ahead of strike
action. Customers including retailers Amazon and Argos are planning to jump
ship to rivals to ensure that Christmas gifts are delivered on time. Other
firms such as banks and utility companies are encouraging customers to use
online billing systems."
The International
News has reported that "Pakistan Postal Services Additional Director
General (Operations) Fazli Sattar Khan has said that Pakistan Post is
committed to make secure and timely delivery of mail, money and material at
the doorsteps of the customers at affordable cost."
Indian Express has reported that "On the occasion of the World Post Day
celebrated on Friday by the Universal Postal Union, of which India is a
governing council member, India Post is celebrating a postal week in which
senior officials would meet important clients across the nation, said senior
postal officials in Vadodara. The schemes offered by India Post are safer
and tax-healthy as compared to ones in the share market. Although we do
record the previous business engagements of our clients, majority of shifts
to postal schemes happened after December 2008. While other companies were
losing out on business because of recession, we grew by 50 per cent in
Vadodara and about 32 per cent in the last six months, said Postmaster
General Arvind Joshi."
The Times has reported that "Postal union leaders will decide in a
critical meeting on Monday whether to announce the required seven-day notice
period that they intend to call a national strike."
According to
Forbes, "FedEx Is A Fragile Package."
October 9, 2009
The
Journal of Commerce has
reported that "The recovery may be sharper and quicker than expected, but
FedExs chief economist believes consumer wariness could blunt it within a
few quarters. Gene Huang believes the economy is firmly recovering, and
that real GDP will grow 3 percent in 2010, Morgan Stanley analyst William
Greene said today in a note to investors. The consensus for U.S. GDP growth
next year 2.4 percent could prove far too conservative, Huang told
Morgan Stanley analysts. The average GDP growth rate in the year following
the 10 recessions since World War II was 5.4 percent, Huang told Morgan
Stanley. Industrial production has historically jumped by 10 percent or more
in the year after a recession."
The latest copy of the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. electronic governmental affairs newsletter is available on the NAPUS web site.
The
U.S. Postal Service announced today that 371 retail stations and
branches remain under consideration for possible consolidation. Today's
announcement updates a review process begun earlier this summer that
examined approximately 3,600 stations and branches in urban and suburban
areas across the country, focusing on facilities in relatively close
proximity to one another, to determine where consolidations might be
feasible, while maintaining customer access to postal services.
The latest issue of
the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
The
Universal Postal Union has noted that "delivering some 430 billion
letters and 6 billion parcels worldwide each year, the vast network of post
offices employing nearly 6 million people must urgently rethink the way
it does business to reduce its carbon footprint and change its patterns of
energy consumption, the head of the United Nations postal agency said today.
Operating over 600,000 postal establishments and as many vehicles makes it
is a significant producer of greenhouse gas, said Universal Postal Union
(UPU) Director General Edouard Dayan in a message for World Post Day,
celebrated annually on 9 October, the day the UPU was founded in 1874. The
world postal sector cannot stand aside and do nothing, stressed Mr. Dayan.
Like other organizations, we must look seriously at ways of becoming
climate neutral. The UPU has launched an initiative to measure the
industry's carbon footprint to be presented at the high-level UN climate
change conference at the end of the year in Copenhagen aimed at finalizing a
deal on global greenhouse gas emissions to take effect when the first
commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
The Postal Service has alerted all who subscribe to its
Address Change Service that "ACS
fulfillment for Wednesday October 7, 2009 and October 8, 2009 did not
contain all of the records available for fulfillment. ACS customers who were
expecting ACS fulfillments on Wednesday October 7, 2009 and Thursday October
8, 2009 may not receive all of the records available for fulfillment.
This may have caused a reduction in your normal ACS
fulfillment volume for the dates indicated. We are working to
correct this issue. We are anticipating having the issue corrected for the
Friday October 9, 2009 fulfillment. If you are not scheduled for a
fulfillment on Friday October 9, 2009 then they will appear on your next
scheduled fulfillment."
The minutes of the
meeting of the State Department's Federal Advisory Committee on
International Postal and Delivery Services of June 4, 2009 have been
posted on the State Department website.
According to Dead Tree
Edition, "Postmaster General Jack Potter has been telling mailers
groups in recent days that he does not plan to raise postal rates next year,
a reliable source tells Dead Tree Edition. Worried that price increases
would backfire and cause mail volumes to drop further, Potter is telling
mailers that any increase in 2010 would be very small, the source says.
Mailers are interpreting that as at most 2% to 3%, which would mean a
one-cent increase in the price of the First Class stamp." [EdNote:
Two-Three Percent at a time of ZERO inflation is far from being "small."
Mailers should oppose ANY postal rate increase at all.]
The Budapest Business Journal
has reported that "state-owned postal services company Magyar Posta expects
to close 2009 with pre-tax profit of HUF 6.2 billion, well over the HUF 4.87
billion target in the business plan, CEO Ildik Szűts said at a press
conference."
Thomson Local has reported that "A leading direct marketing industry
body has condemned plans for a national postal strike to be held in the UK.
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has claimed that "no party" will gain
from the Communication Workers Union's industrial action, although
businesses could prove to be "the ultimate loser".
The Register has reported that "Online UK retailers are outlining plans
to flee Royal Mails service following yesterdays Communication Workers
Union vote, which came out massively in favour of a national strike." See
also
New Media Age.
Transport Intelligence has reported that "DHL has sponsored research on
state of global trade that asserts that, "when world trade rebounds, the
value of trade will increase faster than volumes". This interesting, if
controversial, statement comes out of the London School of Economics, which
produced the work for DHL. Specifically the report, called 'International
trade, express logistics and globalization', asserts that the Air Express
sector will grow more rapidly than the global economy generally due to its
ability to promote global trade in fast growing sectors such as healthcare,
spare parts and the movement of documents."
Montgomery Ward Company is founded by Chicago mail-order pioneer (Aaron) Montgomery Ward, 29, whose savings were nearly consumed by last year's fire. He scrapes together $1,600 and goes into business with George R. Thorne, who puts up $800. Setting up shop in a 12- by 14-foot loft over a livery stable at 825 North Clark Street, Ward and Thorne call themselves "The Original Grange Supply House" and prepare a one-sheet "catalogue" to test Ward's idea that farmers hurt by low commodity prices will respond to bargain offerings that can be shipped by rail. The catalog issued October 9 is the world's first mail-order catalog; it lists some 50 dry goods items, all priced at $1 or less, with savings of 40 percent. Ward will offer 10 days' grace on orders from Grange officials or countersigned with the National Grange seal (see 1884; Sears, 1886; agriculture [Grange], 1868).
The
BBC has
reported that "Postal workers are continuing regional walkouts, a day after
a strike ballot saw strong support for national action. Staff in Bristol,
Carlisle, Coventry, Kilmarnock, Leeds, London and Nottingham are among those
taking part in regional strikes."
Hellmail has reported that:
From the Federal Register:
Postal Service RULES Customer Deposit of International Mailpieces , 5214452147 [E924331] Stamped Mail Over 13 Ounces Must be Presented at a Retail Service Counter, 5214752148 [E924332]
The National Association of Major
Mail Users (NAMMU) has reported that "Canada Post launched two important
initiatives this summer with the Canadian mailing industry to encourage mail
usage and volume growth. Simply put, Canada Post is offering the VAM and
print community, opportunities, tools and insight to develop new and
increased business including access to referrals through the Canada Post
online directory. The second initiative is the Win
Back program for Addressed/Unaddressed Admail. Canada Post is offering
a special time limited Admail discount promotion for new and lapsed
customers. A promotional discount of 10% will be made available to customers
who meet the outlined criteria. Duration of Program August 2009 to March
31, 2010 ."
As
the
Star Gazette has noted, "Two Chemung County legislators on Thursday
announced their opposition to employee cuts proposed by the U.S. Postal
Service at the Sullivan Street mail processing facility in Elmira.:
As
the
Washington Post has noted, "The U.S. Postal Service lost billions of
dollars in revenue during the last fiscal year as the volume of mail
plunged. Lawmakers may one day soon consider cutting mail delivery to five
days a week. They also may need to sort out how the Postal Service pays for
the benefits of current and future retirees. But most customers only care
about one thing: The fate of their neighborhood post office."
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
According to
Dr. Tatiana Vazulina, "for the past few years analysts have warned about
the increasing threat of modern market trends to traditional postal services
and questioned their viability in the new economic environment. The postal
industry has been affected by forces such as globalization, liberalization,
deregulation, the opening-up of competition and technological advances.
These forces influence the structure of the industry, altering the position
of national posts as the sole providers of postal services and depriving
them of a monopoly over postal operations. Moreover, these changes challenge
the role of the postal industry in supporting commerce and economic
development."
|
|
PostCom welcomes its newest member: Digitaltoprint 708 Third Avenue, 29th Floor New York, NY 10017-4201. Represented by Glenn A. Lombino, Founder. |
The
Wall
Street Journal has reported that "debate has been delayed over a
proposed labor provision that has pitted FedEx Corp. (FDX) against United
Parcel Service Inc. (UPS), but the two package-delivery heavyweights remain
girded for an inevitable fight. The U.S. Congress last month put off
consideration of a bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration by
opting to continue funding the agency through Dec. 31 under its current
authorization. The existing FAA bill had been set to expire Sept. 30. "We're
in a marathon," FedEx spokesman Maury Lane said. "This isn't a sprint."
October 8, 2009
The U.S. Postal Service of the future will remain relevant, meet the
changing needs of the people it serves and reflect the demands of the
marketplace,
Postmaster General John Potter said in a speech at The National Press
Club today. I want to establish a public dialogue about the future of the
Postal Service, not as it existed yesterday, nor as it exists today, but as
it evolves and changes for tomorrow, said Potter. The Postmaster General
said he is looking at the long-term future, seven, 10, and 15 years from
now.
Forbes has reported that "In the midst of a downturn in global trade,
chief executive Frank Appel hopes to steer the logistics giant back to
profit."
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
Philly.com has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service says it plans to
shut down a southern New Jersey distribution center in February, possibly
putting 650 people out of work."
Ghanaweb has reported that "Ghana Post Company has been on the blind
side of any public scrutiny for over a decade, until recently its old
management practices were not questioned. The recent allegation of
embezzlement of GHc20,000 (September 2009) by the manager at the Kumasi
office is only one of the few tangibles that government has been able to
identify and put into the public domain. But to the millions of customers of
Ghana Post throughout the country and around the world there is no respite
because they can only count their losses running into billions of cedis as
intangibles. This came about essentially because incoming mails were not
received and outgoing ones abroad sometimes did not reach the intended
destination."
Kyodo News has reported that "Japan Post Insurance Co. said Thursday
that 13,574 cases of leaked customer information have occurred via a
personal computer used by an employee of a computer systems developer
working for the insurer."
Reuters has
reported that "German postal services company Deutsche Post (DPWGn.DE)
expects its "e-letter" project, which it hopes will rival email, to hit the
market by mid-2010, the manager leading the company's most important
strategic project said. The Bonn-based company is developing a format for an
electronically sent letter, which is more secure and reliable than email, to
make up for lower profits from the conventional letters -- one of its main
products -- due to the use of email."
Accofrding to
The Messenger, "he Russian Transport Ministry is drawing up agreements
which will allow Moscow to control the air transportation system in the
Georgian breakaway region of Abkhazia. Earlier the Russian and separatist
Abkhaz authorities had signed an agreement introducing Russian telephone
codes into Abkhazia. Moscow has also taken over the postal service in the
breakaway region, sending international letters and parcels through the
Russian state post."
The
Irish Examiner has reported that "Communications Workers Union general
secretary Steve Fitzpatrick has challenged the Minister for Communications
Eamon Ryan to publish two consultant reports on the introduction of
postcodes....He added that postal workers view the introduction of postcodes
as a very real threat to their pay and conditions, and to the quality of
postal services to the public." [EdNote: Wha*^&$%???]
IBTimes has reported that "Workers at Royal Mail have decided to strike
after a national ballot of all 121,000 postal workers at the Communication
Workers Union voted three to one in favour of a strike. In total 61,623 out
of 80,830 members who voted decided to support a national strike."
[EdNote: Great....I'm sure that will do a lot to instill confidence in the
British mail system as a viable and reliable means for communicating and
doing business....Folly knows no national boundaries.] See also
The
Times, the
Wall
Street Journal, and the
BBC.
U.TV has posted a Q&A on the UK postal strike on its web site.
From the Federal Register:
Postal Regulatory Commission PROPOSED RULES Subpoena Procedures , 5181551823 [E924222]
The
BBC has
reported that:
|
The following individuals were elected as officers of the association for the 2010-2011 period: Jody Berenblatt (Bank of America) as Chairman; Steven Lopez (Experian) as Executive Vice Chairman; Donna Hanbery (Alliance of Independent Store Owners and Professionals) as Secretary; Michael Winn (R.R. Donnelley) as Treasurer. Re-elected to an additional three year term as directors of the association were: James Bowler (MailExpress), James Giencke (Arandell Corporation), Peter Jacobson (Netgram), Joline Johannes (Boardroom Inc.), Mark Mandell (Data-Mail), Jim OBrien (Time Inc.), Wolfgang Pordzik (DHL-Deutsche Post), Wanda Senne (World Marketing), Wendy Smith (Publishers Clearing House), Michael Winn (R.R. Donnelley), Lisa Wurman (Vertis Communications). Newly elected as a directors were: Jim Kane (Lockheed Martin) and Tim Record, (L.L. Bean). The Board also expressed its appreciation to outgoing board chairman Jim O'Brien and retiring director (and former board chairman) Cary Baer for their years of service to the association. |
 |
|
Outgoing Chairman Jim O'Brien receives "Man of the Year" Award from PostCom President Gene Del Polito |
The Guardian has reported that "Royal Mail has lost a crucial
contract with its second largest customer, the online retailer Amazon,
as a wave of strikes threaten parcel deliveries in the busy
pre-Christmas sales period. The news comes on the eve of a national
strike announcement by the Communication Workers Union that is likely to
bring the simmering industrial dispute to the boil and further disrupt
deliveries across the country." See also
Financial Advice.
|
|
PostCom welcomes its newest member: Nicor Gas Company 1844 W. Ferry Road Naperville, IL 60563-9662 Contact: Brian Maruyama Vendor Manager - Customer Care. |
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
October 7, 2009
As
National Geographic noted, "The now inescapable bar code celebrates
its 57th anniversary Wednesdaya milestone unmissed by Google, which
replaced its home page logo with a bar code "doodle" that translates to
"Google."
Staines News said that "we value the proud heritage of the Royal
Mail, but preserving and enhancing the organisation requires a long
overdue shake-up. This issue has been made more important by years of
ducking the challenges faced by the postal service, which has led to a
patchwork of interim measures with a continuation of Victorian practices
and inefficiency. It is of concern that those opposing re-structuring do
not acknowledge that the strength of Royal Mail is being sapped, not
just by competition or the loss of frustrated major customers, but by
the arrival of the digital age. Indeed, many of the pleas urging me to
resist the plans have come via email."
Hellmail has reported that "If modernization of Royal Mail is to be
successful, then the core recommendations and proposals contained in the
Hooper Report (Report) must be correct and logical, as the Hooper Report
has become the basis for Royal Mail modernization efforts. This segment
will first examine the Hooper Reports actual process for modernization
of Royal Mail, followed by, an analysis of several of the major actual
modernization recommendations."
From
Business Wire: "ecoEnvelopes (www.ecoEnvelopes.com),
the worlds leader in innovative, eco-friendly mailing solutions is
pleased to announce that it has appointed Mike Cibulka as its new CEO,
after serving as acting CEO since earlier this year."
Internet Retailer has reported that "FedEx announced yesterday it is
opening up its SmartPost delivery deal with the U.S. Postal Service to
smaller retailers. Previously, the program was only open to high-volume
retailers that shipped several hundred packages a day. Now there is no
minimum order requirement, and any retailer can request SmartPost
service when they schedule a FedEx Ground pickup."
The
Gloucester County Times has reported that "Gloucester County
Freeholder Director confirms USPS distribution center in Logan Township
closing doors in 650-job cut."
Dead Tree Edition has told its readers that "Jim OBrien and David
Straus have been arguing about Periodicals postage rates for years, but
they definitely agree on one point: The Postal Service has goofed when
it comes to measuring the costs of handling periodicals. No one to date
has been able to explain the incomprehensible rise in Periodicals costs
during a period of substantial increases in mailer worksharing, OBrien
wrote recently at the Pushing the Envelope blog run by the Postal
Services Office of Inspector General. Periodicals mailers have, in
unprecedented numbers, migrated to co-mailing, co-binding,
co-palletization, drop shipping, sack reductions, and increases in
carrier route copies. How could this significantly more efficient mail
lead to greater mail processing costs? asked O'Brien, who is Time
Inc.s Director of Distribution and Postal Affairs."
IBTimes has reported that "The nation wide postal strike looms as
the Communication Workers Union is set to announce the result of its
nationwide ballot this week, but a mass walk-out may yet be avoided as
both the CWU and Royal Mail are locked in last minute talks."
The Telegraph has reported that "The Royal Mail has been accused of
misleading customers by allowing postmen to deliver Sorry, you were
out cards when householders were actually at home."
CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
In France, more than 2 million people have said no to planned new legislation involving the restructuring of the post.
An increase in turnover and declining profits marked the financial year 2008/2009 (31 March) for the South African Post Office (SAPO).
The Infrastructure Programme 2007 - 2012 announced by the Mexican post around two years ago appears to have failed. The post is miles away from its original aim of becoming one of the worlds best postal service providers. Market observers like Professor Gabriel Sosa Plata even fear that the post could vanish completely at some stage.
The government-owned Paraguayan post has a market share of only 4% today.
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.)
WCNC has reported that "The message to the Postal Service from the
city council here Tuesday night: Find a way to make cuts that doesnt
cost Hickory. The council is reacting to the possibility that the USPS
will close the Hickory Processing and Distribution Plant, just over the
city border in Conover."
From the Federal Register:
Postal Regulatory Commission RULES New Postal Product , 5146751470 [E924237]
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
October 6, 2009
The latest issue of PostCom's
PostOps Update has been posted on this site--a
Special Issue on the New Flats Deflection Requirements that take effect
on January 4, 2010.
Press Release:
"Syslore Ltd. has signed a contract with Norway Post to deliver an
address recognition system for mail sorting systems. By using Syslore's
mCorrection address matching and recognition system Norway Post will
increase the automation level of its mail sorting process and improve
the level and quality of the address and recipient recognition."
The
Press Association has reported that "Postal workers in London are
set to join a fresh wave of strikes. The Communication Workers Union is
expected to announce on Thursday that 120,000 of its members at the
Royal Mail have backed a national strike."
Supply & Demand Chain Executive has reported that "In time for the
busy holiday shopping and shipping season, FedEx SmartPost is extending
its service offering to small and medium-sized shippers."
According to
Advertising
Age, "Internet-advertising revenue in the U.S. plunged 5.3% to $10.9
billion in the first half of the year compared to the same six-month
period a year ago, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau and
PricewaterhouseCoopers, which compile online-ad spending totals every
quarter."
From
PR Newswire: "Avery Dennison Office Products Company, a business
unit of Avery Dennison Corporation, (http://www.avery.com),
debuts an online universal package tracker service that allows small
businesses and individuals to track up to 50 packages at a time from
multiple carriers - all in one place."
From
CSRWire: "UPS has become the first small package carrier to offer
its customers the ability to offset the carbon dioxide emissions
generated by the transport of their packages within the United States."
The
Daily Sun has reported that "Activities at the nations post offices
across the country were on Monday brought to a halt as members of the
National Union of NIPOST Retirees (NUNR), embarked on a one-day protest
to demand payment of pension arrears due to its members."
YLE has reported that "Finland's postal service, now known as
Itella, has announced plans to cut 360 jobs by the end of next year.
Itella hopes that the majority of the jobs can be reduced through normal
staff attrition. The cuts are a result of new efficient machines and the
fact that the company is concentrating mail sorting operations in
Helsinki, Tampere, Kuopio, and Oulu. This will create redundancies that
will reduce the need for personnel."
WETM has reported that "The union president says you can expect to
see a slow down in your mail service starting December 17th. That's when
he says all of the automated mail sorting machines at the Elmira
facility on Sullivan Street will be brought to Rochester. Along with
those machines are 55 workers who are being asked to transfer to other
postal facilities within 500 miles."
The
Derbyshire Evening Telegraph has reported that "couriers and
delivery companies in Derbyshire are waiting to take on extra work if
city postal workers go on strike."
The
Connexion has reported that "the government has dismissed the
results of an unofficial consultation on the future of La Poste in which
it is claimed more than two million people voted. Government spokesman
Luc Chatel said the ballot, which was organised by postal unions and
opponents from left-wing parties, was misleading, lacked transparency
and has no legal value at all."
Direct magazine has reported that "Mailer groups doubt that last
weeks decision to give the U.S. Postal Service $4 billion worth of
temporary fiscal relief was enough to solve its massive financial
problems. They also fear Congress may be compelled to take up postal
reform again despite the 11 years it took to pass the Postal
Accountability and Enhancement Act in 2006."
According to the
Courier, Express and Postal Observer, "Since its inception, the
Postal Service and its supporters have touted its existence as a self
supporting entity. In practice, self-supporting has not meant
independence."
Dow Jones has reported that "India's federal postal department
Tuesday signed pacts with two fund managers to help manage cash that it
will collect daily as premiums from its life insurance customers. The
funds to be managed will be equally split between state-run UTI Asset
Management Company and SBI Fund Management, a government statement
said."
Marketing Direct magazine has reported that "Representatives from
the Direct Marketing Association have met with the special adviser to
business secretary Lord Mandelson, to repeat its call for government
intervention in the Royal Mail postal strike. At the meeting with
Mandelson aide Geoffrey Norris, the DMA told of the damage that the
continuing Royal Mail strikes are having on the direct marketing
industry and DMA members in particular."
The Postmaster General will be interviewed on the
Diane Rehm show on NPR this
morning at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. The subject is The Future of the Mail.
From the Federal Register:
Postal Regulatory Commission NOTICES New Postal Product , 5134151342 [E924002]
The
Elmira Star Gazette has reported that "Local postal workers are
seeking help to fight a plan by the U.S. Postal Service to move mail
sorting equipment and jobs out of Elmira. U.S. Rep. Eric Massa,
D-Corning, said Monday he met with union members in Elmira for several
hours over the weekend and was immediately skeptical of the plan."
October 5, 1009
"NEWSWEEK
asked a variety of management consultants and business futurists how to
turn the old pony express into a sleek, 21st-century moneymakeror, at
the very least, a breaker-even. Listen up, Postal Service (and
Congress): for this advice, we'll let you cut in line."
As
Federal Times has noted, "Theres definitely a generational gap
here: People of Rooneys age have a sentimental attachment to the mail
that just doesnt exist in younger generations."
Advertising Age has reported that "The nation's top 100 media
companies eked out 0.8% revenue growth in 2008 -- and the reported
revenue for top media firms in the first half of this year fell 4.3%
from a year ago, according to Ad Age's analysis. The biggest losers are
no surprise: newspapers, where revenue plunged 13.5% in 2008. Magazines
did better, with revenue falling 6.9%. Revenue for broadcast TV
(including networks and local stations) dropped 4.6%."
Materials Handling World has reported that "NetDespatch proof of
delivery innovation wins Postal Technology International top award 05
October 2009 NetDespatch SecureScan has won the Postal Technology
International Awards 2009 category for "Delivery Innovation of the
Year", presented at the Post-Expo 2009 conference and exhibition,
Hannover, beating off stiff competition from Motorola and Intermec. The
groundbreaking secure parcel delivery solution - developed jointly with
NetDespatch technology partner First Ondemand - uses cryptographically
paired encoded barcodes to ensure that goods can only be released to the
intended recipient. Using the latest Internet, auto ID and wireless
communications technology, the NetDespatch SecureScan system provides
fully authenticated proof of delivery by creating a matched pair of
unique digital barcode tokens. One of these barcode tokens is provided
to the recipient by email or text, and the other is printed on the
package label. Both barcodes can be matched at the point of delivery
without needing to connect to a central server, ensuring that parcel and
recipient are matched, and only then are the goods released."
Radio
France Internationale has reported that "More than 90 per cent of
the two million people who took part in an unofficial citizens' poll
this week in France voted against privatising the postal service,
according to the group of unions, left-wing parties and community groups
that organised the vote. The government has said it will not scrap the
plan but the opposition Socialists want an official referendum."
According to
Reuters, "Deutsche Post DHL shot itself in the foot by defending its
near-monopoly in the German mail market, and the looming end of its tax
advantage will open the door wide to rivals like TNT. Deutsche Post is
the only postal service provider in Germany that is exempt from paying
value-added tax, which German media have said gives the company a cost
advantage of up to 500 million euros ($728.5 million) over rivals. Now
one of the parties that will be part of a new government is making
noises about ending the tax exemption sooner than expected to create a
level playing field in the German mail market, opening the door for
rivals to snap up market share and potentially forcing deep cost cuts at
Post. TNT, a Dutch group, stands to benefit the most from a more
competitive environment in Germany as it already has some business in
Germany that it could build on."
From the Federal Register:
Postal Regulatory Commission RULES New Postal Product , 5107851082 [E923895]
Cargonews Asia has reported that "Sweeping new mainland express
letter and parcel delivery rules, which came into effect on October 1,
will give state organ China Post a near monopoly and wipe out many small
and medium-sized domestic operators. China has assured foreign
integrators their international operations will not be effected by the
new rules but it effectively bars them from the domestic letter and
small parcel delivery market."
According to
CBS' Andy Rooney, "The postal service is a government agency but
it's supposed to operate like a business. Most people don't realize that
- I know I didn't realize it - but the post office doesn't get tax
money. It has to pay for itself. In 1900, there were 77,000 post offices
around the country. Today with four times as many people, there are only
37,000 post offices - 40,000 fewer post offices for 230 million more
Americans. No wonder it wasn't in the mail. We have a lot of things that
need cutting, but post offices are not among them."
According to
CityWire: "Elderly people dependent on dividends for income are
having a tough time with the postal strike delaying the arrival of their
cheques. Businesses are struggling with unpaid bills as cheques get
stuck in the post. Consumers face penalty charges on their credit card
bills for non-payment and the possibility of a black mark on their
credit file, and late payment of utility bills could lead to some being
threatened with disconnection. Motorists face incurring extra costs to
parking fines and, possibly, legal action. But there is a bright side to
this. Those who have refused to convert to internet banking, paperless
bills and direct transfers for payments might decide that enough is
enough and opt for online transactions. This will save utilities
companies and credit card issuers a fortune. They have been trying to
persuade us all to go paperless for years, offering discounts and
incentives for those who do and penalties for those who dont."
Hellmail has reported that "in an internal message addressed to
employees, Johnny Thijs, Chief Executive Officer of Belgian postal
operator La Poste, attempted to diffuse potential industrial action
relating to the transformation of the Belgian mail distribution network.
In a letter to labour unions, he suggested a period of calm and invited
them to take stock of the situation in the course of the week and to
highlight points for ongoing debate. He said he recognised there were
concerns about job security for personnel."
October 4, 2009
3news.co.nz has reported that "If you're hoping to exchange
Christmas cards and gifts with friends and family in the UK you had
better move quickly. Britain's Royal Mail Service is being held to
ransom by the demands of its 170,000 staff. Strikes have caused delays,
which are exasperating businesses and even threatening Christmas. After
14 weeks of rolling strikes the postal union claims there are 25 million
items of post backlogged in London alone."
AMEInfo has reported
that "Acxiom Corporation announced a strategic expansion into the Middle
East-North Africa (MENA) market with the acquisition of DMS (Direct
Marketing Services) in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates."
According to
Hellmail, "Harsh words but the simple fact is, if the Royal Mail
cannot provide a consistent service, (and further strike action will
only add to concerns), a permanent exodus to email and electronic mail
boxes can only accelerate and leave a massive dent in Royal Mail's plans
that it may never recover from. Negotiations between the CWU and Royal
Mail are entirely pointless if both sides fail to get a grip on the
bigger problem of decline in letters and return to delivering a service
to customers who expect far more than they once did."
October 3, 2009
Yahoo!
Tech has asked: "How do we save the magazine industry? Time Inc. is
reportedly hoping that a "Hulu for magazines" will do the trick.
According to All Things D, Time is shopping around a plan that would
create a "digital storefront" for magazines where shoppers could buy
subscriptions and have them delivered to any device. The company would
operate independently from the magazine's publishers and investors.
Publishers Hearst and Conde Nast are reportedly interested in the
venture, which is expected to debut in 2010."
Bloomberg has reported that "Japans Financial Services Minister
Shizuka Kamei targets a complete change in the management of Japan Post
Holding Co., he said today in a television program."
According to
Kiplinger, "There will 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 strapped agency figures
will save it at least $3 billion a year. Congress will grudgingly go
along, though not until 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."
Two new 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.
October 2, 2009
The latest issue of
the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
The most recent issue of the National Association of Postal Supervisors
Legislative Update has been posted on the
NAPS web site.
At the Postal Regulatory Commission:
Mother Nature Network has reported that "Municipal mail accounts for
a staggering amount of postal transactions. In New York City alone, 15
million pieces of mail from the City are sent out on a typical day. So
Zumbox targeted the mayors of some of the biggest cities in the U.S. --
San Francisco, New York and Newark -- and invited them to become the
premiere partners of the paperless service. Now all 3 cities have signed
on and are sending correspondence to city residents via Zumbox."
The following reports have been posted today 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.
The Postal Service has taken positive steps to implement a strategy to reduce fuel consumption within surface network operations mainly by eliminating excess transportation capacity. Additionally, the Postal Service undertook a significant initiative to reduce capacity further by realigning its network2 and added to its strategy by exploring the expanded use of alternative fuel vehicles. However, the Postal Service could implement a more effective fuel strategy by adopting some key industry best practices to increase fuel efficiency and reduce overall fuel use. These best practices include the following: adding aerodynamic equipment; ensuring proper tire pressure, and limiting truck speeds. If these practices are implemented, we estimate the Postal Service could reduce fuel use by more than 25 million gallons annually, saving about $364.2 million in fuel costs. Fuel Management Consumption Strategies for Surface Network Operations (Report Number NL-AR-09-010)
Our audit of lease processes and procedures found that the Postal Service could enhance their procedures to ensure leases are more economically beneficial to the Postal Service. We found that responsible Facilities personnel were adhering to established policies and procedures; however, the Facilities Service Offices could improve internal controls with regard to the following: o Termination Language. o Cost and Income Analyses. o Negotiating with National Lessors. o Review and approval of leases under $25,000. Postal Service Lease Process (Report Number SA-AR-09-006)
Controls Over the Bulk Mail Revenue, Pieces, and Weight System (Report Number CRR-AR-09-007)
Advertising Age has reported that "Traditional publishers --
concerned that Apple's anticipated tablet computer could affect their
business the way the iPod disempowered music publishers -- are
discussing possible strategies, including an industry-wide digital
storefront where tablet users could buy digital issues or subscriptions
without going through iTunes or the App Store. If the Apple tablet that
many expect early next year proves popular for flipping through tailored
editions of magazines and newspapers, Apple's iTunes or App Store could
become chokepoints between readers and publishers."
The
Washington Post has reported that "Approximately 5,000 full-time
Postal Service employees eligible for retirement ended their Postal
careers this week, accepting $15,000 buyout offers as part of a
cost-cutting move. Another 18,0000 full-time workers have also accepted
the offer, but have until Oct. 31 to complete the paperwork or opt out.
Officials stress the current figures are preliminary and are likely to
change as workers make their final decisions. In addition to the
full-time staff, part-timers have until Oct. 16 to initially accept the
buyout and until Nov. 30 to make a final decision."
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PostCom welcomes its newest member: Nicor Gas Company 1844 W. Ferry Road Naperville, IL 60563-9662 represented by Brian Maruyama Vendor Manager - Customer Care |
RPost has
filed suit in US Federal Court against Goodmail Systems, Inc and has
asked for an injunction to prevent further patent infringement by
Goodmails Certified E-mail Paper Suppression service. Basically
Goodmail started up as a way for marketers to buy their way past the
spam filters of cooperating ISPs says Zafar Khan, RPost CEO. Like
many people in the industry, we didnt like that because it essentially
creates a two-tiered e-mail system: one for paying spammers and another
for everybody else. But if e-mail providers want to let corporate
spammers into their users mailboxes, that is between them and their
users. However, with the introduction of their Paper Suppression
service, Goodmail crossed a line. Goodmails Paper Suppression service
claims to allow bulk emailers to prove the delivery and content of their
messages if (a) the recipient is accessing either email through a
Goodmail participating ISP, and (b) the sender is using a Goodmail
participating email provider.
In her ruling concerning a USPS motion "to accept partial response to
Commission information request no. 1, question 15," the
Chairman
of the Postal Regulatory Commission said that: "The Postal Service
asserts it would be burdensome at this stage in the proceeding to
require it to provide the street addresses and ZIP Codes for its
approximately 3,600 facilities originally under consideration. The
argument that because a facility is dropped from consideration makes its
exact location (street address) less relevant is not overly persuasive.
This information is basic to understanding the demographics of an area
and can be used to evaluate how the Postal Services prescreening
process is working. It is questionable how a federal entity that prides
itself in delivering mail to over 100 million addresses 6 days a week
does not have at its fingertips basic business information such as the
physical addresses of all its brick and mortar facilities....Several
facts have become clear as this proceeding progresses. The needs of
society and how society perceives the role of the Postal Service are
important. Many communities care deeply about the existence of their
local post offices. This indicates that identifying a facility as a
candidate to be closed should not be taken lightly."
The latest copy of the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. electronic governmental affairs newsletter is available on the NAPUS web site.
October 1, 2009
The
Daily Mail has reported that "A lazy postman who hid almost 6,000
letters and parcels because he could not be bothered to get up to
deliver them has been jailed."
According to Rag Content,
"The Postal Service is facing trying times, as most businesses are
throughout the world. Its main focus has been cost cutting and matching
resources to revenue in an attempt to right-size the sinking ship.
Congress has passed a continuing resolution that will give the Postal
Service $4 billion in retiree health care payment relief. This payment
relief is for fiscal year 2009 only and will bring the USPS loss from $7
billion to $3 billion, which is right in line with its annual borrowing
authority. The Postal Service will (most likely) borrow the $3 billion
and try to avoid political suicide by not having an exigency rate case
filed in February 2010. So what lies ahead for the Postal Service?"
Call for Papers The Center for Research in Regulated Industries is now accepting abstracts for next years conferences. Advanced Workshop on Regulation and Competition's Eastern and Western Conferences, More information about the Call for Papers is available at http://crri.rutgers.edu/call/ CRRI now has a dedicated email account solely for submission of abstracts: crripapers@business.rutgers.edu. To submit an abstract, see Call for Papers for the conference concerned. You will receive an automated receipt of your email, followed by a personal response. If both of these are not received within 48 hours please contact crri@business.rutgers.edu or call 973 353 5761.
From the Federal Register:
Postal Regulatory Commission RULES New Postal Product, 5070850712 [E923687]
The Senate has approved legislation that
will allow the Postal Service to forgo making an additional $4 billion
payment toward postal retiree health benefits costs. So, as far as
Fiscal Year 2009 is concerned, the Postal Service has dodged a
potentially fatal fiscal bullet. See story below. See
also the
Federal Times and the
Washington Post.
Politico has reported that:
In the case of the Postal Service, the relief promised to the cash-strapped agency had been previously endorsed by the House but never truly debated in the Senate this year until it was dropped into the stopgap spending bill last week.
In interviews with POLITICO, Maine Sen. Susan Collins, the ranking Republican on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, protested the procedures used. And even advocates, such as Sen. Thomas Carper (D-Del.), said the relief is only a short-term solution.
This is a Band-Aid we will accept, Carper said. Its not the solution we need.
At issue is a $5.4 billion payment owed this week to the postal retirees health benefits fund. As adopted, the bill will require the agency to pay only $1.4 billion now and effectively amortize the remainder beginning in 2017. Carper said the level prepayments required of the Postal Service are unrealistic and exceed what many private companies provide. And with $32 billion already in the fund, the agency insists that no taxpayer money is involved.
Nonetheless, under Senate rules, the $4 billion triggered a spending point of order, and New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg, the Budget Committees ranking Republican, said, It is a $4 billion bill that is being sent to the taxpayers of America.
This wasnt a surprise, ... and everybody knew it was coming, Gregg said, given the agencys mounting revenue problems. This train has been coming down the track, and the track was straight.
This is the third time in five years that weve tried to put a patch on the Postal Service, said Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.). We duck the hard problems; we dont want to offend anyone. ... We are setting an example with this bill that we dont care."
Postalreporter.com has noted that APWU "President Burrus announced
he will retire at the end of his term in 2010. The delegates at the All-
Craft Conference in Las Vegas, NV gave him a standing ovation which
brought tears to his eyes. He also asked for a per capita national dues
increase of $1 next year to help offset decreases in membership. He
would continue making cuts in expenses as needed."
APWU President William Burrus has told his members that "We also
see declining mail volume, he noted, adding that he and Postmaster
General John Potter have debated the causes and solutions for the
problem, which poses a serious threat to postal jobs. While the Postal
Service blames much of the decline on the increased use of email and the
Internet for personal and business communication, Burrus said, most of
the decline is due to the severe economic downturn. I reject the premise
that the Internet and email are the cause of the loss of volume, he
said. Ninety-three percent of postal revenues now come from advertising
mail, he said, adding that is time for the USPS to acknowledge the
fact, adapt, and increase its business. If we lost every electric
bill, he noted, it would be less than one percent of our total volume.
But with a downturn in the economy we lose 30 percent, because companies
are not advertising. The USPS must change its mindset, Burrus said.
Its not about waiting for someone to drop a letter in the box Weve
got to generate the volume.
Yahoo! Finance has reported that "UPS became the latest sponsor of
the London 2012 Olympics on Wednesday, and the delivery company will
manage the local organizing committee's transportation and logistics
over the next three years in a part-cash, part-services partnership."
AllAfrica.com
has reported that "Former Postal Corporation boss Fred Odhiambo has sued
Information minister Samuel Poghisio over alleged wrongful dismissal. Mr
Odhiambo said his termination was illegal and was therefore seeking
compensation. He was sent packing in May following alleged mismanagement
at the State corporation."
Easy
Reader has reported that "Hermosa officials have enlisted the aid of
Congresswoman Jane Harman to keep the doors open at the citys
52-year-old post office, which has been slated for possible closure."
The Omaha Postal Customer Council will be holding its annual conference
on October 22.
Registration information has been posted on this site. Dr. Gene Del
Polito President, Association for Postal Commerce is serving as the
conference's keynote speaker.
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Conflicting Technological and Competitive Forces in Regulated Industries
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