July 13, 2008

According to the Bristol Herald Courier, "U.S. Rep. David Davis, R-Tenn., is among the House’s top 10 spenders when it comes to mailing thousands of glossy, self-promoting brochures on the taxpayers’ dime this election year, a Bristol Herald Courier investigation reveals. The freshman congressman racked up $69,000 in postage costs during the first quarter of 2008 by blanketing Northeast Tennessee with 180,000 mailers ranging from his stance on illegal immigration, support for the military and driving tips to save gas. His use of a little-known congressional privilege that allows spending money from taxpayer-funded Capitol Hill office budgets to cover massive postage bills ranked him as the ninth-highest spender for mass mailers in the 435-member House."

The Sunday Standard has noted that "BotswanaPost and Orange Botswana stood shoulder-to-shoulder last week as they unveiled a new world of Virtual airtime accessibility – an agreement that signifies an important milestone in the lives of many customers who will be able to recharge their prepaid mobiles at selected Post Offices across the country. Botswana Post is to use 34 Post Offices to offer the services out of its 119 offices and 75 postal agencies spread across the country. According to the plan, at least 50 postal offices are expected to offer the services by the end of this year."

According to the Sunday Mirror, "A bungle by military posties has meant hundreds of letters for troops in Iraq have been sent to Belize instead... 6,000 miles in the wrong direction. Soldiers facing daily bombardments at their base near Basra started complaining that mail was failing to get through. Their families and girlfriends were also frustrated at not getting replies to heartfelt letters - called "blueys" by squaddies. Officers investigated... and found an electronic sorting machine was diverting the post to a jungle training camp in Belize, Central America."

The St. Charles Sun has reported that "The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information about who set off pipe bombs in two residential mailboxes last month in unincorporated West Dundee."

The Guardian has reported that "Dutch mail company TNT NV declined to comment on Saturday on a report by the Financial Times newspaper that FedEx Corp is in preliminary talks to acquire it. The newspaper reported FedEx Corp wanted to add to its European parcel delivery service and that both United Parcel Service and FedEx have "coveted" TNT's European parcel business. "As a matter of policy we do not comment on market rumours," TNT spokesman Pieter Schaffels told Reuters ."

July 12, 2008

Multichannel Merchant has reported that "After years of managing volume, the U.S. Postal Service wants to instead manage mail quality, according to Hamilton Davison, executive director of the American Catalog Mailers Association. "The post office is not just making sure that mailers get stuff delivered, it's making sure that the mail is really wanted," Davison said during a session Thursday at the MeritDirect Business Mailers Co-op and Conference. Davison’s information stems from discussions with Postmaster General John E. Potter during ACMA's National Catalog Advocacy & Strategy Forum last month. Potter suggested then that the USPS may soon become a much smaller organization that would not longer be handling more than 200 billion pieces a year, including 50 billion flats."

American Postal Workers Union president William Burrus has told his members that "as employees who meet the eligibility criteria (still to be determined) think about their choices, I ask that they forgo making a quick decision. There are compelling reasons for taking a wait-and-see attitude, including that the economy is in (or is approaching) a recession, and the opportunities for even part-time employment have diminished. In addition, energy and medical costs are escalating, which will make it extremely difficult to survive on a fixed income. I ask that eligible employees delay making a final decision on early retirement until the union concludes discussions at the national level. If we are not successful, we will announce that we have reached an impasse, and individual decisions can then be made."

The Times of Malta has reported that "Mobile phone users sent almost 500 million text messages last year, a record, according to the Malta Communications Authority's annual report. The postal services, which have 13 registered operators, also fared well in services offered and targets reached. However, there was room for improvement in this sector, the report notes as it outlined a strategy to liberalise the postal services."

Swiss Post is inviting customers to test its new and simple solution for sending secure e-mails on www.incamail.ch. Thanks to IncaMail 2.0 (beta name), e-mails can now be sent (with proof of sending), and the content encrypted so it cannot be viewed by third parties. Upon request, Swiss Post will confirm dispatch and receipt of an item to the sender in the form of a PDF file. Companies and individuals can use the web-based solution without installing additional software. The service, which will be free in the beta phase, is particularly suited to the exchange of highly confidential information of a legal, financial or health-related nature.

PRESS TV has reported that "Tehran will be home to the largest postal and telecom museum in the Middle East to chronicle the 2,500-year history of Iran's postal system."

The Cyprus Mail has reported that "personalised stamps, carrying your photograph or even the logo of an organisation and wiring money from Cyprus to other countries, are some of the new services that will be added soon by Department of Postal Services of the Ministry of Communications. The Director of the Postal Services, Andreas Gregoriou yesterday announced that these services will be available to the public before the end of 2008. “In our efforts to modernise and upgrade the services, innovative proposals have been placed,” he said."

Hemscott has reported that "FedEx Corp is in preliminary talks to buy its Dutch rival TNT NV, the Financial Times reported without citing its sources. The report said such a deal would bolster FedEx's European parcel network. It said the economic downturn and rising fuel costs have hit demand for package deliveries, and led to a revival of merger discussions that have continued in starts and stops for years." See also the Financial Times and Bloomberg.

July 11, 2008

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

• The Postal Regulatory Commission heard from a variety of witnesses at its final field hearing on universal service and the postal monopolies this week. The witnesses hailed from a broad range of stakeholders, including representatives of the postal unions and management associations, a consumer advocate, an esteemed postal observer, an economics professor, a First Amendment attorney and a representative from a senior citizens association. The Commission’s report on universal service and the monopolies is due to Congress by Dec. 19, 2008.
• Despite significant challenges to the U.S. Postal Service from both rising costs and declining revenues, the current system works “... reasonably well, and there does not appear to be a compelling reason to make any major changes in the services it provides ...,” the Association for Postal Commerce and the Direct Marketing Association told the PRC this week.
• Postal observer Murray Comarow told the Postal Regulatory Commission this week he agrees with those who have urged the PRC not to weaken universal service and the letter and mailbox monopolies. “If the Commission must define universal service,” Comarow said, “it should do so broadly, as a six-day-a-week service across the board, with authority vested in the Postal Service to adjust it as necessary.” He also said it is not too late to create a postal environment that would encourage creativity and risk-taking because its mission “... is important and personally rewarding.”
• PostCom, joined by the Direct Marketing Association, this week filed comments with the Postal Regulatory Commission regarding the Postal Service’s updated service performance measurement plan. The associations told the PRC that most of the concerns raised in previous comments “have not been addressed at all or, at most, have only partially been resolved: the Postal Service has not revised key aspects of its plan – most especially relating to data reporting – which are critically important to customers. While we support the concept of measurement as an evolutionary process, we do not yet see concrete steps from the Postal Service to meet the needs of its customers in terms of access to essential visibility data.”
• The Postal Service has released a draft RFP to award a contract to a single supplier to perform all functions for its proposed Time Definite Surface Network. The supplier will not be allowed to subcontract any portion of the distribution work. The draft RFP makes clear the supplier only will be permitted to subcontract non-distribution work, but even this will be limited to 30 percent of the total contract value. The USPS says it released the draft RFP to provide industry an opportunity to “review and understand” its requirement andfurnish feedback on the various sections in the solicitation, including the statement of work.
• USPS seeks early retirements for 40,000 employees. USPS proposes changes to treatment of undeliverable books/sound recordings. New work group to tackle ACS/OneCode ACS issues. Goldway nominated for second PRC term. Mailers Council thanks Potter for IMB time, effort.
• Royal Mail competitors handle 25 percent of all letters in Britain. German regulator forces Deutsche Post to improve competitors’ access to mail hubs.
• A list of upcoming postal-related events.

Hey! You've not been getting the weekly PostCom Bulletin--the best postal newsletter anywhere...bar none?  Send us by email your name, company, company title, postal and email address. Get a chance to see what you've been missing.

The PostCom Bulletin is distributed via NetGram

The latest copy of the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. electronic governmental affairs newsletter is available on the NAPUS web site.

According to GovExec, "The U.S. Postal Service has started meeting with unions to discuss the voluntary early retirements it expects to offer at least 20,000 clerks and mail handlers in response to a decreasing volume of mail, an agency spokesman said."

Mediaweek has reported that "Less than three months after The Capital Times in Madison, Wis., dropped its daily print format for a Web-based report, another Wisconsin daily is following the trend. The 5,500-daily circulation Daily Telegram in Superior announced Thursday it would move to a Web-based reporting approach, while offering a print product just two day per week."

GMANews has reported that "The Philippine Postal Corporation (PhilPost) on Friday said it has started an investigation into the loss of several valuables, including a digital camera, shipped by an Australia-based Filipino to his family in the Philippines last June. PhilPost officials were prompted to conduct the probe after Edcel Pono, a computer solutions specialist in Australia, wrote to the Central Visayas Regional Post Office, to complain that the package he sent to Moalboal in Cebu was tampered and its contents stolen. Clifford Dasig, head of the Inspection Service at PhilPost, told GMANews.TV that the investigation could result in the possible granting of indemnity to Pono or compensation for the lost items."

Federal Register: The Postal Regulatory Commission published a document in the Federal Register on June 25, 2008 seeking comments on a plan for service performance measurement and reporting systems for market dominant products. The document contained several errors the Commission wishes to correct.

Media Daily News has reported that "Magazines have suffered a sharp reversal in fortune since 2007, when they enjoyed modest growth despite the economic slowdown. According to the Publisher's Information Bureau, total magazine ad pages fell 8.2% in the second quarter of 2008, one of the steepest industry-wide drops in years. Worse, it comes on top of an earlier decline of 6.4% in the first quarter. Altogether, in the first half of 2008, ad pages are down 7.4% compared to the same period last year."

Cayman Net News has noted that "the Cayman Islands Postal Service’s (CIPS) Express Mail Service (EMS) team continues to perform at the highest level, capturing a Gold Level Certificate in the process. According to IBM, the Cayman Islands on-time delivery measurement is 98 percent. The Gold Level certificate recognizes the team effort, from front counter to all those who handle the mail. However, it is the EMS group’s dedication that makes the difference in quality of delivery. Postmaster General Sheena Glasgow encourages the public to compare EMS with local courier services."

The President has nominated Ruth Y. Goldway, of California, to be Commissioner of the Postal Regulatory Commission, for an additional six-year term expiring 11/22/14. Ms. Goldway currently serves as Commissioner of the Postal Regulatory Commission. Prior to this, she served as Manager of Public Affairs at J. Paul Getty Trust. Earlier in her career, she served as Director of Public Affairs at California State University. Ms. Goldway received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and her master’s degree from Wayne State University.

TheIndian News has reported that "While Leonardo DiCaprio talks about importance of saving the planet, it turns out that he himself isn”t so vigilant when it comes to making sure his own pitches reach the public. In March, the actor hated unsolicited, paper-wasting pitches showing up in his mailbox so much that he and fellow environmentalist Adrian Grenier joined a movement to establish a national ”Do Not Mail Registry.” Spearheaded by environmental group ForestEthics, the campaign urges Americans to sign a petition demanding the government make it possible for citizens to ban junk mail. However, this week, freelance writer Philip Recchia received in the mail a big envelope with DiCaprio’’s name on the return address space, soliciting donations for the Natural Resource Defense Council’’s ”Polar Bear S.O.S.” campaign. The envelope had a one-page pitch letter from the actor and a two-page pitch letter from NRDC president Frances Beinecke; a flyer for a free ”Save the Polar Bear!” tote bag; a donation form/petition to the secretary of the interior, urging him to protect the polar bear as an endangered species; and a return envelope." And from The Daily Telegraph: "Leonardo DiCaprio has begun a campaign against his mailbox being full of junkmail, but he has been caught out by residents spreading his own message with tonnes of waste." [EdNote: Can it get any better than this? Leonardo DiCaprio getting hoisted by his own petard.]

AllAfrica.com has reported that "Post offices across the country will start selling Orange airtime and other accessories following an agreement that has been reached between the cell phone operator and Botswana Post. According to the new arrangement, Orange customers will now have the opportunity of recharging their prepaid mobiles in the selected 34 post offices across the country."

According to Dow Jones, "La Banque Postale said Thursday it entered into exclusive negotiations with Societe Generale (13080.FR) to establish a consumer credit partnership. The cooperation will take the form of a joint venture in which the postal bank will remain majority shareholder. Banque Postale expects to complete the agreement before the end of this year."

From ThaiPR.net: "Even though small and medium-sized business leaders in Asia Pacific view their Thai counterparts as less competitive than last year, Thai business leaders are confident about their own growth prospects. According to the UPS Asia Business Monitor 2008, optimism remains strong with 60 percent of Thai small-to-medium enterprises, or SMEs, expecting to do better than they did last year and 52 percent expecting an increase in their workforce."

Press Release: "Neopost, the worldwide provider of mailing and shipping solutions, introduces the Neopost AS-990, the latest addition to its line of desktop address printing systems. Quickly and easily printing addresses, barcodes and graphics anywhere on envelopes, the Neopost AS-990 is designed to increase productivity while providing a high quality, professional image aimed at increasing direct mail response rates."

Today's Zaman has reported that "As the Turkish postal system tries to implement modern technology and introduce innovative products, notorious delays and lost mail continue to be a major headache to customers, local and foreign alike."

July 10, 2008

Der Spiegel has reported that "Tomcat Janosch was just looking for a nice place to sleep when he got into a neighbor's box. Instead, he and the package were shipped halfway across Germany."

The Crewe & Nantwick Guardian has reported that "hundreds of Crewe jobs are hanging in the balance this week as talks are held to save the town’s Royal Mail sorting office from closure. Crewe and Nantwich MP Edward Timpson has arranged a meeting with Royal Mail bosses in an effort to rescue the Weston Road site, which employs 600 people. The office has been earmarked for closure along with Liverpool’s Copperas Hill site, as part of a major shake-up to streamline and automate the service."

According to FinFacts, "the Irish Times reports that an post will seek annual subsidies of some €30 million to meet the cost of its universal service obligations (USOs) once the Irish postal market has been liberalised in 2011."

The president of the Northern Territories Federation of Labour has asked: "Should our public post office continue to have an exclusive privilege to handle letters so that it can provide universal service? The federal government is conducting an inquiry, the Canada Post Corporation Strategic Review, to answer questions like these. The advisory panel conducting this review has been given a very broad mandate, which includes considering deregulation. Even the hint of deregulation should outrage all Northerners."

From PRWeb: "Window Book is pleased to announce DAT-MAIL support for PostalOne! Wizard Web Services for exchanging mailing documents and making postage payments with the Postal Service. Currently, it supports the following PS forms: 3600-R, 3602-R, and 3602-N. More forms are continually being added through our one-on-one development efforts with the USPS."

The Press and Journal has reported that "the UK Government was urged last night to eases pressure on the elderly to switch from pension payments by cheque to direct transfers into bank accounts. MPs demanded changes to letters sent out by the Department of Work and Pensions, advising pensioners with bank accounts that the change will take place unless they object. They want the letters to contain a guarantee that recipients will continue to have a right to choose the payment method. The row erupted as government business manager Harriet Harman, answering questions to the prime minister in place of Gordon Brown at the G8 in Japan, refused to intervene to ensure the Post Office retains the contract to run card accounts for pension and benefit recipients."

Computing has reported that "Royal Mail is finalising contracts with a range of suppliers for the provision of handheld devices to track letter and parcel information. By the end of this summer, more than 25,000 staff handling items tracked by special and recorded delivery will use the devices, which are intended to speed up and modernise postal processes. The devices will enable Royal Mail van drivers to capture signatures at the point of delivery. The data will then be transmitted over a wireless network, allowing customers to check via the web whether or not items have arrived at their destination."

Transport Intelligence has reported that "Global express delivery and logistics company DHL USA this week announced the latest version of its EasyShip PC-based shipping solution."

The National Association of Major Mail Users will be holding a meeting. When: Thursday, July 24 Where: Intercontinental Toronto Centre, 225 Front Street West Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:30p.m. (light working lunch will be served); Session I 10:00a.m. – 12:00 noon Canada Post Strategic Vision: Paper + Electronic; Session II 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. 2009 Rate Package Workshop: Transaction Mail; Advance registration is mandatory and required by July 21. 

The Association for Postal Commerce, joined by the Direct Marketing Association, Inc., filed comments in response to Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) Order No 83, Docket No. PI2008-1, regarding Service Performance Measurement Systems for Market-Dominant Products. They told the Commission that "we find that most of the concerns that we raised in our January Comments in this docket have not been addressed at all or, at most, have only partially been resolved: the Postal Service has not revised key aspects of its plan -- most especially relating to data reporting -- which are critically important to customers. We recognize that the Postal Service continues to formulate its service performance measurement plans, and hope that it will engage in further discussions with its customers on development of mutually beneficial measurement systems and access to measurement data. While we support the concept of measurement as an evolutionary process, we do not yet see concrete steps from the Postal Service to meet the needs of its customers in terms of access to essential visibility data." Comments filed by others can be found on the PRC web site.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported that "A fight is brewing over a deal to make DHL the largest airfreight customer of Sandy Springs-based UPS. DHL, one of UPS' main rivals, has proposed letting UPS fly its packages in the United States. DHL would still deliver by truck, but Big Brown would fly the packages and cargo on its planes. The deal would give UPS a $1 billion customer, its largest. Wilmington, Ohio. As the two companies work behind the scenes to ink a contract, which could take months, Ohioans and pilots are trying to stop it. They are lobbying against the deal, urging federal antitrust officials to investigate and filing a labor grievance. UPS says that the DHL deal would be similar to an arrangement the U.S. Postal Service has with UPS and FedEx. Both carriers airlift packages for the post office, which then delivers them on its trucks." 

APWU President William Burrus met with postal officials July 8 regarding USPS plans to offer early-retirement opportunities to 40,000 employees. “I conveyed our strongly-held belief that the Postal Service is required to bargain with the union over Voluntary Early Retirement opportunities,” Burrus said.

Marketing has reported that "Canada Post has appointed Stewart Bacon as its first chief sales and marketing officer. The new role is a “statement about the importance of customers and serving customers” and was created to help ensure that customer relations are properly managed, said Bacon. Canada Post employs approximately 70,000, 90% of which are involved in mail delivery, and “in the minds of many employees, the customer was not front and centre,” said Bacon, who adds that this is a problem Canada Post is attempting to rectify.

Ziarul Financiar has reported that "The Romanian Post Office, the largest player on the postal and courier services market, spent around 5.4 million RON (1.5 million euros) on fuel in the first 5 months of the year, 4% more than the budgeted expenses, although its vehicle fleet declined, by 82, to 1,039, according to company information. Most companies with sizeable vehicle fleets exceed budgets allocated for fuel acquisition, amid an over 20% increase in the price of fuel since the beginning of the year, generated by the rise in oil prices on international markets."

The Daily News has reported that "Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mahinda Wijesekera yesterday requested public servants and other workers not to join today’s strike because it had a more sinister political motive of toppling the Government other than the Rs. 5,000 salary hike demand made on the surface."

According to the Elmira Independent, "Staff at Canada Post´s Elmira office are concerned that business could be affected by a postal outlet possibly in the works for a neighbouring store."

July 9, 2008

The Postal Regulatory Commission will hold its final public hearing on Thursday, July 10, 2008, at 10 a.m., to solicit views relating to the universal service obligation of the U.S. Postal Service and the postal monopoly. The hearing will be in the Commission’s Hearing Room, 901 New York Avenue, Northwest, Washington, DC, and will be webcast via a link to the streaming audio at www.prc.gov. All hearing testimony, hearing transcriptions, and replies to the Commission’s notice for public comment will be available on the Commission’s website at www.prc.gov, under Docket No. PI2008-3.

The following witnesses are scheduled to testify:

Panel 1: William H. Young, President, National Association of Letter Carriers; William Burrus, President, American Postal Workers Union; Don Cantriel, Vice President, National Association of Rural Letter Carriers; Dale Goff, President, National Association of Postmasters of the U.S.; Charles Mapa, President, National League of Postmasters; and Ted Keating, President, National Association of Postal Supervisors.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Panel 2: Rick Geddes, Associate Professor, Department of Policy Analysis and Management, Cornell University; Murray Comarow, Bethesda, Maryland; and Linda Sherry, Director for National Priorities, Consumer Action.

Panel 3: James Martin, President, 60 Plus Association and Robert Corn-Revere, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP.

Please contact Ann Fisher (202) 789-6800 or Ann.Fisher@prc.gov for further information.

The Chillichote Gazette is a little upset "with some narrow-minded people recommending we close the post office on the west side of town - the area growing at least as fast as anywhere else in the city."

From Business Wire: "FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and the world’s largest express transportation company, today announced its support of Express Your Vote, an initiative of the Overseas Vote Foundation (OVF), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to ensuring an estimated six million overseas Americans have the ability to effectively participate in the federal electoral process. With FedEx supporting this initiative, Americans abroad in 89 countries will be able to access express delivery of their absentee ballots between September 15 – October 29 of the 2008 election year."

In a letter from the Mailers Council to Postmaster General Jack Potter, the Council wrote:

"The IMB project has profound implications for the future efficiency of the Postal Ser-vice, making it the single most important long-term postal project for your customers. Preparing for the changes IMB will require is a time-consuming, costly project for both you and your customers.

"We appreciate the time your staff members have spent with mailers working on IMB. Of course, your ongoing commitment in terms of the management attention and energy given to this project is very important. That is why we were very pleased to read about your recent management changes, which will ensure that IMB has the support of your senior leadership and that these individuals have the support teams they will need."

Advertising Age has reported that:

• Golf for Women has become the latest magazine to shut down, accelerating the pace of closures a bit amid publishing-biz executive changes and, of course, a depressed ad market that's hurting everyone. Golf for Women closely follows Hearst's Quick & Simple to the dustbin.
• "Seriously weakened" economic expectations and the continued drop-off in consumers' disposable incomes have prompted Magna Global's Robert Coen, senior VP-director of forecasting, to pull back his 2008 ad-spending forecast -- he now predicts total U.S. ad spending will rise 2% (to $285 billion) as opposed to a 3.7% gain predicted in December.

InformationWeek has noted that "Photo messaging has risen 60% in the United States over the last year, as the camera phone for many vacationers replaces the postcard once sent to friends and family, a market research firm said Tuesday. "The camera phone could replace the postcard as the preferred mode to say 'wish you were here,' as even parents and grandparents are snapping and sending photos from their mobile devices," Mark Donovan, senior VP of ComScore mobile products, said in a statement. Photo-messaging growth in the U.S. is seen among all age groups, ComScore said. The fastest growing segments are teens and people older than 35. About two in three American owns a camera phone."[Ed Note: Oh dear....Does Hallmark know?]

Federal  Register:

• The Postal Service is proposing to revise the mailing standards for the treatment of books and sound recordings that are found loose in the mail or undeliverable as addressed. The revision would eliminate confusion and simplify procedures. Written comments must be received on or before August 8, 2008.
• The Postal Service proposes revisions to the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) to update the standards regarding delivery of Express Mail[supreg] items with waiver of signature requested and return receipt for merchandise items with waiver of signature requested. We propose that employees deliver these shipments without first attempting to obtain a signature from the addressee. Comments must be received on or before July 24, 2008.

The Baltic Business News has reported that "Estonian postal company Eesti Post is willing to take over some of the responsibilities of the Citizenship and Migration Board CMB."

[EdNote: The next four items show how UK network reorganization plans have created a public fuss. Expect the same when the Postal Service starts its realignment in the U.S. The only question is whether Congress will stay out of it.]

The Northampton Chronicle has reported that "A new sorting depot which will replace Royal Mail's temporary Crow Lane site could swallow up jobs from Milton Keynes.

The Chronicle has reported that "crisis talks are to be held in a bid to rescue the Royal Mail sorting office at Crewe from closure with the possible loss of hundreds of jobs. Staff at the Weston Road site say they expect to learn their fate this week, but some are fearful that the deal is already done and that their jobs will be relocated 37 miles away to Warrington."

The Coventry Telegraph has reported that "a leading Coventry businessman has criticised Royal Mail for not consulting local firms over closing Bishop Street sorting office. Darren Jones, president of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber, said businesses were anxious to know if services would be affected. In particular, they want to know if mail will be delivered even later than it is now, and if there will still be a late collection from the city centre."

The Aberdeen Press and Journal has reported that "Politicians last night issued final impassioned pleas to save post offices across the north-east and Tayside from closure. MSPs urged the Post Office to listen to the views of campaigners and customers who will be badly affected by controversial plans to shut 42 branches across the regions and Fife. The organisation is also proposing to turn a further 37 branches into part-time “outreach” services."

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

A comment by French president Sarkozy’s chief of staff Claude Gueant has stirred up the French market. In an interview with French radio channel »Europe 1« (06.07), Mr Gueant said that a possible partial privatisation of La Poste is an idea "that deserves interest". He added that the status of the post would have to be altered first into e.g. a plc. Mr Gueant said the French government planned to remain the main owner of the post.
The U.S. Postal Service has undergone profound restructuring with the aim of improving its competitive position and customer service.
Germany’s former minister of justice, Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger has urged Deutsche Post to abandon lawsuits involving "small" postal agencies.
As the designated president of the Swiss post’s administrative board, Claude Béglé appears to have a clear vision for his future position, which will give him a decisive influence on the strategy of Schweizerische Post.
Britain’s Royal Mail appears to be losing ground to its competitors.
Schweizerische Post has acquired Global Business Services Plus (GBS+), a French company specialising in digital document management.
After nine years at the helm of Dutch mail service provider Sandd, CEO Bart Stomphorst has announced his resignation.
Germany’s Federal Association of Courier, Express and Postal Service Providers (BdKEP e.V.) has demanded that the postal industry should not be included in the law pertaining to the posting of workers again.
In an unexpected move German TNT Post Regioservice announced last week the conclusion of a house wage tariff with Christian trade union CGPT.
FedEx CEO Fred Smith is expecting less demand for short-haul air transport from customers and increased interlinking of international and US domestic transports over the next few years. Mr Smith is assuming, the trend will favour the door-to-door handling of international consignments, thus gradually replacing cross-border consolidation and subsequent feeding into domestic networks of consignments for delivery. FedEx would therefore increasingly turn its focus on international customers in future.
Faced with increasing wolumes of online orders, GLS Germany has announced that consignments that cannot be delivered to private households will in future be left at the next parcel shop.
DHL Global Forwarding is offering a new service concept in Austria in co-operation with Jade Cargo International.
Estonia’s Eesti Posti has failed in its attempt to acquire press distribution operator Ekspress Post.
Portugal’s CTT Correios appears to have abandoned the idea of setting up its own post bank.
Despite a 20% rise in petrol costs last month, FedEx has managed to cap its prices drastically in the highly competitive domestic market in China.
The sale of Germany’s Postbank could fall through due to the excessive price expectation of Deutsche Post as the main shareholder.
Although Switzerland still enjoys a nationwide universal postal service with a guaranteed good quality, the service is no longer at the same level as it was in 2006. This conclusion is reached by the country’s regulatory authority PostReg, which published its annual report for 2007 last week.
primeMail GmbH, a joint venture of Swiss Post International and Hermes Logistik group, plans to introduce a new online catalogue portal this autumn.
The Dutch trade union FNV has urged the country’s private postal service providers to enter into negotiations.
Japan Post Service Co. has been granted permission by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to go into the air freight business.
Strikes have seriously hampered the services provided by Brazil’s post ECT since last week.
Japan, Egypt, Jordania and the United Arab Emirates have made a public complaint over the poor service quality of the post in Kuwait.

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 Memphis Business Journal has noted that "FedEx Corp. has been named one of the "40 Best Companies for Diversity" according to Black Enterprise magazine."

Hellmail has reported that "Since 1st of July, Russian Post and the departments of State Traffic Safety Inspectorate (STSI, MIA RF) began to implement a joint project on delivery notices of traffic offence fixed by special facilities operating automatically (videocameras). Under new regulations which form part of Russian Federal Law, a photo taken by automatic cameras is now considered sufficient evidence of a traffic offence and drivers will be notified automatically. Russian Post can now send notices of penalties passed by STSI departments as registered items with notice of delivery to the owners of transport vehicles."

Federal Times has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service is preparing to offer voluntary early retirements to up to 20,000 clerks and mail handlers as part of a nationwide reorganization of its delivery network. But in a statement issued to Federal Times July 8, the Postal Service said it will not offer buyouts to anyone taking early retirement. The Postal Service said further details on the early retirement offer will be released later this week."

The Postal Regulatory Commission has an exciting Executive-level employment opportunity for a highly motivated, highly skilled person with extensive and varied experience in journalism, media relations, and Congressional relations.

July 8, 2008

Press Release: "BCC Software, a BÖWE BELL + HOWELL company and a leading developer of highperformance solutions for professional mailers, will present the latest in its Postal Education and Knowledge (PEAK) Webinars this week. “PostalOne! ® and the Future of Postage Payment & Documentation,” a live, 90minute event, will be hosted by BCC Executive Vice President Chris Lien and Debbie Cooper, Postal Operations Manager for Quebecor World Logistics. The way in which mailers pay for postage and document mailings is rapidly changing. As the USPS ® demands more information about mail preparation and justification of eligibility for claimed discounts, it is effectively pushing the industry toward an electronic system for managing all things postal. This new system is called PostalOne!, and it is a core component in the future of mailing."

According to postal guru Alan Robinson, "The decline in single piece mail reflects competition from the internet and e-mail. While this answer seems trite, it needs to be stated. While most research focuses on the expansion of high speed internet access in the home, probably a more important cause of the change illustrated to date is the expansion of high speed internet access at businesses and business acceptance of the importance of websites, wiki’s, e-mail, and other electronic means of communication. The change in business use of hard copy is illustrated by how e-mail and wiki’s have become indispensible for the dissemination of documents for local printing or for collaborative editing. In 1999, many of these documents would have been mailed.

Be sure to check out the PostInsight web site, where you can find:

• Postal Services Operated In Competition - Statistical Information 1Q 2008 by ANACOM - July 2, 2008
• Selected presentations from 2nd GPREN (Global Postal Research and Educational Network) Postal Research Conference - July 1, 2008
• Deutsche Post World Net's new sustainability report.
• New Research Helps Pinpoint Mail’s True Environmental Impact - New Pitney Bowes White Paper - July 3, 2008

Press Release: "Swiss Post has acquired Global Business Services Plus, which specializes in digital document management and has offices in France, Germany and Slovakia. Swiss Post is thus enhancing its offering in the field of in-house mail. In addition to internal physical mail services, customers are increasingly coming to expect that documents can be entered electronically, processed and digitally archived – all from a single source. With Global Business Services Plus, Swiss Post is one of the leading providers in the Swiss, British, German and French markets in these areas, which are both up- and downstream from its core letters business."

Reuters has reported that "France's postal service has told unions up to 20 percent will be sold off in a partial privatisation, a union leader said on Tuesday. The move is aimed at preparing La Poste for the opening up to competition of west European markets in 2011."

The West Sussex Gazette has said that "an animal rescue officer says the lives of wild birds are being put at risk by careless postal workers. Billy Elliott, from Worthing and District Animal Rescue Service, said he had been called to Brooklands Lake, in East Worthing, six times this year to deal with ducks and birds caught up in elastic bands. He said the bands were all of the distinctive red variety used by Royal Mail to tie bundles of post together."

The Financial Times has reported that "One by one the taboos of French public service appear to be crumbling. First France Telecom, then Gaz de France and EDF were partially privatised. As if that were not heresy enough, GdF will even be merged into a private company later this month. Now it is the turn of La Poste, France's third largest employer and a potent symbol of its deeply cherished public-service ideals. Rothschild, the French bank, has been hired to lead La Poste to a partial privatisation, which could see it valued at about €10bn ($15.7bn) in a flotation within two years."

According to the BBC, "Royal Mail has pledged to find jobs within the firm for all workers affected by the closure of Coventry's main postal sorting office."

According to the Wall Street Journal, "Unlike most French leaders, who have cowered before France's six-million-strong army of state-sector workers, Mr. Sarkozy is taking them on. He says the salaries and pensions of teachers, postal workers, bus drivers, television anchors, tax police and many others weigh like a ton on public finances -- even though many of the jobs are obsolete."

Baltic Business News has reported that "Estonian state postal company Eesti Post said it has cancelled negotiations with press delivery service Eesti Post that is co-owned by Ekspress Grupp and Eesti Meedia."

Reuters has reported that "The banking arm of the French postal service, La Banque Postale, is to provide consumer credit by the end of next year in partnership with Societe Generale."

The National Business Review has reported that "New Zealand Post says it is not holding up mail without new postcodes, after the introduction of its new postal address standards last week. An Auckland business association has accused NZ Post of taking up to five days to deliver a standard letter from Auckland to Wellington without a postcode, instead of about three days. NZ Post was not delaying mail without postcodes, but postcodes did ensure mail was delivered efficiently."

From Bobsguide: "Easygram telegram services provide the most unique express telegram delivery service within Southern Africa and offer flexible and reliable solutions to the retail, financial services and collections industries. Their aim is to provide the most reliable, cost effective telegram service in South Africa with a broad range of business applications such as direct marketing, debt collecting notifications and even simply staying in touch with clients. Easygram is the only dedicated telegram services company in Southern Africa. Easygram works hand in hand with various postal delivery networks worldwide including various courier companies. They provide a hand-delivered telegram service aiming to achieve express deliveries on time every time. Easygram delivers impressive results in comparison to more conventional forms of communication such as traditional mail." 

Press Release: "Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) has called for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to enact a series of reforms to its distribution and design of internal documents, tax publications, forms and notices, as proposed by a new report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). The report, released late last week, looked at inefficiencies in publishing and postage programs at the IRS, which have suffered multimillion dollar deficits in recent years. In its postage budget alone, the IRS expects a $29.5 million dollar deficit in fiscal year 2008."

Digital Transactions has reported that "The share of bills consumers pay the old-fashioned way via the regular mail continues to decline, according to the U.S. Postal Service’s most recent annual study about what goes through the mails. But despite the gains of electronic bill payments, the availability of free bill-pay service at most banks may be slowing what had been a rapid run-up in the volume of electronically processed bill payments as banks dropped their fees. As a result, billers likely will continue to send many paper bills and consumers will pay them by mail for the foreseeable future."

From PR Web: "Window Book announces new Return Merchandise system in its Postal Package Partner software making USPS return service easier to use and more cost effective. e-Commerce Shippers can now use Postal Package Partner to easily print Return Merchandise labels that can be sent out with the package without prepaying for the postage. The postage is deducted from the original shipper's permit account only when the item is returned. Now shippers do not have to pay postage on items that were not returned to them, and can have preprinted return labels included in every package to make it easy for the end customer. Consumers are more likely to buy your product when it is easy and free to return if it does not meet their needs."

Scoop has reported that "One week after New Zealand Post’s introduction of new postal address standards an Auckland business association claims that posting a standard letter from Auckland to Wellington without a postcode now takes up to five days to arrive. New Zealand Post’s new standards introduced on 1 July mean that people’s mail is now being delayed by two days if it does not carry a postcode and businesses are being charged more for their bulk-mail that doesn’t carry postcodes."

According to Traffic World, "Retail diesel prices had trouble keeping up as crude oil prices broke records five times in eight days before the 4th of July holiday. But in California, diesel topped $5 for the first time ever."

The BBC has reported that "Coventry's postal sorting office is to shut and about 500 jobs relocated, it has been announced. Managers said workers at the Coventry depot will be offered the chance to relocate to other Royal Mail sites. Mick Kavanagh, from the Communication Workers Union, has said workers may strike if the move goes ahead."

July 7, 2008

So the Universal Postal Union is going to be meeting in Geneva. Postal Technology International can give an idea about what's going to happen there. [EdNote: This is an excellent postal publication. Subscribe! It's free!]

Newspapers & Technology Magazine has reported that "The Daily Review Atlas in Monmouth, Ill., said it would no longer publish a Monday edition of the paper, citing rising production costs. The newspaper said owner GateHouse Media had been considering cutting the frequency from six to five days per week for at least two years. In June, a sister paper, the Kewanee (Ill.) Star Courier, also cut its Monday edition." [EdNote: Hmmmm. Is the same thing in store for mail?]

Air Cargo World has reported that "Deutsche Post World Net's decision to outsource DHL Express' domestic U.S. airlift to UPS is drawing fire from a coalition of public officials and union forces - and the state of Ohio." [EdNote: So, which of the protesters have volunteered to cover DHL's domestic losses and debts?]

The National Association of Postal Supervisors Legislative and Regulatory Update for July 7, 2008 has been posted on this site.

From Business Wire: "The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has selected NCR Corporation as the exclusive provider of retail point-of-service (POS) hardware for thousands of postal counters across the United States."

According to Courier, Express, and Postal blog editor Alan Robinson, "Mailers will need to watch how the early retirement program is handled. Reducing staff too quickly may create service challenges in the next calendar year. Reducing staff too slowly could create a fiscal crisis that could cause the Postal Service to need to raise rates beyond what is permitted by the cap to remain fiscally solvent."

Press Release: "Using its account management expertise, Acxiom Dynamic Messenger clients can have their digital marketing collateral customised to target individual customer and prospects more effectively. Acxiom can make the challenge to marketers easier still by providing access to its database of over four million fully opted-in email consumer contacts. As one of the largest and most detailed files in the UK, it allows email addresses to be tied back to postal and other demographic information."

Mmegi Online has reported that "BotswanaPost last week Thursday launched Hybrid Mail at a function at the Gaborone International Conference Centre (GICC). Hybrid Mail is a service designed for organisations that mail large quantities of invoices, statements, time-sensitive notices and business mail."

CNET has reported that "Demand for biofuels in Europe and the United States has forced up food prices 75 percent around the world, according to a World Bank report that was leaked and published in The Guardian newspaper on Friday." [EdNote: Let's hope the panicked silliness that surrounded calls for biofuels to substitute for petroleum isn't replicated in hysteria over mail and the environment.]

As Forbes put it: "Escargot Mail Seen Racing To Go Public." See also the International Herald Tribune.

Press Release: "Virtual Systems Corp., creator of Mail-Shop® and Digi-Shop™ software solutions for direct mail and printing, announced the release of a postal-data-integration solution that will facilitate the automated importing of postal paperwork. The new automation — made possible through coordination of technology with BCC Software, Inc., of Rochester, N.Y. — leverages the expertise and knowledge base of both BCC and Virtual Systems in their respective core areas of postal technology and job-shop management. The system will be available to all common customers of the two companies."

MediaPost has reported that "Virtually all the nation's major newspaper publishers--Tribune, McClatchy, PMH--are in financial trouble, stuck in a morass of debt with barely enough cash to make scheduled payments. In fact, some have already missed payments--but even for those that remain solvent, a disturbing scenario lies ahead. With revenue declines accelerating, once-serviceable levels of debt may suddenly become crushing." [EdNote: Yet another manifestation of the changed ways by which people communicate and do business.]

The Cornish Guardian has reported that "Cornwall County Council's troubled newspaper has been classified as "junk" by the Royal Mail. Householders who have asked Royal Mail not to post general, unaddressed junk mail through their letter boxes will not receive the council's new journal "Your Cornwall". The council last night said that it would launch an investigation into the matter."

Reuters has reported that "the French government declined on Monday to comment on a report that a possible partial privatisation of La Poste could raise 2 to 3 billion euros ($4.7 billion) to help prepare one of the bastions of state ownership for competition. French President Nicolas Sarkozy's chief of staff lifted a taboo on changing the ownership of the postal service, one of the country's biggest employers with 280,000 staff, on Sunday by saying the idea of a stock market listing "deserves interest". The move would form part of France's efforts to prepare itself for the liberalisation of the European postal market by 2011."

Mailers Council executive director Robert McLean has told his members that:

The Postal Service has requested Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) so that it may seek early outs for 40,000 postal employees.

A VERA allows agencies like the Postal Service that are undergoing substantial restructuring, reshaping, downsizing, transfer of function, or reorganization to temporarily lower the age and service requirements in order to increase the number of employees who are eligible for retirement. The authority encourages more voluntary separations and helps the agency complete the needed organizational change with minimal disruption to the work force. By offering these short-term opportunities, an agency can make it possible for employees to receive an immediate annuity years before they would otherwise be eligible. An agency must request VERA and receive approval from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) before the agency may offer early retirement to its employees. The approval from OPM will stipulate a period of time during which the option will remain available.

Early retirement offers, or “early outs,” have rules that vary from one situation to another and may vary based on whether the employees are under the older Civil Service Retirement System or the Federal Employees Retirement System. Early out rules may, as just one example, allow an employee to begin collecting retirement benefits early, but only if accepting a 2% reduction in the annual benefit for every year of service short of the minimum retirement age. The early outs offered in the early days when Marvin Runyon was postmaster general were later severely criticized because they included incentives that many deemed unnecessary to get employees to accept the offers and because the offers should have excluded certain employee categories where the individuals perform essential tasks.

Details of the VERA that the USPS requested are unknown, but it is believed that it would be conducted in two stages. The first would be eligible to clerks, mail handlers, and supervisors. The second would be open to carriers and employees in maintenance and in the motor vehicle area.

The American Postal Workers Union (APWU) reports on its website that APWU President Bill Burrus will meet with postal officials today on this issue. The National Association of Postal Supervisors (NAPS) website reports that at a postal symposium last week DPMG Pat Donahoe announced the request for the VERA and stated that if OPM grants the requested authority the early outs would be open to almost all USPS employees and would be done without incentives.

A response from OPM could come as early as August.

Federal Register: A public hearing has been scheduled to receive additional testimony on the universal postal service obligation. Receipt of this testimony will assist the Commission in developing a formal report due later this year. DATES: July 10, 2008. The hearing will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.in the Commission's hearing room at 901 New York Avenue, NW., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20268-0001.

According to the Wall Street Journal, "Oil's historic ascent from $100 to nearly $150 a barrel in just six months is lending weight to a far grimmer prediction: Crude could reach $200 a barrel by the end of the year." [EdNote: Like you really needed this piece of information at the start of a new business week. Unfortunately, it's a sign of the times.]

The Miramichi Leader has reported that "Over the next few months, our Conservative federal government is conducting a review that will determine the future of universal, public postal service. This review is pretty much a secret review and it could be very bad news for rural communities. The government will look at three very basic and important questions: What postal services should people receive? Who should provide them? And should Canada Post continue to have an exclusive privilege to handle addressed letters, or should the letter market be open to competition?"

AMEInfo has reported that "Emirates Post made a strong case for amendments to Universal Postal Union's new Terminal Dues system (that fixes the postal charges to be paid by individual countries for international mail) at the recent meeting of the Pan African Postal Union (PAPU) in Cairo. Acting on behalf of Arab postal corporations, Emirates Post highlighted the unfair clauses in the system and introduced the delegates to the amendments suggested by Emirates Post and other like-minded postal bodies."

According to Forbes, "State-owned La Poste is considering opening up its capital in order to raise 2 billion to 3 billion euros as it prepares for the liberalisation of the European postal sector in 2011.

"Rivals to Royal Mail now handle one in every four letters and are poised to increase volumes further, The Times has learnt. Royal Mail's business could shrink further if rivals continue to grow. The loss of business to rivals comes as a review commissioned by the Government looks into the future of the state-owned group. There are growing worries from Royal Mail, Postcomm, the industry regulator, and the main postal union, that Royal Mail is facing dire financial problems."

One contributor to WhatTheyThink cautioned: "Don't Let Mailing Costs Grow Faster Than Your Business."

The New York Times has reported that "As the cost of fuel soars and the pressure mounts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, several schemes for a new generation of airship are being considered by governments and private companies. A French technology start-up, Aerospace Adour Technologies, is working with the French post office to study the feasibility of transporting parcels by dirigible. Postal officials have long searched for alternatives to trucks and planes, aiming to reduce emissions by 15 percent by 2012."  Ditto for Russia.

From PRWeb: "The industry standard for exchanging postal data is Mail.dat® and the dates that mailers are required to produce and accept them for the new 08-2 format is quickly approaching. Window Book, the leader in postal mailing and shipping software, announces its mailing product DAT-MAIL has been upgraded to support the latest Mail.dat 08-2 specification and has included free support of the USPS FAST electronic drop ship scheduling system to help mailers be compliant with Intelligent Mail requirements."

July 6, 2008

Reuters has reported that "A partial privatisation of the French postal service "deserves interest," the French president's chief of staff said on Sunday. "I think it is a project that deserves interest," Claude Gueant told Europe 1 French radio. The move would require changing the status of the French postal service and turn it into a public limited company or "societe anonyme."

In comments provided to the Postal Regulatory Commission, Murray Comarow, Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and former executive director of President Johnson’s Commission on Postal Organization, said that "if the Commission recommends (and Congress adopts) changes in universal service, letter, and mailbox monopolies in such a way as to reduce revenue, it will be another body blow to a system already regarded as ungovernable by its own Board and by most members of the President’s 2003 Commission. Saddled with unprecedented constraints, fierce competition from UPS, FedEx, and electronic communication, and lacking the authority commonly vested in businesses, the Postal Service is fighting for its life."

The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that "the international freight industry will face increasing pressure to cut back on flights and revert to sea and rail deliveries because of environmental concerns, the head of Australia Post predicts. "One of the challenges in international logistics is going to be greenhouse [emissions]," he said. Mr John said growth in international freight from consumer goods such as electronics had been managed on a "just in time" basis, with air travel preferred to other forms of transport because of its speed advantage. But that approach was no longer viable."

The Chiefland Citizen has reported that "Chiefland Postal Clerks Debbie Hamberger, Bonnie George and Kim Poole thought they were doing the right thing when they questioned a sudden change in policy regarding mail box late fees. Although that order was eventually reversed, Hamberger and George say they are still feeling the repercussions for their act of "whistleblowing" - in a big way. Hamberger and George are in their fifth week of serving an "emergency suspension without pay." Poole said she has escaped such status because she is officially on sick leave. Looking at the big picture, all three fear for their jobs. All U.S. Postal officials will say is that it's an ongoing internal investigation being handled within the system."

As the News & Observer noted, "Companies have long been trying to get us to "go green." That's their environmentally friendly way of saying they don't want to send paper bills and statements. Some offer cash rewards or bonus points on credit cards to those who go paperless. Citi promises to plant a tree for each of us who agrees to go online to view and pay our credit card bill. Progress Energy will simplify our lives by sending e-mail alerts that our bills are available, then drafting the payment from our bank. All of this saves paper and trees and reduces our carbon footprint. And it obviously saves the companies money and saves us postage and time. So why do their come-ons leave me cold? I want my paper."

From PR-Inside: "Express in Sweden industry profile is an essential resource for top-level data and analysis covering the express industry. It includes detailed data on market size and segmentation, plus textual and graphical analysis of the key trends and competitive landscape, leading companies and demographic information."

As the Fort Worth Star-Telegram noted, "as rising gas prices take their toll on the economy, mail delivery companies, which collectively clock billions of miles each year, are taking a hit."

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has reported that "The U. S. Postal Service is grouping all its shipping and mailing functions into one unit to take advantage of a 2006 federal law that helps the agency set prices to be more competitive with private shipping companies. Robert Bernstock, a former president of Scotts Miracle-Gro Co., will lead the new Shipping and Mailing Services division, the Postal Service said last week in a statement. The unit joins product management and development and commercial sales, which is responsible for more than $ 70 billion in annual revenue. The restructuring also will unite “Intelligent Mail Barcode” activities under the agency’s chief operating officer, according to the statement. The project, which officials expect to implement by May 2009, will support mail operations such as acceptance and payment and processing and delivery."

The Kuwait Times has reported that "Reflecting its strong dissatisfaction with Kuwaiti postal services, Japan recently threatened to halt all postal exchanges with Kuwait, while three Arab countries, Egypt, Jordan and UAE, complained of these services' deterioration, reported Al-Qabas. In official correspondence with the Ministry of Telecommunications, the four countries complained of mail sent to Kuwait repeatedly being reported as lost, and expressed their dissatisfaction with Kuwait's failure to respond to inquiries made on the issue."

Postcomm, the independent regulator for postal services in the UK, has approved IDRS Ltd's application to run a redress scheme for postal services. The redress scheme will consider complaints about licensed products and services provided by licensed postal operators if a customer and a company are unable to resolve a complaint between themselves. It will provide resolution and redress for complaints while maintaining the principle that the primary responsibility for resolving consumer complaints sits with the postal operator. The new arrangements will come into effect on the 1 October 2008. It will be funded by licensed postal operators.

BruneiDirect has reported that "Brunei Postal Services and the Korea Post yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Ministry of Communications. Under the MOU, the Brunei Postal Services and Korea Post will have the opportunity to strengthen existing cooperation relations in various postal services related fields in order to develop and upgrade the quality of postal services."

Here's an interesting piece from the Quami Ekta News Service on the history of the Indian postal service.

The Nation has reported that "The Post and Telecommunication Officers Unions are set to launch a major trade union action from Thursday till their demands are met by the Government. According to the President of the Union, Navaratna Bandara, the Union would take part in the July 10 General Strike, while theirs would be a continuous one commencing Thursday."

July 5, 2008

Journal Live has reported that "a Northumberland postman failed to deliver thousands of items of mail as he struggled to cope with work and personal pressures, a court heard yesterday. Lee Regan had worked for the mail service for ten-and-a-half years when more than 10,000 postal packages from his round were found during a search of his car and home."

Economic Times has reported that "India Post is planning to increase rates of its mailing, courier and freight services across the board. The rate hike, which comes after nine years, would be applicable for services such as speed post, express parcel post and logistics post and would be in the range of 15-20%. Even rates of regular mail services including post cards, competition post card (used for participating in TV and radio programmes), envelopes and inland letters are likely to be revised."

Forbes has reported that "The German grid regulator Bundesnetzagentur said it has forced Deutsche Post World Net AG. to improve competitors' access to its letter-sorting facilities, mainly by extending their opening hours. German postal regulation allows Deutsche Post's competitors to use the former monopolist's mail distribution infrastructure for services they offer only partially themselves. This includes the collection and pre-sorting of mail that is than being processed by Deutsche Post."

One writer for the Kuwait Times has asked: "Does the postman still exist?"

Nearly two dozen post offices are facing the axe in Cambridgeshire, the Cambridge News can reveal.

According to Hellmail, "DX, the independent postal service, has opened a new sorting centre in Avonmouth. The new centre is the result of a good year for DX, which has gone from strength to strength, even during the bitter postal strike at Royal Mail last year. DX, which operates a network of pickup and collection points via solicitors and financial service companies, says the new £650,000 centre means it can improve the speed and accuracy of sorting operations and a further 30 new jobs have been created."

July 4, 2008

The DM Bulletin has reported that "The Royal Mail uses a relationship break-up as a metaphor for the breakdown of a brand's relationship with a customer in a campaign to promote the effectiveness of direct mail in driving loyalty. The two-phased direct mail campaign, created by Proximity London, is called "Mail for me" and will be sent to senior executives at advertising and marketing agencies several days apart. Both mailings take the form of a personal letter sent from a disillusioned female lover ending a relationship because of a communication breakdown."

According to the Ottawa Sun, "Canada's federal mail service has intercepted hundreds of illicit shipments of drugs, booze, weapons and cigarettes in the past 16 months, nabbing everything from ecstasy en route to Happy Valley, Nfld., to magic mushrooms and marijuana bound for the west. Documents obtained by Sun Media under Access to Information show Canada Post inspectors discovered crack cocaine, knock-off Gucci bags and bottles of rum, whiskey and vodka stuffed into parcels and illegally sent in the mail between January 2007 and May 2008."

The Telegraph-Journal has reported that "Postal workers will be holding an information picket at the main post office in Saint John this afternoon in support of rural mail carriers. Members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers will gather at 4 p.m. to help educate the public about the plight of the rural carriers who are suffering financially because of rising fuel costs. Rural and suburban mail carriers, who used to be independent contractors, were absorbed into the CUPW fold during the last contract negotiations in 2003. But they weren't granted the same wages and benefits as the regular carriers."

Transport Intelligence has reported that "DHL yesterday (June 3) announced the introduction of what it claimed were the largest two new time-definite express products in 12 countries across Latin America − DHL Express 10:30 a.m. for deliveries to the US and DHL Express 12:00 p.m. for delivery services within Latin America."

The Dayton Daily News has noted that "A cult favorite among last-minute mailers in the Dayton area, the United States Postal Service branch at Dayton International Airport is scaling back operations and may close if it doesn't see more business."

Today's Zaman has reported that "The Postal and Telecommunications General Directorate (PTT) has launched operations in the logistics business to establish a powerful rival against the industry's burgeoning private companies."

Hellmail has reported that "CEO of Poste Italiane, Massimo Sarmi, and President and CEO of Egypt Post, Alaa Fahmy, are scheduled to starts off a cooperative program for the development of Egypt’s national postal system as established by ane agreement signed last March. The agreement between Poste Italiane and Egypt Post allows for the activation of joint projects aimed at improving the quality of Egypt’s postal system and heightening innovation through the introduction of new services. It also specifies that Finmeccanica will be acting as technological partner which will provide the technological platforms with which the Egyptian postal system will operate."

The Mayo Advertiser has reported that "IFA Countryside Chairman David Wikinson today urged all rural dwellers to make a submission to the Department of Communications on the opening up to competition of the postal network."

Economic Times has reported that "India Post is planning across-the-board hike in the rates of its mailing, courier and freight services. The rate hike, which comes after nine years, would be applicable to services like speed post, express parcel post and logistics post, and would be in the range of 15-20%. 0Even the rates of normal mails including postcards, competition postcards — used for participating in TV and radio contests — envelopes and inland letters are likely to be revised. Rate hike for normal mail would be on the minimal side while it would be higher in the case of business and media posts, used mostly by the corporate world."

The Hindu has reported that "At least 22 post offices in Orissa have been closed during the past two years and another 50 are on the verge of winding up due to acute staff crunch. Not long ago, in February 2007 a middle-aged post peon hanged himself inside a local post office for he was allegedly unable to cope with the workload and pressure from his bosses. According to sources at least 5000 posts in various rank and files of the department are lying vacant in about 9000 post offices in the State as they are not filled after its occupants retired or died in recent days. More than 60 per cent of the post offices and other offices of the department are functioning from poorly maintained rental accommodations while over 16,000 postal sevaks here are working without proper service rule governing them, sources added."

July 3, 2008  

The USPS has posted to FedBizOpps.gov a Draft Request for proposals (RFP) for a Time-Definite Surface Network (TDSN), the next step in a process following last year’s RFI on the same subject. The Draft RFP provides an opportunity for industry to review and understand the Postal Service’s requirement and to provide comment and feedback on the various sections of the solicitation including the Statement of Work (SOW) and provisions and clauses. Interested parties are encouraged to submit comments or questions in accordance with the Instructions to Responders as outlined in the Draft RFP cover letter posted on FedBizOpps. Primary Point of Contact.: Joyce B Randolph, Purchasing & Supply Management Specialist jrandolp@email.usps.gov Phone: 202-268-6178

Those who are interested can take a gander at the Postal Service's proposed network reorganization plan here.

Federal Times has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service plans to close dozens of facilities across the country as part of a major reorganization, a move that could save millions of dollars and create a more flexible postal network. But the plan is certain to spark a fresh round of bickering with the agency’s strong labor unions."

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

• Postmaster General Jack Potter said this week the USPS is realigning several of its core functions to capitalize on new competitive opportunities and significantly enhance the vision of its customer outreach. The realignment creates two new strategic focal points, the first grouping all major shipping and mailing products in one division, while the second represents the voice of the customer, and gives priority to the interests of business and individual mailers. The realignment also consolidates all Intelligent Mail Barcode activities under the chief operating officer.
• This article explores two different views of the Postal Service’s new Network Plan, sent to Congress last week.
• The EMA Foundation for Paper-Based Communications’ Institute for Postal Studies has released its 2008 Economic Jobs Study. The report finds there are approximately 8.4 million jobs and more than $1 trillion in revenue associated with the mailing industry in the U.S. It also breaks down the jobs by state and congressional district.
• This editorial from the Observer-Reporter sees stopping Saturday mail delivery as a cure-all for the challenges facing the U.S. Postal Service.
• Postal Service launches expedited legal-sized envelopes, options for mailers. Blair says USPS is at ‘crossroads’ with volume. APWU: USPS ‘Network Plan’ would adversely effect postal workers, service. Five-day delivery might be in Postal Service’s future.
• DMA finds email outpacing postal mail.
• Deutsche Post wins big in EU court ruling.
• American Express is newest PostCom member.
• A list of upcoming postal-related events.

The PostCom Bulletin is distributed via NetGram

Here's a beaut. This is from CNET. "A chemical used to make LCD televisions and semiconductors could cause more global warming than coal-fired power plants, a report warns. Nitrogen trifluoride is a "missing greenhouse gas," according to a study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters on June 26. It's used in chemical vapour deposition for making liquid crystal displays, semiconductors, and synthetic diamonds. Production of the chemical could double to 8,000 metric tons in 2009, atmospheric chemist Michael Prather, who co-wrote the report, told New Scientist. Nitrogen trifluoride's globe-warming effect reportedly could be 17,000 times stronger than that of carbon dioxide."  And the Hollywood types worry about mail? See also The Register.

DMM Advisory: The latest U.S. Postal Service DMM Advisory has been posted on this site. It pertains to: (1) New Pressure-Sensitive Labels for Scheme Bundles, (2)Priority Mail Open and Distribute, (3) Express Mail Custom Designed Agreements, and (4) Express Mail and Return Receipt for Merchandise: Waiver of Signature.

The latest copy of the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. electronic governmental affairs newsletter is available on the NAPUS web site. As NAPUS has reported:

On June 30, Rep. John McHugh (R-NY) filed comments with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), as part of his contribution to the ongoing Commission deliberations on universal service. The former chairman of the House Postal Service Subcommittee prefaced his remarks by observing that:

"Congress debated the future of the Postal service for 12 years and during that time a bipartisan consensus formed that held universal service should be broadly defined to serve all Americans, rich and poor, urban and rural, nationwide. That has historically meant six-day delivery, reasonable access to retail services, as well as convenient access to collection boxes."

McHugh argued against proposals that discriminate against rural and low-mail-volume areas. Rep. McHugh acknowledged the value of small post offices, particularly in sparsely populated areas of the country.

The BBC has reported that "Royal Mail staff have said they will go on strike if plans go ahead to shut Coventry's postal sorting office. The company says it needs to shut the Bishop Street office and move the operations to Northampton because the Coventry site is no longer suitable. The move would mean 500 jobs would have to be transferred from the Bishop Street office. Mick Kavanagh from the Communication Workers Union said many staff were upset with what had happened. Mr Kavanagh met city MPs at the House of Commons on Wednesday and said he was still in talks with Royal Mail managers. However, he warned that unless matters were resolved quickly, staff would be prepared to strike."

DutchNews.nl has reported that "Trade union federation FNV has urged new postal delivery companies such as Sandd and Selektmail to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to work on a new pay deal for delivery workers."

Hellmail has reported that "Key Note, which provides independent industry analysis, has just released an 85 page market assesment of business postal services in the UK. The assessment report examines the market as it stands, focusing on the part of the industry for which licences are required. The report looks at how the mail markets operate on an international level, and suggesting how the market will develop in the future. Extensive research was conducted using information from the regulatory body Postcomm, as well as individual companies and European and international information sources. Key Note also invited key industry practitioners to take part in a virtual roundtable, to elicit views from within the industry itself."

The Cotswold Journal has noted that "vulnerable members of society will have the most to lose if village post offices close."

Transport Intelligence has reported that "The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its international traffic data for May, showing a significant drop in cargo growth to 1.3%. The rate is considerably down from the 4.3% recorded for the full year 2007. For the first five months of 2008, air freight volumes were up 2.8%. The biggest cause of the slow growth was a 0.5% contraction in Asian carrier traffic. According to IATA analysts, that resulted from the impact of the earthquake in China and weakness in the Japanese economy. Asian carriers also saw weakness in transpacific markets with increased competition from US carriers taking advantage of the weak US dollar. North American cargo traffic grew 4.6% as US carriers shifted capacity from domestic to international routes. Europe recorded a sluggish 1.4% increase, with the strong Euro damaging the competitiveness of both European exports and the European air cargo business."

EurActiv has reported that "A European court has dealt a blow to the EU executive by overturning its 2002 decision to confiscate "illegal" state aid received by the German postal operator. The ruling took place just one week after Brussels announced tougher action against mail operators attempting to shield their remaining monopolies."

July 2, 2008

PostCom welcomes its newest member: American Express 200 Vesey Street, MS 01-33-03 New York, NY 10285-1000 represented by Russatta Buford, Senior Manager, Government Services, Merchant Services

The Costa Rica Daily News has reported that "Postal workers of a Brazilian state-owned company have gone on strike in a dispute over the payment of a danger allowance. The dispute centers on the state-owned company's refusal to fulfill an agreement to pay postmen a danger allowance of 30 percent of their wages, signed in Nov. 2007."

From Canada NewsWire: "MBEC Communications Inc. (MBEC), the privately held Canadian company that owns The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. master license in Canada, today announced new owners of the company. David Druker, who has been a centre owner and area franchisee in Quebec since 2005, and Larry Plotnick, a seasoned business executive, have acquired the company effective today."

World Radio Switzerland has reported that "The Swiss Postal Regulation Authority has given its seal of approval to the cabinet’s plans to open up the postal market. Post Reg says getting rid of Swiss Post’s monopoly will probably not result in cheaper services, but it says there will be some benefits. The Swiss government wants competitors to be allowed to deliver some letters from next April, with a complete market deregulation in three years’ time."

NetNews has reported that "St Thomas, USVI Delegate to Congress Donna Christensen announced on Tuesday that she has been advised by the Office of the US Postal Service’s Inspector General that it has begun its investigation into her charges that the level of mail service in the US Virgin Islands is unacceptable."

Okay, you've heard about the Postal Service's headquarters reorganization, but now you want to see how it looks on an organizational chart. Well, here it is.

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

Following a year-long preparation time, the 10th draft of China’s new postal act is due to be presented very shortly. The draft is due to be put to the People’s Congress in August this year.
"A lack of trust that has been growing for a considerable length of time", said supervisory board chairwoman Marianne Nivert in a comment on the sudden discharge of Posten’s CEO Erik Olsson. She regretted the unfavourable timing with regard to the planned fusion with the Danish post but stressed that the decision to discharge Mr Olsson, who was fired with immediate effect last week, had been inevitable.
The Swiss KEP&Mail association is opposed to the purchase of press distribution company Prevag Presse-Vertriebs AG by Schweizerische Post and has alerted Weko, Switzerland’s competition authority in the matter.
Competition authorities are currently focussing their attention on Post Danmark as well as two private service providers, media reports claim. An inquiry is apparently looking at whether the post has granted unlawful discounts.
Mail volumes in the liberalised segment of the Portuguese postal market shrunk significantly during the first quarter 2008.
In Germany, both trade unions and employers’ associations have rejected the current drafts for legislation pertaining to minimum working conditions and the posting of workers, claiming the drafts violated the collective bargaining autonomy.
DHL and New Zealand Post have extended their co-operation. On Monday the post announced the establishment of Express Couriers Australia Pty Limited (ECA) as a 50:50 joint venture with Deutsche Post World Net. The partners want to develop the Australian domestic express market with the help of the new company, similar to the activities of the already existing joint venture Express Courier in New Zealand.
TNT has introduced three new express products in the Asian market. Express Freight, Economy Freight and Freight Plus apply to time-sensitive consignments that exceed the weight and size limits for express consignments. All three services are door-to-door with clearly outlined transmission times, defined delivery date windows and consignment tracking available throughout.
Russian carrier Aeroflot seems intent on focussing entirely on its co-operation with the Russian Post
Österreichische Post acquired the remaining 23.85% of German logistics operator Trans-o-flex at the end of June.
The Postal Workers Union in the USA is preparing to fight the network restructuring plans put forward by the US Postal Service.
The antitrust commission of the Komi Republic in Russia has confirmed that the Russian Post has violated current competition legislation.
For marketing firms that deal directly with customers, electronic media have substituted conventional mail - but without any reduction in mail volumes.
New Zealand Post is selling its messaging service. The post has signed an agreement with Market Impact Ltd, which takes over the post’s e-mail and text marketing business with immediate effect for a purchase price of approx. 250,000 NZD.

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.)

July 1, 2008

The Nonprofit Times has reported that "Santa Claus might be the only jolly person this holiday season. Those involved with direct mail fundraising campaigns are feeling the heat this July as they gear up for the holiday mailing season. With an economic downturn, last year's and this year's postage hikes and a presidential election to contend with, direct mailers are planning on conservative campaigns this year."

In a dramatic realignment of several of its core functions, the Postal Service today moved to position the organization to capitalize on new competitive opportunities and significantly enhance the vision of its customer outreach. The realignment creates two new strategic focal points, the first grouping all major shipping and mailing products in one division, and the other, representing the voice of the customer, giving priority to the interests of business and individual mailers. The realignment also consolidates all Intelligent Mail Barcode activities under the chief operating officer to focus on execution in the year ahead.

CNNMoney has reported that "Stamps.com® , the intelligent alternative to a postage meter, today announced that it received a unanimous jury verdict that its NetStamps® feature and technology does not infringe any of the patents asserted by Kara Technology. The jury also found that no dama