Postal News from July 2007:

July 18, 2007

Want to know what's up tomorrow on the Hill? Check the postal subcommittee's web site.

Mail can play an important role in helping citizens chose their elected officials and the U.S. Postal Service has resources officials need to create Vote by Mail programs. Those were the two main points shared by Postmaster General John E. Potter during a keynote address at the National the Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) summer meeting here. Stressing proven experience, commitment and available resources, Potter said the Postal Service is a ready partner in states' efforts to reach voters and conduct elections through the mail. See the full text of his presentation at WebWire.

Forbes has reported that "TNT NV is still confident of constructive talks with unions amid the threat of strikes, if union members reject an in-principle agreement over the Dutch postal company's plans to cut up to 7,000 jobs ahead of pending market liberalisation measures."

Air Cargo World has reported that "In the fiscal year ended May 31, FedEx earned net income of $2.016 billion on revenue of $35.214 billion. Profit improved 11.6 percent compared with 2006. Revenue was 9 percent higher than in the prior year. Operating margin for both 2006 and 2007 was 9.3 percent. Results for 2007 included a $143 million charge at FedEx Express associated with pay and benefits under the new labor contract with FedEx pilots. Results for 2006 included a $79 million charge, or $49 million net of tax, to adjust the accounting for certain facility leases, predominantly at FedEx Express. In the quarter ended May 31, FedEx earned profits well in excess of the three earlier quarters. Fourth quarter profit was $568 million on revenue of $9.151 billion. The highest revenue division of FedEx is its Express segment."

Bursa has reported that "The Romanian Direct Marketing Association (ARMAD) has expressed concern with the Romanian Post Company"s decision to increase postal service fees by 60% as of August 1st. ARMAD believes this abrupt price increase will affect the Romanian direct marketing industry at a point in time when the industry is growing fast and consolidating its status in the communication industry."

Transport Intelligence has reported that "Polar Air Cargo Worldwide has appointed a new Chief Operating Officer and a new Chief Financial Officer, both of whom are senior executives at DHL Express, which has recently taken a 49% stake in the company. The new Chief Operating Officer is Randy Clark . Formerly Vice President of Sales for DHL 'Global Customer Solutions' in the Americas, he has also filled posts with DHL Express and was a former Chief Operating Officer of Circle International. The new appointment of Chief Financial Officer is also a DHL manager, being 'Vice-President of Controlling' with DHL Express before his appointment to Polar." See also Air Cargo World.

The Association for Postal Commerce (PostCom) has filed comments with the Postal Regulatory Commission regarding the creation of service performance standards and methods of measurement.

Reuters has reported that "United Parcel Service Inc. said on Monday contract talks with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters are temporarily recessed while the company awaits information from pension funds that cover its workers."

According to BlogModernMechanix, "there is no doubt that today postage stamps are being used for propaganda purposes. Because they serve governments in this way, new stamps are constantly being issued. Each year many new issues appear, and a vast majority of them suggest or preach, some political ideal."

According to Electronics Weekly, "An increasing number of mandates and the adoption of standards is driving the use of RFID technology, but this does not mean the end for barcodes, according to the industry. “RFID is not going to kill the barcode,” said Mark Gillott, CEO of industry-driven standards body, EPCglobal. “It will function at the same time and in 20 years time we will still have barcodes and RFID.” RFID adoption has been held up by cost, technology and standards but Gillott said this is being overcome."

PostCom member DHL is going to be a co-sponsor of the 2007 Global Torch Run for the Special Olympics World Summer Games on 2 -11 October 2007 in Shanghai, China. Next week on Thursday, July 26 the Global Torch Run will reach Washington, DC. The President and the First Lady will host a ceremony at the Rosen Garden.

The following reports have been posted on the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General website. If you have additional questions concerning the report, please contact Agapi Doulaveris at 703.248.2286.

• DR-MA-07-004 - Management of Retail Workhours in Relation to the Workload for Mobile Units - Triboro District http://www.uspsoig.gov/FOIA_files/DR-MA-07-004.pdf

• CA-AR-07-005 - Use of Existing Postal Service-Owned Space in the Pacific Area http://www.uspsoig.gov/FOIA_files/CA-AR-07-005.pdf

• NL-AR-07-005 - Vehicle Management - National Trailer Lease Renewal - Southwest Area http://www.uspsoig.gov/FOIA_files/NL-AR-07-005.pdf

The Daily Echo has reported that "Strikes by postal workers in a bitter row over pay and jobs are to be escalated." See also Oxford Mail.

The Gulf Times has reported that "postal and revenue stamps sale in Qatar during the last quarter of 2006 witnessed a huge rise compared with the previous three months, a Q-Post report said."

The Palladium Item has reported that "John R. Jordan, the Knightstown letter carrier who disappeared for three days before he was found in Columbus, Ind., has been charged in federal court. Jordan was charged with “unlawfully detaining and delaying mail entrusted to him and which was to be delivered by him as a carrier of the Postal Service,” said an announcement from U.S. Attorney Susan Brooks."

Kyodo News has reported thatJapan Post President Yoshifumi Nishikawa said Tuesday the public postal services entity is considering starting online shopping services targeting Chinese consumers in cooperation with China's State Post Bureau. Under the envisioned scheme, the Japan Post group, to be created after the privatization of the public entity in October, will accept online orders for electronic appliances and other products from Chinese consumers and will deliver them to buyers' homes in China."

MENA-FN has reported that "The Western Union Company, a global leader in money transfer services, and Eurogiro, a provider of electronic payment network solutions, today announced that they have extended their alliance for a multi-year term. Eurogiro was created to give participating European post offices and post banks a means of facilitating cross-border payments. The organization now spans 51 countries around the world. Eurogiro's goal is to enhance customer service, reduce production costs and increase business within member organizations."

From M2 Presswire: "Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c62939) has announced the addition of "Snapshots Mexico Postal Services 2007" to their offering Snapdatas Snapshots Mexico Postal Services 2007 provides 2005 year-end market size data, with 2006 estimates, 4 years of historical data and five-year forecasts. The Snapshots report gives an instant overview of the Mexican postal service market, and covers letters and cards, franked mail, international services, mail products, packages and collectable stamps. It does not include courier services. Market value is based on revenues. Market volume is based on the quantity of mail handled. The data is supplied in both graphical and tabular format for ease of interpretation and analysis. The Snapshots Mexico Postal Services 2007 forms part of Snapdatas Business Services industry coverage."

July 17, 2007

From the Federal Register: "The Postal Service is revising portions of title 39, Code of Federal Regulations, to clarify the division of investigatory responsibilities between the Office of the Inspector General of the Postal Service and the Postal Inspection Service."

Precision Marketing has reported that "Royal Mail claims support for the Communications Workers Union’s (CWU) strike among postal workers is at an all-time low, with nearly 60 per cent of staff attending work during last week’s 24-hour strike on July 12 and 13. The postal service also reckons the network of 14,220 Post Offices was operating as normal."

The Retail Bulletin has reported that "Royal Mail has launched a scheme to incentivise businesses to make their Door to Door mailings carbon neutral and encourage consumers to recycle the items they receive."

The Daily News has reported that "A teenage boy climbed into a mailbox in Brooklyn yesterday and had to be rescued by police when the large green bin locked behind him, cops and neighbors said."

According to WhatTheyThink, "Pitney Bowes has ever created, the company announced today. The new standards are designed to bring greater efficiency and lower costs to the mailstream. One of the biggest sources of waste in the current system is mail that lacks a valid address and cannot be delivered. The Postal Service estimates it spends nearly $2 billion each year to handle this mail, and mailers waste billions of dollars more creating mail pieces that ultimately cannot reach their intended recipient. The Postal Service has committed to cutting undeliverable mail by 50% by the year 2010."

Press Release: "With the increase in postage rates in effect for nearly a month, some businesses are feeling the heat more than others. While many companies that mainly use catalogs as marketing are being scorched by the new restrictions and costs, companies who use postcards haven't been affected enough to feel singed. Indeed, all postage prices went up, including the inexpensive postcard that went up from $0.24 to $0.26 per card. The postcard, however, isn't nearly as affected due to the weight and size of a postcard being consistent, whereas catalogs are of varying weights and sizes."

From Business Wire: "Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c62946) has announced the addition of “Snapshots Slovak Republic Postal Services 2007” to their offering. Snapdatas Snapshots Slovak Republic Postal Services 2007 provides 2005 year-end market size data, with 2006 estimates, 4 years of historical data and five-year forecasts. The Snapshots report gives an instant overview of the Slovakian postal service market, and covers government-run postal services handling of stamped letters and cards, registered items, valuable letters and parcels. It does not include courier services. Market value is based on revenues. Market volume is based on the quantity of mail handled. The data is supplied in both graphical and tabular format for ease of interpretation and analysis. The Snapshots Slovak Republic Postal Services 2007 forms part of Snapdatas Business Services industry coverage."

The Kenya Broadcasting Corporation has reported that "The government in conjunction with the Universal Postal Union, UPU, Tuesday signed an agreement, which marks another milestone in the preparations for the 24th Universal Postal Congress in Nairobi to be hosted by the Kenyan Government and Posta Kenya in Nairobi from 13 August to 3 September 2008. The agreement which defines the detailed requirements for Congress was signed by Information and Communication minister Mutahi Kagwe and UPU Director General Edouard Dayan. The Universal Postal Congress, held every four years, is the supreme authority of the Union, bringing together the UPU's 191 member countries."

Afrique en ligne has reported that "African postal services are under obligation to modernise and diversify or succumb to competition from the private investors, Kenya's assistant Minister for Information and Communication, Koigi Wamwere, said here Monday. Koigi was speaking where he presided over the opening of the 25th Ordinary Session of the Administration Council of Pan-African Postal Union taking place here. The minister said the largely inefficient postal organisations should take advantage of their networks, which have a wider reach, to roll out products based on modern technology in the telecommunications industry."

Business Day has reported that Ibrahim Baba Mori, Post Master General of Nigeria, told the paper that "we want to strengthen the present status or position of NIPOST and then the next level will be to commercialise certain aspects of the post. And as far as we are concerned, for over four to five years, we would have involved the private sector in our operations."

The Waco Tribune has told its readers that "the U.S. Postal Service is investigating the possibility of closing Waco’s mail sorting plant, a move that could cost the jobs of up to 240 processing clerks while worsening local mail service. Postal officials must not allow a deterioration of local mail service."

The BBC has reported that "An unofficial postal strike under way in Oxford is set to cause disruption to services across the county."

July 16, 2007

DC Velocity has reported that:

• Shipcon, a nationwide organization of independent presorters that provides commingling and zone-skipping of U.S. Postal Service (USPS) small-package services, is rolling out coverage to the major USPS processing centers. Packages are commingled with other customer parcels at Shipcon facilities, and then are delivered further into the USPS system. Shipcon processes parcels that include library mail, media, and bound printed matter.

• ALG Worldwide Logistics has created a new operating division called Print and Mailing Solutions, along with enhanced technology capabilities, to enable customers to seamlessly use Web-based management and tracking tools to monitor their mailings. The new services are designed to reduce postage expenses for ALG customers.

The Daily Mail has reported that "Mail deliveries will be crippled for the third time in recent weeks as leaders of 130,000 postal workers are set to announce fresh strikes in a bitter row over pay and jobs."

According to the Economic Times, "Much to the relief of multinational courier giants interested in India, the controversial plan to restrict foreign direct investment (FDI) in courier services has been quietly put on the backburner."

July 15, 2007

Business Week has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service overhauled the way it calculates the amount that publishers must pay to mail periodicals in a change that took effect July 15. Postal officials say the new rates, based on a plan advanced by media giant Time Warner, give mailers incentives to be more efficient and will help curb the rising costs of mailing periodicals. But small publishers say the plan, which affects newspapers, magazines, and newsletters, threatens to drive up their costs at a time when many already face losses."

From Business Wire: "DHL, the world’s leading express delivery and logistics company, has introduced an environmentally friendly reusable envelope for customers that ship and return legal-size documents. The new envelope provides businesses with a quick, simple and eco-friendly return solution. DHL’s reusable legal envelope can be filled with up to 8oz of material, and has a built-in closure mechanism that allows it to be re-sealed and used twice."

The latest Domestic Mail Manual update from the U.S. Postal Service can be found on this site.

As the Reno Gazette-Journal has noted, "Direct mail has a bad reputation. But don't call it "junk mail" to Chris Fleiner, owner of JLH Mail Marketing Company Inc. in Sparks. "Junk is a four-letter word in my industry," Fleiner said. "People have a big misconception of what 'junk mail' really is, of what direct mail really is."

Transport Intelligence has reported that "Express delivery company TNT has announced the launch of a new division with the aim of taking the largest market share in the growing multi media and entertainments sector in the UK. The newly formed TNT Media & Entertainment Division already has a number of contracts, including partnerships with customers such as Universal and Pinnacle Arvato. TNT co-ordinates daily deliveries of CDs and DVDs to more than 2000 UK retail outlets, and is expanding into providing tailored services for film, music and computer gaming distributors."

The Waco Tribune-Herald has reported that "After more than a year and a half of waiting, local postal workers are getting restless for the findings of a study that could result in the closure of the Waco mail sorting plant, possibly affecting hundreds of jobs and service quality."

According to Precision Marketing, "Royal Mail is to lure university lecturers to its Media Centre in London as part of plans to encourage students to enter the direct marketing industry."

Zawya has reported that "Aramax, the total transportation solutions provider, today announced that it has partnered with Oman Post to handle express deliveries on its behalf to the MENA region, Indian Sub-Continent and Europe."

According to The Guardian, "TNT, the most aggressive private sector postal services provider, said the wave of industrial action hitting Royal Mail underlined the need for it to develop a full-blown rival service. The Dutch-owned company, which uses Royal Mail to provide "final mile" postal delivery, said its customers were suffering disruption from the action by the union but it would not be suing the Post Office because it accepted that the state-owned group was protected by "force majeure" contractual clauses."

Sophos has reported that "Experts at SophosLabs™, Sophos's global network of virus, spyware and spam analysis centers, have welcomed the news that members of an alleged international phishing gang have been arrested following an investigation by Italian police. The Guardia di Finanza have apprehended 18 Italian citizens and 8 foreign nationals from Eastern Europe in an operation dubbed "Phish & Chip", following a widespread phishing campaign that targeted internet users of Poste Italiane's home-banking services. Poste Italiane is the government-owned postal service which offers financial services across Italy."

The Hindu has reported that "The Universal Postal Union (UPU), a specialised agency of the UN, plays a crucial and often under-appreciated role in international movement of mail by co-ordinating postal services between member countries. Today, the UPU’s 191 member countries and their 6.6 lakh plus post offices make up the largest physical distribution network in the world, accounting for billions of letters and packages processed every year. With the mandate of promoting universal postal service, development and technical co-operation, it acts as an international forum and sets technical standards for effective postal operations and interconnecting the global postal network."

The Times has reported that "Ministers have asked Acas, the conciliation service, to report to them on the Royal Mail strike amid signs that the dispute could last for months."

Forbes has reported that "German chancellor Angela Merkel told newspaper Handelsblatt she has rejected a move by her Social Democratic (SPD) coalition partners to create a minimum wage for employees in the postal sector this year."

According to the Modesto Bee, "the Postal Service, like any other business, needs to constantly rethink the way it does business and reassess the value of the services it provides."

The Observer has reported that "Postal Union leaders are planning a showdown with the government as they escalate their campaign of strike action at the Royal Mail this week. Billy Hayes, Communication Workers Union general secretary, and Dave Ward, his deputy, are to meet Secretary of State for Business John Hutton tomorrow week and will demand he forces Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton and chief executive Adam Crozier to open fresh negotiations over pay and the future of the business."

July 14, 2007

The Wall Street Journal has reported that "More needs to be done to increase competition in Europe's network industries, particularly in the postal service and energy sector, a European Commission report said Friday. "The E.U.'s policy of opening the telecoms, transport and other network industries to competition has been the right one," said the E.U.'s Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia. "But much more needs to be done to extract the full benefits of competition for the consumers of Europe."

ThisIsLondon has reported that "Royal Mail says support for a postal strike which began last night has been 'extremely patchy'."

The Lancashire Evening Post has reported that "Preston firms are threatening to switch their business away from Royal Mail after a second 24-hour strike threw deliveries into chaos. Solicitors and accountancy firms in the city centre say they were forced to hand-deliver mail during the latest action, which ended at 7pm on Saturday, and expect to face a massive backlog of work when they return on Monday."

As the Spartanburg Herald Journal noted, "If you thought the recent 2-cent increase in the price of a first-class stamp was a cramp, try being in the mail-order catalog business. The price of a stamp rose to 41 cents in May, a 5 percent bump, but businesses that rely on catalogs and bulk mailings are grappling with postage increases of up to 40 percent."

In an editorial, the Asahi Shimbun noted that "Less than three months remain until the official privatization of postal services in October. We'd like to think that spirits are high on the front lines as workers eagerly prepare to embark on a new voyage, but worrisome news about organizational laxness has emerged."

According to Common Dreams.org, "On July 15, small and independent publishers will be hit with a major postage rate increase that threatens to push many of them out of print. Yet just days before the new rates are supposed to take effect, most publishers still don't know how much they're supposed to pay — leaving them unable to prepare for the severe financial burden the hike is likely to inflict. An ideologically diverse coalition of publishers sent an urgent letter yesterday asking Congress to call on the U.S. Postal Service to postpone the increase and give publishers at least 60 days after the software is released to make the appropriate adjustments. For more information about the campaign against the postal rate increase, visit StopPostalRateHikes.com."

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

• Testifying before the Postal Regulatory Commission, four PostCom members stressed the importance of updated service standards and a timely, accurate and robust performance measurement system.

• Triangle Management’s Paul Jackson says companies are not as interested in an one-stop approach to their shipping needs as postal and logistics suppliers seem to think. In an article, Jackson says his firm interviewed 50 of the world’s global shippers and found no support for the one-stop shop.

• In this perspective, PostCom Vice President Kate Muth tells Congress to stick to its job by stepping back and not meddling in how the Postal Service operates its business.

• Association for Postal Commerce President Gene Del Polito uses a letter to the editor of Catalog Success as an opportunity to correct Paul Miller’s ‘flawed’ understanding about PostCom.

• Catalog Success Editor-in-Chief Paul Miller recently shared his thoughts and misconceptions about how the Association for Postal Commerce represents its members, especially catalogers.

• Letter carriers, USPS reach tentative accord. Congressional hearings set for summer. Groups want USPS to surrender mailbox monopoly. USPS issues DMM Advisory for periodicals mailing standards. Input needed from Bound Printed Matter flats mailers. Postal Service’s Otto to retire. FedEx, TNT buyout rumors continue.

• EU to dismantle mail monopolies by 2011. Singapore Post offers postage discount for metered mail. Mediterranean postal officials convene. China, Japan to boost postal cooperation. Deutsche Post snuggles with meter maker. Postal prices pushed to peak. Direct mail deal joins La Poste, Algerie Post.

• A list of upcoming postal-related events.

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July 13, 2007

Welcome to PostCom Radio Postal Podcast Number 15 (13.5 minutes) Join PostCom President Gene Del Polito and PostCom Vice President Kate Muth in a discussion of some of the more recent events that have taken place in the postal community.

The Star-Ledger has reported that "The U.S. Postal service has agreed not to hand over any of the country's new urban mail routes to private companies, at least for the next six months. All plans to contract out new mail deliveries, including a proposal for building in Perth Amboy, have been withdrawn."

Prensa Libre has reported that "The Argentine Ministry of Communications and the Main directorate of Post office and Telegraphs are looking to regulate the prices and operations of postal-related companies."

M-Logistics has reported that "Courier Exchange, the UK-based online freight exchange for the express courier market, has given a formal launch to CX Mobile, the mobile data system it has been developing in recent years. The system targets owner-drivers who need to manage their business whilst out on the road. Using a GPRS-enabled handheld computer, they can secure and manage accounts on the road; capture and remit proof of delivery details in real time with signature; post goods to move; look for backloads; and receive bookings in real time. The system is designed to integrate fully with the online Courier Exchange service, which is normally accessed from desktop PCs."

The CBC has reported that "Canada Post is conducting a review of the country's 843,000 roadside mailboxes to determine whether using them to deliver mail to rural areas is safe."

DM News has reported that:

• This summer many business mailers who are planning for the fall season have moved large portions of their list rental budgets from direct mail to opt-in e-mail. The cheapness of the channel and the quick turnaround time, in addition to the recent postal increase, are some of the reasons mailers are shunning direct mail pieces and using e-mail to solicit. The postal rate shock for standard flats mailers has caused a great deal of angst and uncertainty in the catalog community, according to Ralph Drybrough, CEO of MeritDirect, White Plains, NY. Now that the dust is settling, about one-third of MeritDirect’s catalog clients have decided to make significant cuts in their original fall campaign budgets.

• Catalog mailing costs are hitting new highs, especially for the business-to-business mailers who lack the criteria necessary for the best discounts. Panelist C. Hamilton Davison, executive director of the American Catalog Mailers Association, explored how we got here and what we need to do to promote a favorable change. Most catalogers spend less than 10 percent of their time worrying about postal issues. This is ironic considering the USPS controls access to the consumer. “We need to start thinking about it,” Davison urged. “Cataloger apathy is not a good thing. It’s time to unite the industry. Collaboration brings strength.” The ACMA’s strategy is to build a presence and to intervene selectively in rule and rate making.

Kommersant has reported that "State-owned Russian Post said Thursday it is launching a money transfer service to China in its first ever foreign venture. The Russian money transfer leader plans to sign next partnership deals with postal services in France, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. A money transfer deal with China Post was signed in mid-June, Russian Post told Kommersant. Russians and Chinese have been able to send money through the service since Monday. China has become Russian Post’s first foreign partner in money transfers. The state-run postal service plans to reach similar agreements with their partners in France, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey."

The Postal Regulatory Commission has posted all the statements and testimony associated with its recent field hearings on the development of new ratemaking rules.

The BBC has reported that "A second 24-hour strike by Royal Mail staff is under way as part of a row over pay and job security. Royal Mail says it has already lost about 40% of its bulk mail business to rival postal operators."

KPTH has reported that "Iowa Senator Tom Harkin has included a provision in a bill to prevent the U.S. Postal Service from consolidating mail processing facilities in Sioux City, unless certain criteria are met. That means waiting until the postal service satisfies the government accountability office’s criteria for making the decision."

Reuters has reported that "Lawsuits filed in 36 U.S. states claim the control FedEx Ground exercises over its contractors makes them employees, with a right to benefits and a refund for buying their trucks. Also, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters is campaigning to unionize FedEx Ground drivers. "The contractor model is a large-scale fraud," said Shannon Liss-Riordan, an attorney representing drivers in Connecticut."

Interested in using the web to shape postal policy? Check out http://papertigertv.blogspot.com:80/2007/07/going-postal.html and see how others are doing it?

From WebWire: "The life of a unique little marketing tool has been extended, mirroring the impact and purpose it has when used with a direct mail piece or other advertising tool. The U.S. Postal Service Governors accepted the recommendation of the Postal Regulatory Commission to extend for one year the test on Repostionable Notes (RPNs), a program that allows "sticky notes" to be placed on the outside of cards, large letters, catalogs, magazines and newspapers. The extension sought to further test market demand and interest at the current price points of ½ cent per piece for First Class Mail and 1 ½ cents per piece for Periodicals and Standard Mail plus the cost of postage."

MSN Money has reported that "Public Service Co. of New Mexico has launched a new paperless bill option to allow residential gas and electric customers to pay their bills automatically online. Customers who sign up for the PNM E-bill will receive monthly bill statements and other information electronically instead of hard copy materials through the postal service."

July 12, 2007

From PR Newswire: "The National Association of Letter Carriers reached tentative agreement today with the U.S. Postal Service on a new five-year National Agreement for all 222,000 city delivery letter carriers throughout the nation. The pact, which includes new limits on contracting out of city letter carrier work along with provisions covering wages, benefits, and working conditions, will be submitted to the NALC membership for rank-and-file ratification. The agreement, retroactive to November 21, 2006, provides general wage increases of 8.85 percent over five years along with regular cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) and a single lump-sum COLA payment of $686 for the period between July 2006 and May 2007. The proposed contract includes new limits on contracting out of city letter carrier work in more than 3,000 city delivery installations and establishes a six-month moratorium on contracting out city carrier delivery services elsewhere across the country. During the moratorium, a union-management task force will seek to develop an "evolutionary approach to the issue of subcontracting, taking into account the legitimate interests of the parties and relevant public policy considerations."

From the U.S. Postal Service:

• The new Periodicals mailing standards effective on July 15, as well as all DMM revisions announced in the June 7, June 21, and July 5 Postal Bulletin will be available in the DMM on Postal Explorer (pe.usps.com) on Sunday.

• Bob Otto, Chief Technology Officer, will retire on the first of October after completing a career of 38 years of government service with over 27 years with the Postal Service.

Al Bawaba has reported that "Abdulla Ghareeb Jumaa Mohamed Al Qamzi recently had the most important 15-minutes of his lifetime, following a phone call from The Millionaire Co. Abdulla became the first UAE national to have won Postcard Millionaire quarterly bumper draw for a whopping amount of AED 200,000."

The Edinburgh News has reported that "bomb disposal experts rushed to a Royal Mail depot in Edinburgh after two packages containing hand grenades were found. The shocking discovery was made by employees at the processing centre in Sighthill, where they were screening mail bound for the airport. The packages were immediately placed in a secure area to protect staff, as the Royal Mail's bomb scare procedures came into force. The Army's bomb disposal squad, along with the police, quickly arrived at the depot on Cultins Road to examine the Second World War grenades. The experts found that the devices did not contain explosives but were instead part of a war memorabilia collection. The scare follows a similar incident in February at the same depot, after an inactive grenade and mortar were sent through the post."

According to the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, "The businesses taking the biggest hit [from the recent round of postal rate increases] are those who aren't able to pass the postage increases on to their customers. These include doctors and insurance agents working on commission who typically mail everything from appointment cards to billings to newsletters or possibly even birthday cards to retain clients and drum up new ones. Consultants have advised them to look at electronic means of communication....The University of Mary Washington's admissions office, for example, doesn't want to stop mailing potential applicants copies of its "view book," a 24-page publication about the university that has an application form tucked in the back. But her office now mails view books only to people who request copies rather than sending them to everyone who visits the university or its Web site, umw.edu. "In the past, I've sent up to 10,000 to 15,000 out," Burkett said. "That's not going to happen this year. Of course, we'll still use the view book at events where people can pick them up."

As the Financial Times has noted, "Full liberalisation of the European Union's market for postal services should be delayed by at least two years, according to a vote in the European parliament yesterday that would allow postal operators to retain their current monopolies until 2011. The vote comes as a blow to Charlie McCreevy, the EU internal market commissioner, who proposed unfettered competition . Yesterday's vote reflects the political sensitivity ofMr McCreevy's plans, which ran into tough opposition from trade unions and governments in France, Italy and elsewhere."

The Herald Tribune has reported that "If you thought the recent 2-cent increase in the price of a first-class stamp was a cramp, try being in the mail-order catalog business. The price of a stamp rose to 41 cents in May, a 5 percent bump, but businesses that rely on catalogs and other bulk mailings are grappling with postage increases of up to 40 percent.

The Morning Call has reported that "Complaints that the international delivery company DHL is trying to hamper a union organizing campaign at its new Upper Macungie distribution center are the subject of a federal probe. The National Labor Relations Board is investigating complaints from the American Postal Workers Union that DHL supervisors intimidated employees involved in the union campaign by interrogating them, denying them promotions and engaging in surveillance of them while they handed out union literature or met at a diner to discuss the union campaign."

The Denver Channel has reported that "Every once in a while the underground world of cockfighting is exposed, especially when the roosters are delivered via the U.S. Postal Service. Mauro Loera-Leuvanos, 39, was arrested recently on cockfighting charges after post office employees in Parker said they were getting three suspicious shipments a week, all to the same person. They said their suspicions were confirmed when they saw "American Fighting Fowl" printed on the boxes."

Dnevnik.bg has reported that "T-Post, Bulgaria's first private postal operator, has opened its first customer center half a year after securing a licence to provide a universal postal service."

Asia Pulse has reported that "State-owned postal company PT Pos Indonesia (Posindo) says it will launch an initial public offer (IPO) early 2010, to raise funds to expand its infrastructure."

CityWire has an interesting piece entitled: "Business Class: Logistics."

AllAfrica.com has reported that "A recent book on banking in Botswana identifies post offices as a potential tool for increasing the banking footprint throughout the country.

July 11, 2007

The Benton Crier has reported that "The Postal Service is delaying the second stage of installing automated postal centers in lobbies. About 2,500 automated postal centers have been located in post offices across the country. The centers allow customers to weigh letters and parcels, select the type of service needed and print out postage, using credit cards to pay. McKiernan said of the 2,500 installed, 514 centers were not meeting expectations for various reasons. McKiernan said that 145 of the underperforming centers are being relocated to other offices. In the other cases, officials are trying to determine if customers just don‘t want to use the machines or need assistance getting started with them."

EU Business has reported that "UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers’ organisation, welcomed the outcomes of the plenary vote on the Postal Services Directive at the European Parliament today (Wednesday). MEPs cast their vote in favour of the full accomplishment of the internal market for postal services by 2011, two years later than the deadline initially suggested by the European Commission and supported by UEAPME."

In her most recent piece, postal commentator Kate Muth has noted that "we have the recent announcements from the House and Senate oversight subcommittees that they will be holding a series of hearings on postal issues. We have five hearings coming up in a span of three weeks in late July and early August. We’ll hear about network realignment, contracting out and service issues. We’ll hear the union perspective, then from management groups and then industry’s perspective. I understand we’ll get the perspective of rodeo clowns and circus jugglers, followed by the GEICO cavemen and their therapists."

A recent editorial by Catalog Success editor Paul Miller got PostCom President Gene Del Polito's juices going. Posted here is the article by Miller and Del Polito's letter to the editor in response.

For those who are interested, posted on his site are a presentation by PostCom Vice President Kate Muth before the Direct Marketing Association International Conference on "Business Mailers Interestr Regarding International Mail," and a presentation by PostCom President Gene Del Polito at the Pochtovaya Troika conference in St. Petersburg, Russia on the new legislative and regulatory framework underlying the American postal system.

Check PostInsight for a link to a copy of the "Report by The Committee on Transport and Tourism on the European Parliament’s Postal Directive." You also can find selected presentations from the Postcomm Forum, "The Postal Markets for the Future."

This little tidbit was passed on by one of our correspondents. It's a four minute YouTube video animation of the air traffic for the entire Fed Ex system over 48 hours.

The Communication Workers Union has told its members that "Strike action will go ahead on Thursday 12th July commencing at 7pm for 24 hours after the Communication Workers Union representatives met with Royal Mail today in an attempt to begin fresh talks." See also Forbes.

The International Herald Tribune has reported that "The European Parliament on Wednesday voted in favor of dismantling national monopolies for mail delivery by 2011. The lawmakers backed countries such as France and Luxembourg, which have sought to push back a 2009 deadline proposed by the European Union's executive office. EU governments are split on when to fully open the delivery of letters under 50 grams — the last category where national postal companies face no rivals — up to cross-border competition." A key outstanding question is how to finance universal public service that would ensure every European — not just in big cities but also in remote areas — gets at least one delivery and collection a day, five days a week, even after rival companies move into markets. The EU assembly recommended that governments be allowed to subsidize loss-making operators, guaranteeing such universal service. It also allowed delays of up to two more years — until 2013 — to the EU's 12 newest member states and countries with scattered populations." See also Forbes.

Union Network International "is taking the fight to save the universal postal service to the Council of Ministers following a disappointing vote by the Strasbourg Parliament. MEPs voted 512 to 156 to delay total postal liberation - but without writing in tighter protection for a universal service and for jobs."

ABC News has reported that "The Humane Society says the U.S. Postal Service is breaking the law, the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Law which President Bush signed this past May 3rd. So the Humane Society went to U.S. district court in Washington, D.C. Tuesday and sued the U.S. Postal Service. The Humane Society says one specific provision of the law makes it a felony to send any "commercial speech for purposes of promoting or in any other manner furthering an animal fighting venture" through the mail. The suit alleges that the Postal Service is violating the law by accepting mailings and issuing "discount, bulk mail permits to two animal fighting trade publications, "The Feathered Warrior" and the "Gamecock."

Yokwe Online has reported that in response to comments made by a senator of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), the U.S. Embassy acknowledged that "There have been mistakes in the RMI’s transition from domestic status to international status within the USPS. We hope these errors concerning the status of the 96960 zip code will be swiftly corrected....The ending of domestic postal status was envisioned in the first Compact, and according to Article 6 section 20 of the Federal Programs and Services Agreement of the first Compact should have taken place in 2001. Under the current agreement increases in postage rates are being phased in, but the USPS continues to carry the mail for the RMI to anywhere in the world, with the Government of the RMI setting the rates for outgoing mail. The USPS does this at no cost to the RMI beyond postage."

The Hill has reported that "Longtime adversaries United Parcel Service (UPS) and organized labor are performing a pincer movement on UPS’s rival, Federal Express, by pressing Congress to make it easier for FedEx workers to form unions. Beating back the legislation is now the No. 1 legislative priority for FedEx, but it faces a tough environment, given the clout unions have shown they wield with the Democratic-led Congress."

Deutsche Welle has reported that "The European Parliament is expected Wednesday to recommend the full liberalization of mail delivery across the 27-nation bloc by 2011, extending an initial plan for 2009 after sustained pressure from some member states."

As The Sentinel see it, "A story from the Associated Press that ran in Sunday's Sentinel, likewise, makes a lot of predictions on behalf of the U.S. Postal Service, looking at it from the standpoint of a declining business. Indeed, at least one person quoted in the story talked about the survival of the postal service as if it wasn't a sure thing - an interesting prognosis for an organization that handles 40 percent of all the mail in the entire world."

DM News has reported that "Rep. John McHugh (R-NY) has again introduced legislation that would outlaw the mailing of tobacco products through the US Postal Service."

Direct Newsline has reported that "Direct Marketing Association president John Greco Tuesday warned of the possible dangers of do-not-mail legislation under consideration in 15 states. He also solicited contributions to the Mail Moves America Coalition, an organization of 50 direct marketers, trade groups and printers the DMA set up to fight such bills. He also expressed hope that the U.S. Postal Service would not file a new rate case under old rules in place before the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act was signed into law last winter."

The Financial Times has reported that "Business Post, the postal services company, saw turnover rise 13 per cent in the three months to June 30 as its UK Mail subsidiary continued to achieve strong growth and win new contracts. The company collects and sorts mail from more than 400 organisations, including Prudential, the assurer, which signed up with the group in June, the BBC and the Department for Work and Pensions."

Forbes has reported that "TNT NV's Dutch postal unit TNT Post has acquired software developer Move2 Solutions."

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

Leading representatives of postal businesses from 9 Mediterranean border states have gathered in Marseille this week for the "1st International EURO-MED Postal Service Convention". The official goal of the conference is "the development and economic integration of Mediterranean countries through revaluation of the role of postal businesses and their significance for national economy in the different countries as well as the promotion of cooperation between the organisations involved in the postal sector". Alongside the French La Poste, the event organisers, Poste Italiane, Correos, the Portuguese Correios, Egypt Post, Algerie Poste, the Greek Elta as well as Poste Maroc and La Poste Tunisienne count among the EuroMED Postal circle.
The French La Poste is to launch a joint venture with Algerie Poste. It was announced during the EuroMed Postal convention this week that the company is to develop direct marketing in Algeria and will come into service on the 1 January 2008.
A settlement to the wage dispute at Royal Mail is still a long way off.
The German federal government should make sure that in the areas of "telecommunications, banking, post, logistics and energy, German businesses are successful both at home and abroad", Germany’s Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück told the German daily financial paper Handelsblatt.
The draft of the "2008-2011 Economic and Financial Plan (DPEF)", published by the Italian Department of Trade and Industry at the end of June, has provoked diverse reactions (CEP 26/07). The plan talks of a "gradual opening up of capital" of certain governmental businesses, including Poste Italiane.
Unipost, the largest private service provider on the Spanish postal market, turned over 89m euros in the last year. According to media reports, six per cent of Unipost’s turnover come from international business, which the company offers through the network DHL Global.
The British CEP service provider Business Post Group Plc. (BP) has managed to continue its positive business developments.
As of last week, the Argentines have to pay significantly more in order to send their mail. As the news service »Argentinien Aktuell« (09.07) reported, prices have increased by between 25 and 60 per cent.
Rumours of a takeover have given FedEx and TNT shares a boost.
Adrexo, the first franchisee of the French postal market, is emerging distinctly as one of the leading rivals to La Poste.
According to information from the Spanish web portal »Terra« (30.6.), the Chilean post intends to expand its parcel sector.
The British postal service DX has filed complaints with regulators against Royal Mail.
Deutsche Post has again denied having plans to sell its subsidiary company Postbank.
Deutsche Post AG apparently intends to work more closely with the franking machine manufacturer Francotyp-Postalia on the domestic market.
A dramatic occurrence in Venezuela last week showed that, even for postmen, life in Latin America is not as safe as in European regions.

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 Tallahassee Democrat said that "there is talk of reducing the number of days the mail is delivered from six to four or even one. There are suggestions of eliminating home delivery in favor of customer pickup at central locations. There is discussion of outsourcing some delivery areas to private companies. Call me an alarmist, but none of this sounds good. Any blow to the U.S. Postal Service is a blow to the fiber of America."

Transport Intelligence has noted that "DHL has announced the opening of a new regional sort centre facility in Bloomington, Minn. DHL has invested $7.8 million in the facility, which serves DHL's air and ground network within the Midwest region."

From the Federal Register: "The Postal Service \TM\ is issuing a final rule revising requirements contained in the International Mail Manual (IMM) concerning the contents of notifications of International Customized Mail (ICU) agreements. Effective Date: July 10, 2007."

The Tampa Bay Business Journal has reported that "If there was any question whether FedEx is losing its status as a shipper of choice, readers cleared it up. It remains the dominant choice among Tampa Bay Business Journal readers as overnight shipper of choice."

From PR Newswire: "Experian Inc., a global information solutions company, today announced that the National Geographic Society, one of the largest nonprofit scientific and education organizations in the world, has expanded its relationship with Experian Marketing Services. The globally recognized organization will begin using Experian's predictive modeling solution VeriScore(SM) to better identify its target audience and increase response rates."

The International Herald Tribune has reported that "The European Union's top internal market official on Tuesday defended plans to complete the liberalization of mail delivery across the 27-nation bloc by 2009, warning that postal operators who failed to adapt would lose out to new forms of communication, like electronic mail. But the argument of the EU financial services commissioner, Charlie McCreevy, fell on deaf ears at the EU Parliament, which was expected Wednesday to recommend full market opening in 2011 - with further delays for the EU's 12 newest member states and others with scattered populations. EU governments have failed to agree on when to open up delivery of letters under 50 grams - the last category where postal companies face no rivals. A group of countries led by France and Luxembourg are pushing for a delay. Worries about job losses have come to the fore, since any further market opening is likely to radically change an industry with estimated sales of €88 billion, or almost $121 billion, and that employs about 5.2 million people."

The Financial Express has reported that "The department of post (DoP) is in final stages of an arrangement with nearly 30 Indian banks for disbursal of rural credit and micro finance."

July 10, 2007

From Business Wire: "Manpower, one of the world’s leading temporary employment agencies, has chosen the on-line post office solution FlyDoc, provided by Esker, to outsource its French Customer Credit Department’s daily production of collection and legal mail. This department manages over 60,000 Manpower customer accounts, for which it sends large volumes of standard and registered mail each month; including reminders, formal demands and legal notices. The challenge for the Customer Credit Department was to adopt a solution to lighten the burden of the tedious tasks related to the management of this correspondence and simultaneously increase productivity."

The Kansas City Star has reported that "City dwellers are used to seeing their mail delivered by a man or woman in blue striped pants driving one of those little red, white and blue trucks. But increasingly mail to new subdivisions, office parks and apartment complexes is being delivered by people in civilian clothes driving their own vehicles."

The Financial Times has reported that "Business Post, the postal services company, said its turnover had risen 13 per cent in the first quarter of 2007 compared with the same period last year. In an interim management statement ahead of Tuesday’s annual general meeting, the company said its struggling parcels business was “making progress in an increasingly competitive market” while other parts of the business were performing strongly. Recent problems at the Royal Mail, including the recent national strike, have thrown the spotlight on the other contenders in the UK’s liberalising mail market. Royal Mail has been steadily losing big business customers such as banks, insurers, charities and utilities since the postal service was fully opened to competition at the start of last year."

From PR Web: "Introducing FreeMailPost.com, the next wave in mailing and a fresh marketing idea. Register to receive free postage paid mailing envelopes, which allow anyone in the US to send postal mail free of charge. Advertisers reach clients both through the post and though op-in email advertising. The genius of the concept is the simple way it brings together an item everyone uses and two popular marketing methods together using a simple truth. FreeMailPost.com is equivalent to getting mailing supplies for free, the effort supported by two types of advertising. Ads are printed on the back of the envelope. In exchange for totally free mailings, users simply agree to receive email."

CNews has reported that "RBC reports the Russian and Chinese Posts have started exchanging e-postal orders. A relevant agreement was signed between the Russia Post, the Federal Unitary Enterprise and the Chinese Post, the Chinese Corporation in June 5, 2007 during the meeting of the postal delegations in Moscow. China is the first non-CIS country, such a treaty have been concluded with. According to the agreement, e-postal orders in the RF are to be paid in rubles, while in China in the US dollars or in yuans. At the same time the highest order should not exceed $ 1.5. The number of e-orders accepted in Russia and addressed to one client is not limited."

Forbes has reported that:

TNT NV's Dutch postal unit TNT Post has signed a multi-year distribution contract with Sanoma Uitgevers, a Dutch unit of Sanoma WSOY.
Japan Post is in the final stages of talks to form a comprehensive business tie-up with China Post.

European Parliament has reported that "Tuesday in Plenary sees a debate on a report which calls for postal monopolies in Europe to end by the start of 2011. The report - backed by Parliament's Transport committee - calls for the national monopoly on letters below 50 grams to end. Whether this move will bring more competition and a faster, cheaper postal service or whether it will lead to job cuts and less service will be debated by MEPs." See also EurActiv, Forbes, and Reuters.

Malta Media has reported that "As the European Parliament prepares to vote on a draft directive for the full market opening of postal services this month, the Malta Communications Authority (MCA) told MaltaMedia that “It is still early to tell if anyone would be interested in setting up shop following liberalization” in Malta. Recently that Transport Committee said that the deadline for remaining postal service monopolies in European Union (EU) member states, such as Maltapost in Malta, should expire by 31st December 2010, two years later than the 1st January 2009 deadline proposed by the European Commission. The two-year postponement was a compromise to get the proposal through."

"Steady growth numbers and exposure to the relatively stable ground and freight transport sector are two reasons shipping giant FedEx (FDX) could be attractive to potential buyers, says Streetwise editor Michael Santoli." Check also the profile on Fedex provided by M2 Presswire. See also the report from Reuters.

According to NPR, "The cost of getting a magazine to your mailbox is rising. Just how much depends on which magazine. Small publications say they're shouldering more than their share of the rate hike. They contend the biggest titles are getting a break. They've convinced Congress to hold hearings on the matter."

Northwest Arkansas News has noted that "In an attempt to provide its customers a bit more convenience, as well as protecting their mail, the U. S. Postal Service is letting people give the command via the Internet to hold their mail while they leave their home on vacation."

From Business Wire: "Pitney Bowes Inc. is praising Singapore Post for the post’s recent implementation of a postage discount for mail that is processed using a postage meter. This move, effective July 1, makes Singapore Post one of a growing number of national posts around the world that are passing lower transaction costs on to customers who use meters. In announcing its decision, Singapore Post joins Royal Mail (UK), La Poste (France), India Post, An Post (Ireland), Norway Post, Finland Post, Sweden Post and others in offering some form of discount or rebate on some or all segments of metered mail."

The Federal Times has reported that "A group of taxpayer and consumer advocates are calling for an end to the U.S. Postal Service’s monopoly on mailboxes. In response to a Federal Trade Commission request for comment in the May 1 Federal Register, the group questions a rule that bars putting letters or packages in mailboxes without paying a fee to the Postal Service. The rule “injects unnecessary nuisance, cost and inefficiency into simple acts of community communication,” the group writes in a June 29 letter to the FTC. The letter is signed by officials from the Consumer Postal Council, the National Taxpayers Union, Americans for Tax Reform and other groups."

NJ.com has reported that "The former postmaster in Newton and Elizabeth pleaded guilty in federal court today to defrauding the government by steering Postal Service contracts to businesses that did him favors and also having a Postal Service employee do carpentry work at his home."

According to one writer for Multichannel Merchant, "There’s a common myth about e-mail deliverability that I want to debunk. Deliverability is not based on an inscrutable black art that only those schooled in its mysteries can possibly fathom. That’s nonsense."

Government Executive has reported that "The Office of Personnel Management is changing the way it calculates service toward retirement for certain employees on workers' compensation, agency officials announced last week. According to an OPM benefits administration letter, federal employees on workers' compensation who hold a full-time appointment but are able to work only part-time now will be credited for full-time service. OPM's previous interpretation of civil service law held that these employees were not entitled to full-time credit when they worked, for example, four hours per day and received workers' compensation benefits for the other four hours. But a 2005 decision by the Merit Systems Protection Board struck down OPM's interpretation and ruled that full-time credit should be allowed since these employees initially were given full-time appointments."

Stars and Stripes has reported that "The Air Force has awarded a joint contract to a pair of U.S.-based companies for management of various services at bases in Morón and Zaragoza, Spain. Agility Defense & Government Services, based in Arlington, Va., announced its joint venture with Dallas-based First Support Services Inc. in a news release. The two companies have formed Spain Agility First Support, or Spain AFS, to handle such things as communications, postal services, occupational health and ambulance services, and civil engineering.

July 9, 2007

The following reports have been posted on the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General website today. If you have additional questions concerning the report, please contact Agapi Doulaveris at 703.248.2286.

• CA-AR-07-004 - Audit of Compliance with the Use of MSC Industrial Supply Co., Inc. and W. W. Grainger, Inc. National Contracts http://www.uspsoig.gov/FOIA_files/CA-AR-07-004.pdf

• DR-AR-07-010 - Deployment Strategy of Automated Postal Centers http://www.uspsoig.gov/FOIA_files/DR-AR-07-010.pdf

• NO-AR-07-005 - Efficiency Review of the Dallas Bulk Mail Center http://www.uspsoig.gov/FOIA_files/NO-AR-07-005.pdf

• CA-MA-07-003 - Facilities Service Office Use of the Parsons' Indefinite Quantity Contract http://www.uspsoig.gov/FOIA_files/CA-MA-07-003.pdf

• CA-AR-07-002 - Use of Existing Postal-Owned Space in the Great Lakes Area http://www.uspsoig.gov/FOIA_files/CA-AR-07-002.pdf

In an editorial, the Iowa City Press-Citizen has noted that "Most Press-Citizen readers send in their letters to the editor electronically these days. Although a healthy trickle of letters continues to come in through the U.S. Postal Service -- with many of those letters being hastily and passionately handwritten -- the bulk of potential letter writers wait until they have access to their computer to transcribe their response, to spell check it, to fact check it and to send it off promptly. The U.S. Postal Service is facing questions about whether it should continue delivering six days a week, whether it should outsource its delivery services, whether it should charge customers directly for delivery and whether it should remain under government control at all."

From the Federal Register: "On Monday, July 9, 2007, Postal Regulatory Commissioners and advisory staff members will tour an Amazon.com facility in New Castle, Delaware and the United States Postal Service processing and distribution plant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The purpose of the tours is to observe operations."

From Business Wire: "Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c61968) has announced the addition of “Snapshots India Postal Services 2007” to their offering. Snapdata's Snapshots India Postal Services 2007 provides 2005 year-end market size data, with 2006 estimates, 4 years of historical data and five-year forecasts. The Snapshots report gives an instant overview of the Indian postal service market. Market value is based on total postal receipts. The data is supplied in both graphical and tabular format for ease of interpretation and analysis. The Snapshots India Postal Services 2007 forms part of Snapdata's Business Services industry coverage."

From ClickPress: "A2iA of France, a specialist in artificial intelligence, will launch A2iA DocumentReader 3.0, the latest version of its document recognition and classification software, in July 2007. A2iA’s technology enables companies to classify all kinds of incoming mail automatically, both typed and handwritten, leading to significant time savings and cost reductions. In the UK, Royal Mail has adopted A2iA’s cutting-edge technology."

The Washington Business Journal has lamented that "Out of the 3.5 million messages we had processed for three dozen customers on that mail server over four months, nearly 90 percent were spam. There is no central authority like the U.S. Postal Service that e-mail must pass through before delivery. That means we online postal inspectors have to trek all over cyberspace to find lost messages. Few companies are equipped to deal with the onslaught of requests that lost e-mail generates these days."

According to Anarkismo (an anarchist web site), "An Post workers have been on the receiving end of a series of substantial blows which have held down pay rates and undermined rights with regard to status. The late 1970’s and early 1980’s saw strikes and protests by the workers to improve conditions, but recent years have seen management back on the offensive. The latest attack comes in the shape of “deregulation”, just another word for privatisation. If it isn’t stopped it’s going to impact on all of us for the worse."

China Knowledge has reported that "The first nationwide survey on China's express delivery sector revealed that revenue from the delivery business soared 25% last year with a total number of delivery items up to 1.06 billion. The news was released by Da Wa, Director of General Postal Regulation Department of State Post Bureau of China. Currently there are 2,422 delivery firms around the country with a total number of employees up to 227,000. Amidst them, Express Mail Service (EMS) provided by China Post has 50% of the market share. Da noted that it was a great achievement for EMS as the China Post was under the great pressure of losses. Da also called for equal importance attached to the regular postal businesses, which dealt with up to 23.6 billion mails with annual revenue up to RMB 10.82 billion last year."

The BBC Monitoring Service has reported that "This morning, nearly 200 rural postmen who had been laid off without any compensation gathered together at the gate of the Chongqing Municipal Postal Company. They had come for the third time to seek justice and redress for their right to existence. However, no leading member of the company came out to see them in the past three days and they again went away disappointed."

The National Association of Major Mail Users (NAMMU) has informed its members that "Canada Post Corporation recently advised there will be no increase to the domestic basic letter rate in 2008. Price changes for the remaining regulated domestic Lettermail and USA and International Letterpost products are proposed in the Canada Gazette, Part 1, June 30, and mailers have 60 days in which to make representations to the Minister Responsible for Canada Post Corporation regarding the rate increases. On January 14, 2008, Canada Post will introduce price and service changes to regulated and non-regulated Transaction Mail and Direct Marketing services, including Publications Mail and BRM. Letters are being sent to customers now, with the 2008 price sheets specific to that customer’s agreement with Canada Post. Links to the new Canada Post rates have been provided by NAMMU.

The Oregonian has reported that "Being a self-anointed goodwill ambassador the past 12 years was affordable and easy for Fred MacLeod, Shannon Brown and her husband, Lance Cole. Then came postal rate increases and the end of a special low rate that allowed people to ship printed material in a 66-pound bag overseas by boat. Now the bags -- called M-bags -- can go air mail only, and at up to nearly four times more than the sea rate that MacLeod, Brown and Cole had used. MacLeod, 68, of Northeast Portland laments that he no longer can afford to send books each month to a grade school teacher and a professor in Ul'yanovsk, Russia."

The Anchorage Daily News has reported that "When staffing shortages led to gaps in service at Fairbanks area post offices, managers and union leaders took action. In a move that departs from typical postal procedure, they audited their own facilities, leading to a realignment of jobs that will add more window clerks and eventually shorten lines. The changes have raised objections from some senior employees. Local postal leaders said they have not been allowed to replace employees lost to relocation or retirement. The realignment aims to fix that by combining and shifting job duties."

The Times has reported that "Royal Mail is facing action from the postal regulator after a complaint from DX, one of its rivals, that it had breached pricing regulations." See also Forbes.

July 8, 2007

Check out some of the stories featured in the latest issue of Union Postale.

Check out the PostInsight web site for:

• “European Regulatory Matters: A Review From A Market Perspective” by Tim Walsh - July 6, 2007

• Selected Presentations from 'The Future of UK Postal Services' IEA's 6th Annual Conference - June 28, 2007

• Selected Presentations from CRRI (15th Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics), 31 May–2 June 2007, Semmering, Austria

  Check also the Russian Post web site for a summary of the key presentations given at this year's Pochtovaya Troika conference in St. Petersburg.

According to the Omaha World-Herald, "First-term Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., is doing his part to keep postal workers busy. With only a few months on the job, Smith is still learning the legislative ropes. But he has mastered the art of "franking," a special privilege afforded members of Congress that allows them to send mail to their constituents using taxpayer money."

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner has reported that "Anyone who’s had to mail a package around noon knows the look of shock, resignation and anger that flashes across the faces of those stuck at the end of lines stretching out the door at post offices around the borough.  Local postal leaders said they have not been allowed to replace employees lost over the past few years to relocation or retirement, leaving large gaps in operations. Over the coming days and weeks, though, local postal leaders believe that look should start to fade."

According to the Belfast Telegraph, "Royal Mail in Belfast is raking in millions of pounds auctioning off items lost in the post to help meet running costs. But bosses of the postal giant don't want you to know exactly how much they make from selling customers' mail - or the amount given to charity. And they refuse to even discuss what happens to the massive bulk of items which do not go to auction."

The Hattiesburg American has noted that "Most agree it is more satisfying reaching into a mailbox and finding a hand-written letter rather than just bills and junk mail. However, the age-old art of letter writing is dying. In a 2006 survey, the U.S. Postal Service reports the average American household received one piece of personal correspondence a week. The trend has been in a steady decline since 1987, when the average home got two or three letters a week, the survey said."

The Los Angeles Times has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service is requiring vendors to use environmentally friendly materials to create envelopes and packages that carry 500 million Priority Mail and Express Mail shipments annually. Packaging-products suppliers including Bell Inc. must use materials that can be recycled and won't harm the environment, Postmaster Gen. John E. Potter said. The changes apply to 10 direct suppliers and 200 makers of products such as glue, ink and paper. "We wanted to get to the point where everything was recyclable, where it wasn't going to cause any damage to the ozone layer," Potter said."

July 7, 2007

As DM News postal commentator Cary Baer has noted, "Tension and contention for postal world increases."

The International Herald Tribune has reported that "the researchers at the UPS Atlanta headquarters, its technology center in Mahwah, New Jersey, and its Louisville hub who are asking the questions that will drive the company's future. What if the package contains medicine that could turn from palliative to poison if the temperature wavers? What if it is moving from Bangkok to Bangor and back to Bangkok, and if customs rules differ on each end? And what if the package is going to a big company that insists on receiving all its packages, no matter who delivers them, at the same time each day? UPS is pumping more than $1 billion a year into research aimed at answering those questions, while also looking for new ways to cut costs."

The BBC has noted that "The union representing Royal Mail workers has announced plans for a second national 24-hour strike, beginning at 1900 on 12 July. It follows similar industrial action on 29 June - which was the first national postal strike in a decade. What is the dispute about?"

Gulf Times has reported that "Vincenzo Rousseau, co-ordinator of the International Financial System (IFS) of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), has highlighted the necessity of introducing more professionalism in the postal services to make it more vibrant and appealing. The UPU official was making a presentation on the introduction of e-remittances, at a session hosted by Q-Post. While hailing the efforts made by the Qatar Postal Corporation to revamp its services over the years, Rousseau expressed happiness at Q-Post’s plans to introduce e-remittances to its customers."

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

• The Association for Postal Commerce has filed comments on the Second Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Regulations Establishing a System of Ratemaking issued by the Postal Regulatory Commission on May 17, 2007.

• A group of industry organizations and mailers led by the Association for Postal Commerce have submitted joint comments to address the proposals set forth by the Office of Consumer Advocate in its comments filed on June 18, 2007. The group said the OCA proposals set forth on a number of the key issues raised by the Postal Regulatory Commission in its Second Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking cannot be reconciled with the terms and the basic purposes of the Postal Accountability and Enforcement Act.

• Ruth Goldway, a long-time member of the Postal Regulatory Commission, urged the Federal Trade Commission this week to fully assert its “broad statutory responsibilities to oversee the activities” of the U.S. Postal Service under the Postal Authorization and Enhancement Act.

• USPS issues revisions to Domestic Mail Manual. FedEx could lose labor exclusion. Wanted: DAT-MAIL mailing software experts to work from home. UPS celebrates 100 years.

• British postal strike delays mail; union plans additional labor actions. Poste Italiane sues J.P. Morgan. Royal Mail not the only postal provider facing strikes. TNT and unions settle on job preservation action. Japan post unions get together. UPS selling Sinotrans stake. Portugal’s post woos businesses with better service. Mexico acting to protect freight, logistics markets from foreigners. Aussie postal workers can earn big bucks.

• A list of upcoming postal-related events. (Also see item immediately below for House and Senate postal oversight hearing plans.)

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July 6, 2007

The latest copy of the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. electronic governmental affairs newsletter is available on the NAPUS web site. From this issue: (1) The House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia will conduct a hearing on the USPS decision to consider all new routes for contract delivery. Subcommittee Chairman Danny Davis (D-IL) scheduled the hearing for July 19; (2) Chairman Davis plans a July 26 hearing on postal facility closings and consolidations; (3) on August 2, the Subcommittee intends to hold a hearing on the status of federal employee and retiree benefits, including health and retirement; (4) Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services and International Security has scheduled two hearings on the implementation of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (Public Law 109-435). Subcommittee Chairman Tom Carper (D-DE) plans the hearings for July 25 and August 2 (The PMG Potter, PRC Chairman Dan Blair and mailer representatives have been invited to testify on the second day. It is expected that the 2nd day witnesses will concentrate on implementation of service standards, as required under the new law, and on contracting-out delivery services0.

According to CNET News, "Online consumers have become relatively slow shoppers, according to a recent report on digital window shopping. Online shoppers are now being more cautious than they were two years ago, and are taking more than half a day longer before making a buying decision and completing a transaction, according to a report by ScanAlert, a security-certification company in Bay Area that analyzed 2.6 million online sales executed on 470 Web sites from May 2005 to May 2007."

The Associated Press has wondered: "Could mail one day go the way of many pizza chains, where customers can pick it up or pay extra for home delivery? Will the mail still arrive six days a week? Will the government still be involved? The Postal Service is facing big questions as it struggles to cope with rising costs and major changes in the way people communicate."

The Times-Union has reported that "There was something foul in 12202. (That's Berlin, not Denmark). A former Rensselaer County postmaster routinely monkeyed with sales records to hide her theft of nearly $70,000 from the U.S. Postal Service, according to court papers."

According to The Scotsman, "Royal Mail workers announced on Thursday another 24-hour strike over pay and job cuts -- the second day of industrial action in two weeks. Postal workers will walk out on Thursday, July 12, and continue their strike action through Friday, July 13, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) said." See also The Guardian.

Scoop has reported that "New Zealand Post has joined the International Post Corporation."

July 5, 2007

The Times has reported that "Postal workers are to stage their second 24-hour national strike in the space of a fortnight, as the row over pay and mass-closures of branches deepens. In a statement released today, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) announced that its staff would walk out from 7pm next Thursday. The strike - which the union promises will cripple postal deliveries nationwide - follows a 24-hour walk-out by workers last Friday." See also Oxford Mail.

DMM Advisory: "In some cases Periodicals Outside-County mailings may be prepared using pre–July 15 software but entered on or after July 15, resulting in discrepancies in presort and reporting. Mailers may enter these mailings with the following discrepancies until July 29...."

Air Cargo Asia Pacific has reported that "a courier service introduced by New Zealand Post looks set to boost trans-Tasman air cargo and to increase traffic on several other routes. The new product has been developed in response to the boom in internet trading and recognises that some customers are not in a rip-roaring hurry to receive their consignments. Called International Economy Courier, it offers a rate discount of around 30 per cent on equivalent premium services. Consignments from New Zealand are delivered to Australian customers in two to three days and to those in 10 other countries within a maximum of six days at the greatest geographic reach.

ALG Worldwide Logistics and its operating division, Print & Mailing Solutions, has announced that it will be expanding co-production services to a new facility in Eastern Pennsylvania.

One writer for DM News has opined that "As we look at the consolidation taking place in the direct marketing industry, many long-time marketers, from list brokers and list managers to presidents of companies, are wondering, why is this happening so often and so rapidly? Why are some of the leading companies in the industry being bought and consolidated under one umbrella, such as this year’s purchase by InfoUSA of the Millard Group, Mokrynskidirect, Rubin Response and Digital Connexxions, which joins them with Walter Karl, Edith Roman and Yesmail? As is evidenced by the purchase or merger of some of the most well known names in the catalog and publishing industries by venture capital companies, the answer is that our fragmented industry is now facing economic challenges, changing the fundamental structure of how business must be done. The direct marketing industry has and is continuing to evolve so rapidly that being a single-solution provider, such as list brokerage or list management, is just not enough to enable a traditional list company to thrive and grow profitably."

The Financial Times has reported that "Calls for co-ordinated national strikes by “politically motivated” union activists opposed to public sector reforms are attacked on Wednesday by the head of the union representing top civil servants."

Ananova has reported that "The postal union looks set to announce that it will call workers out on strike again. Unions and management have clashed over pay and a plan to radically shake-up the business which could see up 40,000 job cuts."

According to icNewcastle, "FOR Royal Mail Group, corporate social responsibility means doing the right thing for its people, its business and the communities in which it operates. The group believes that the modern consumer wants to buy from a company that shares his values; employees want to work for companies that provide a healthy and safe environment and whose values align to theirs, and communities want companies that contribute to the cohesion that builds neighbourhoods where people live and work."

Hemscott has reported that "German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck said the government has to pursue an 'active industrial policy' to protect local firms in the telecommunications, banking, postal, logistics and energy sectors from being taken over by foreign state-owned funds."

From SourceWire: "Pitney Bowes and RPost®, the leader in managed outbound messaging with its flagship Registered E-mail® services, have announced that they have entered into a global alliance. Under terms of the agreement, Pitney Bowes will offer RPost Registered E-mail services to its mailstream customers. By adding RPost services, Pitney Bowes can now provide its customers with a full set of high-value outbound messaging tools for client records management, compliance, e-discovery, paper reduction and cost reduction initiatives. RPost Registered E-mail messages provide e-mail senders with verifiable proof of message delivery, content and time stamp for e-mails sent to any Internet address. Pitney Bowes and RPost have bundled the cost of e-mail delivery proof, time stamping, encrypting, PDF conversion, information leak prevention, e-Contracting, and e-signing into one flat per unit price – about the cost of a postage stamp. RPost outbound messaging services can be used from every desktop, laptop or handheld PC, offering Pitney Bowes customers a flexible and convenient platform for managing electronic records in the course of complying with e-discovery rules. Unlike traditional e-mail applications that are unable to verify the content of e-mail messages, RPost Registered E-mail users have verifiable evidence of precisely what e-mail content and attachments were sent and received, by whom and when."

AMEInfo has reported that "Emirates Post's Training and Development Centre (TDC) recently conducted a special training course for employees of Iraq Post in Dubai."

The DM Bulletin has reported that "Going green is hurting the DM industry and stunting business growth, according to a survey by Abacus. The survey found that 40% said that "going green" was an impediment to business practices, and that it would have a negative impact on trade. Ian Hitt, newly appointed managing director of Abacus, said: "There is clearly some disquiet at the possibility of a public backlash over environmental issues and direct marketing.

A delegation from UNI Europa Post & Logistics together with Regional Secretary, Bernadette Segol met with Commissioner Charlie McCreevy in Brussels on 3 July 2007 to further discuss the situation on the proposals for a full market opening of European postal services.

July 4, 2007

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

German publishing house Axel Springer AG has acquired a PIN Group majority earlier than expected. Springer AG stated that a number of newspaper publishing houses - mainly regional publishers - would bring their postal business into the company this year.
Poste Italiane has sued US investment bank JP Morgan Chase for damages amounting to over 40m euros.
The German Federal Administrative Court has published a final decision which will increase the level of legal certainty in Germany’s mail market considerably. The Court ruled (Case No. 6 C8/06, 6 C 9/06, 6 C13/06 and 6 C 14/06) that so-called over-night transmission of mail does not constitute a violation of Deutsche Post’s exclusive license.
TNT and a number of trade unions have reached a principal agreement on work mobility for staff in the Netherlands. TNT announced that the agreement focussed on avoiding redundancies where possible. Measures therefore included promoting the transfer from one job to another. This gives the company the opportunity to handle forthcoming restructuring measures in a socially acceptable manner.
The Federal Association of Courier, Express and Postal Service Providers (BdKEP e.V.) gave a unanimous vote for a resolution which urges members to act in keeping with the prevailing conditions of the industry. However, in its press release (26.6) BdKEP stated that "the amount stipulated in a wage agreement would depend on the final abolition of the postal monopoly as well as the abolition from 1.1.2008 of Deutsche Post AG’s exemption from VAT, which is unlawful and contravenes EU legislation".
DHL seems intent on rapidly securing air freight capacity in the US market, while at the same time extending control over the international air freight network.
The takeover of ABX Belgium Distribution (2005 turnover: 90m euros; 650 employees) by GLS seems to have paid off.
Japanese express service Overseas Courier Service (OCS) intends to establish a new international express service together with All Nippon Airways (ANA).
DHL Danmark appears to have emerged from a loss-making period that lasted for several years.
UPS is selling its 2.9 per cent stake in Chinese CEP operators Sinotrans.
Express Courier, a joint venture between DHL and New Zealand Post, has strengthened its position through an acquisition in New Zealand, where it claims to be market leader.
Mexico is fighting in order not to lose its freight and logistics market to foreign firms. Soon, DHL, FedEx, UPS and their likes will no longer be allowed to expand as they like in Mexico. According to Mexican daily »La Crónica« (18.6), a new law is under way, preventing international operators from continuing to sweep domestic companies off the market. Foreign companies will only be allowed limited growth.
Portugal’s post Correios is looking to attract more business customers through a new service offer. From Monday banks, insurance companies and telecommunications providers will receive their mail twice a day.
The Italian government’s plans for the privatisation of the post seem to become more concrete.
Austrians will soon have to pay more to send letters abroad. According to radio station »ORF« (27.6), from September the least expensive postage rate will be 1.15 euros, up from 1 euro. The post ÖP AG says the increase is an index adjustment which has long been overdue.
In Switzerland Schweizerische Post and the two trade unions Kommunikation and transfair have concluded a collective agreement for the subsidiary Post Logistics AG.
Postal workers can actually earn a lot of money - at least if they live in Australia.

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.)

"There has been a dramatic decline in the number of post offices in Balochistan over the past few years, as the federal government has not approved the construction of a new post office or created new jobs in post offices, sources told Daily Times. When asked the reasons for the decline, Balochistan Postmaster General (PMG) Agha Anwar Gul told Daily Times that the federal government was taking very little interest in the development of the postal sector in the province. He said there was a need for more funds not only to increase the number of post offices but also to upgrade their standards."

Newsday has reported that "Babylon town officials got a boost in their battle against the construction of a new post office in Wyandanch when Sen. Charles Schumer threw his weight behind the effort in court to delay the project. Residents have objected to the proposed design, which has bulletproof glass and barbed wire, saying it projects a fortress-like image that is counter to their efforts to revitalize the community. Town officials are asking Judge Leonard Wexler in U.S. District Court for a temporary stop to the $4.7-million post office being built on Straight Path. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a news release that the Postal Service was "ignoring the will and wishes of Wyandanch residents" seeking to clean up the community's image."

Filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission:

• The Association for Postal Commerce (“PostCom”) has filed comments on the Second Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Regulations Establishing a System of Ratemaking issued by the Commission on May 17, 2007 ("Second Advance Notice"). PostCom is convinced that the comments that the Commission has received in response to the specific questions propounded in the Second Advance Notice affords the Commission a sound basis for moving expeditiously to the promulgation of regulations that implement the modern system of rate regulation as embodied in the PAEA and as envisioned by Congress.

• The Association for Postal Commerce, Advo, Inc., Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers, Direct Marketing Association, Magazine Publishers of America, Mail Order Association of America, National Postal Policy Council, Parcel Shippers Association and Time Warner, Inc. (hereafter “PostCom et al.”) have submitted joint comments to address the proposals set forth by the Office of Consumer Advocate (“OCA”) in its comments filed on June 18, 2007. The proposals set forth by the Office of Consumer Advocate on a number of the key issues raised by the Commission in its Second Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking cannot be reconciled with the terms and the basic purposes of the Postal Accountability and Enforcement Act (“PAEA”).

WSPA has reported that "For many people not getting a social security check in the mail can be a big headache. Several people from Spartanburg called News Channel 7 when their checks didn't show up in the mail. We did some investigating and found out they are not alone. The US Postal Service says nearly 1000 checks are missing in the Upstate. The postal service says the 1000 checks were going to mailboxes in Greenville and Spartanburg with zip codes that begin with 293 and 296."

July 3, 2007

The Point has reported that "The Gambia Postal Services Corporation (GAMPOST) last Friday reportedly uncovered a high profile scam as a significant number of mailbags sent to Banjul from overseas were found tampered before reaching The Gambia. According to our source, a total number of 71 mailbags were allegedly tampered by the time they reached Banjul from Dakar. The source added that the management of GAMPOST is currently busy working out modalities to return all the tampered mailbags to their countries of origin."

Bloomberg has reported that "The European Union needs a ``level playing field'' in areas including tax competition and market liberalization if there is to be greater EU integration, German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck said. Other EU members are shielding their postal monopolies while Germany has taken steps to liberalize the market, he said."

The Houston Chronicle has reported that "A former Houston post office clerk was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison Monday for stealing thousands of movies sent through the mail. Anthony Zuniga, 53, of Houston, was convicted of two counts of mail theft by a postal employee. His sentence includes three years probation and a $4,000 fine. Last year, the Postal Service received reports from Netflix, a company that rents movies by mail, that an unusually high number of DVDs were missing from the company's box at the 401 Franklin Street post office in Houston. At the time, Zuniga, a 32-year employee, was assigned to that location. Using surveillance, U.S. Postal Inspectors watched Zuniga steal 122 DVDs from the post office and later found another 8,000 stolen Netflix and Blockbuster DVDs during a search of his home."

The Financial Times has reported that "Deutsche Post, the German postal and logistics group, has quietly revived a plan to invest in the US air cargo industry which was dropped four years ago in the face of regulatory opposition. The company last month acquired a 49 per cent stake in Miami-based Astar Air Cargo, which in turn launched an unsolicited bid for Ohio-based ABX Air. Both companies derive most of their business from long-term contracts with DHL. The proposed deal follows years of wrangling over Deutsche Post's role in the US air cargo business, which is subject to the same constraints over foreign ownership as passenger airlines."

Also from the Financial Times: "Deutsche Post AG has, according to Francotyp-Postalia Holding AG information, cancelled existing contracts with all franking machines manufacturers in Germany with effect from 31 December 2007. Negotiations are already in hand with a view to strengthening the relationship between Francotyp-Postalia and Deutsche Post. The target is to establish a strategic partnership between the two companies which would be mutually beneficial in the medium to longer term in light of the forthcoming deregulation of the German postal market. 'A new cooperation contract offers the possibility of intensifying customer retention in the field of franking machines.' declares Hartmut Neumann, CEO of Francotyp-Postalia Holding AG. 'A future partnership with Deutsche Post AG enables us to set up new attractive offers for franking machines and enter new potential markets in the lower segment.'"

Transport Intelligence has reported that "DHL has announced the opening of a new service center facility in Columbus, Ohio. DHL has invested $2.1 million in the state-of-the-art service center facility which serves local package pickup and delivery operations in the area. The new, 54,000-sq.-ft. service center combines a 5,500-sq-ft facility 45 miles east of Columbus and a 20,000-sq.-ft facility near Port Columbus International Airport into one larger operation. Shipments that flow in and out of the new service center are routed directly through DHL's principal air and ground hub in Wilmington, Ohio – one hour by road from Columbus."

RIA Novosti has reported that "The world's biggest postcard which is more than 400 square meters in size has been delivered in Novosibirsk, west Siberia, a local post office said Tuesday. Organizers said they would apply to the Russian and Guinness book of records with the postcard which measures 250.3 (820 feet) by 1.6 meters (5 feet) and weighs 119.8 kilograms (264 pounds). The postcard was made to mark the 114th anniversary of Novosibirsk. On June 24, it was placed in Novosibirsk's central square so that anyone could leave greetings for the city. It was then stamped and sent to the addressee - the Siberian postal museum."

The Birmingham News has noted that "High Noon Film, a Birmingham production company, won a contract with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to raise awareness of online scams. The campaign will include network TV spots as well as online and magazine ads, and will have a $13 million budget. It will focus on the six most prevalent types of online scams such as Nigerian, work-at-home and online auction scams."

Postal Rate Commissioner Ruth Goldway has urged the Federal Trade Commission to fulfill its statutory responsibilities under the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act to ensure the Postal Service doesn't take advantage of its statutory monopolies to the disadvantage of its competitors.

The Communication Workers Union has reported that "Following discussions been National Health and Safety Officer Dave Joyce and Royal Mail Group, the organisation has agreed to support the CWU's Bone Marrow donor recruitment drive."

July 2, 2007

The Federal Trade Commission is extending the deadline for filing public comments on several issues in connection with the preparation of a report required by the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. Public comments must be received on or before August 6, 2007.

Harte-Hanks and its client DTRIC Insurance Company, Limited, were recently honored with the 2007 Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association (PDMA) Benjamin Franklin Award for Direct Marketing Excellence (also known as the “Benny”) in the multi-media category.

Dow Jones has reported that "Dutch postal and logistics company TNT NV Monday said that it is expanding its household coverage in Germany by acquiring a 25.1 percent stake in regional mail delivery company Nordwest-Mail GmbH in Bremen (CITIPOST Bremen). This stake will guarantee TNT Post access to more than 400,000 households in the Greater Bremen Area, as well as to the complete network of the CITIPOST alliance, the largest alternative mail delivery service in north-west Germany. Under the name "CITIPOST", the Nordwest."

According to the Daily Journal, "Sometimes the easiest way to find a good-paying job is to ask a wealthy relative to hire you. For many, that relative is Uncle Sam. Federal workers, on average, are paid almost 50 percent more than employees in the private sector, a Gannett New Jersey analysis of salary data shows."

Chicago dBusiness News has reported that "Sopris Partners has acquired WIT Postal Logistics, a privately held mail distribution outsourcing company."

The Guardian has reported that "Some main post offices could be closed on Monday as the Royal Mail is hit by a fresh strike in a row over transferring services to WH Smith stores. Hundreds of members of the Communication Workers Union will take industrial action from 6am to midday in protest at plans to close 85 so-called Crown post offices and move their services to the high street retailer." See also Hemscott.

July 1, 2007

The San Francisco Chronicle has reported that "As if the U.S. health care system wasn't bad enough, now comes word that Blue Cross, California's largest health insurer, will charge hundreds of thousands of people a $2 "service fee" just to receive their bills in the mail. That's right -- a bill for them to bill you. "Business costs don't stay stagnant," explained Nick Garcia, a spokesman for Blue Cross of California. "There have been increases in postage and paper costs." Blue Cross isn't the only insurer charging customers a fee to receive their bills in the mail. Health Net bills its 100,000 California members with individual policies $5 a month for paper bills. "This is to promote the efficiency of electronic payment methods," said Brad Kieffer, a Health Net spokesman."

The Star-Ledger noted that "When Meg Trelease moved into a new 86-unit condominium complex in Perth Amboy's rapidly developing waterfront area last month, the least of her concerns was mail delivery. She assumed it would just show up, no questions asked. But the new building on Rector Street has become the focal point of a growing dispute between the U.S. Postal Service and its letter carriers union about the increased use of private contractors to deliver mail in urban areas. Though the condominium complex is surrounded by at least five regular postal routes, the postal service wants to hire a part-time contractor to save money."

The New York Times has reported that "The low point in the relationship between United States Postal Service employees and customers in Brooklyn may well have come in late March, when someone videotaped a fellow customer’s five-minute, profanity-laced tirade against an employee at the borough’s Kensington post office and posted the clip on YouTube. More than a few commenters on the Web site said they lived in the area and knew how the ranter felt."

According to the Home News Tribune, "Perth Amboy Mayor Joseph Vas is supporting a proposed ordinance to prohibit contract letter carriers in Perth Amboy."

WNYT has reported that "A letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service is accused of stealing first class envelopes from his mail route." See also WTEN and Capital News 9.

According to the Daily Mail, "Harry Potter has overcome many a challenge in the books and films charting his adventures. Now it is hoped the schoolboy wizard can work his magic on an industrial dispute. Royal Mail chiefs are using Harry in negotiations with postal union leaders to appeal to them not to disrupt deliveries of J.K. Rowling's latest novel."

The Western Australian has reported that "Australia Post is being forced to pay up to $2500 a week for posties who temporarily fill in at mining towns, and may even have to go as far as putting some postmen on a fly in, fly out roster to fill shortages over longer periods."

The Sunday Times has reported that "The Union of Postal and Telecommunication Officers (UPTO) took to the streets this week to protest against fraud and corruption in the Postal Department."

AMEInfo has reported that "Emirates Marketing & Promotions (EMP), a subsidiary of Emirates Post, has launched Emirates Business Pages (EBP), a new business-to-business directory, in association with Concept Media. The new directory has been designed to help business players obtain information or locate partners through a quick reference to a comprehensive and updated database of businesses and industries across the UAE."