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Postal News from September 2006:
September 30, 2006 -- The Washington Post has reported that "U.S. accounting rule makers yesterday adopted a standard that will force companies to disclose the future costs of retirement benefits on their balance sheets, wiping out billions of dollars of net worth. The new rule from the Financial Accounting Standards Board takes effect in December and is designed to give investors a more complete picture of the obligations on a company's balance sheet. Until now, companies listed the cost of retirement benefits in the footnotes of their financial statements. Now, an unfunded benefit will be treated as a liability and an overfunded benefit will become an asset on the balance sheet. Under the changes, companies may no longer delay recognition of pension and retiree medical plan investment gains and losses by spreading them out over several years, as is now permitted. This practice has been referred to as "smoothing."
[What this means is that the Postal Service's entire retirement-related liability must now show up on its books. Bad news for ratepayers. Enactment of postal reform would have put the Postal Service on the right path of ensuring that all unfunded liabilities would be covered on a timely and predictable basis, and would have ended the escrow that provides Congress and the Administration with a wad of cash worth raiding for something other than the payment of postal retirement obligations.]
September 30, 2006 -- The Bozeman Daily Chronicle has reported that "Bozeman's mail could be headed for a slow down - depending on whom you ask. The American Postal Workers Union this week issued a press release stating that the United States Postal Service is considering a move that could delay mail headed from Helena to Bozeman by as much as a week. The USPS, headquartered in Washington, D.C., might move some of its mail-processing operations from Helena to Great Falls."
September 30, 2006 -- As Multichannel Merchant has noted, "With the fall mailing season under way, paper prices appear to be holding steady — a relief for catalogers after a series of increases earlier this year. Good news, right? But don't get too complacent....The postage increase scheduled for next year is more likely to reduce demand."
September 30, 2006 -- It has been learned that last ditch efforts to secure enactment of postal reform have failed. Reportedly, some with the postal employee sector (National Association of Letter Carriers) and Rep. Waxman could not be convinced to lend their support, and time simply ran out.
[Quick, here's a quiz. Name the one member of Congress who is most responsible for the creation of the escrow that will bleed mailers dry. Send your answer to info@postcom.org, and we'll tell you if you got it right.]
Items posted previously as the postal reform chess match was still in play:
* PostCom has learned that UPS has said it will not stand in the way of the enactment of postal reform. While it still has concerns regarding the classification of single-piece parcels as a market-dominant rather than a competitive service, it said it will not impede enactment.
* As negotiations continue on postal reform legislation, a debate over Parcel Post rates continues to undermine a final agreement on postal reform legislation. Despite efforts to forge a compromise, United Parcel Service (UPS) continues to block a final agreement by holding out for a provision in the bill that could result in an increase of up to 40 percent in single-piece Parcel Post rates. DMA urged its members to contact UPS leadership and express their concerns. More information is available online at www.the-dma.org/postal.
September 30, 2006 -- The Gothamist has reported that "You might envy the charm of brownstone life, but apparently one pitfall is that the some mail carriers don't like to deliver the mail to them. The NY Sun examines the situation after some Brooklyn residents realized their mail wasn't coming. Mail carriers feel stoops are dangerous especially in winter weather, and lately some residents' mail has been "rained upon, blown away, and destroyed."
September 30, 2006 -- The latest issue of the
PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
September 29, 2006 -- Traffic World has reported that:
September 29, 2006 -- According to the Journal of Commerce, "Dutch mail and logistics company TNT has become the subject of renewed takeover speculation after the European Union's highest court ruled that the Netherlands is breaking the law in owning a "golden share" in the global mail and express delivery company."
September 29, 2006 -- Reuters has reported that "Dutch mail firm TNT's shareholders approved on Friday the 1.48 billion euros ($1.88 billion) sale of its underperforming logistics business to U.S.-based private equity fund Apollo Management."
September 29, 2006 -- The Helena Independent Record has reported that "Postal workers are trying to raise public awareness of a U.S. Postal Service study that may shift some Helena mail operations to Great Falls. They will picket, distribute leaflets and hold a press conference Wednesday in opposition to the proposed consolidation."
September 29, 2006 -- The U.S. Postal Service has awarded air transportation contracts to seven passenger airlines effective Sept. 30, 2006. Those awarded contracts are: American Airlines, Dallas, TX; American Trans Air, Indianapolis, IN; Continental Airlines, Houston, TX; JetBlue Airways, Queens, NY; Midwest Airlines, Milwaukee, WI; Sun Country Airlines, Minneapolis, MN; and US Airways, Washington, DC. The agreements contain on-time delivery requirements and performance standards established in 2003 as part of the Postal Service’s previous three-year commercial air contract.
September 29, 2006 -- Postcomm, the independent postal services regulator (U.K.), is seeking views on Royal Mail's proposal to limit what can be sent through its Special Delivery Next Day service and be covered by its compensation arrangements. Royal Mail would like to: exclude valuable items, such as cash and jewellery from the service; reduce the additional levels of compensation that customers can buy, from a maximum £2,500 to the standard £500; and introduce a separate Special Delivery High Value service which would allow customers to post items of value and to claim compensation for lost or damaged high value items. It argues that it needs to make these changes in order to help ensure its staff are safer when delivering high value items.
September 29, 2006 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "DHL Express in Switzerland has begun the development of its largest and most modern distribution centre. In addition to handling parcels and managing transport operations, the Swiss express operator will also manage its commercial activities and marketing from the facility through a complex of offices which can accomodate 420 employees."
September 29, 2006 -- Caribbean Net News has reported that "British Virgin Islands Finance Minister Ronnie Skelton speaking in last week's sitting of the Legislative Council said that the adoption of a postal code system will lead to more efficient mail service and will open doors for accessibility of mail to residents of the BVI. “By adopting postal codes, the postal service of the BVI will become more effective and efficient,” Minister Skelton said. “It will mean that the delivery of international mail to the Territory will be greatly improved, and that our citizens and residents will be able to more easily engage in on-line and mail-order shopping.”
September 29, 2006 -- From PR Newswire: "Stamps, stickers, Curious George and competition proved to be a winning combination for the U.S. Postal Service, as national children's and professional organizations recently honored two children's games created through the USPS Licensing Program. "Patriot Challenge," a Parents' Choice Recommended award winner, recently was selected as 2006 Toy of the Year by Creative Child magazine. It previously had been named a 2004 Parent's Choice recommended award, a Best of 2004 educational product by Scholastic's Instructor magazine and was endorsed by the National Grandparents Day Council. "Curious George Wonders" a sticker/adventure book, was recognized as best in category for creative content and printing by the Printing Industries of America."
September 29, 2006 -- According to IrishDev, "The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), the National Regulatory Authority for the postal industry in Ireland, today published the results of its independent second quarterly report on the Quality of Service performance of An Post." See also Irish Times.
September 29, 2006 -- Irish Times has reported that "Absence of a national post code makes the consumer side of the package delivery industry problematic. The growing number of consumers ordering goods online is proving to be a double-edged sword for parcel delivery firms. Yes - there are plenty of parcels to be delivered, but misleading private addresses and the proliferation of apartment blocks have turned this task into a logistical nightmare."
September 29, 2006 -- the Financial Times has reported that "Europe's market for postal services will be thrown open to unfettered competition from 2009, according to proposals to be presented by the European Commission as early as next month. Brussels is keen to sweep away the last remnants of an era in which postal services were dominated by state-owned monopolies, and complete the market's transformation into a competitive service sector. The Commission also hopes that full postal liberalisation will lead to lower costs for consumers and businesses." See also Euro2Day.
September 29, 2006 -- It has been reported that efforts to secure enactment of postal reform last night failed. Reportedly, disagreements over the disposition of single-piece parcels were insurmountable.
September 29, 2006 -- The American Postal Workers Union has told its members that "In accordance with a resolution adopted by delegates to the union’s 18th Biennial Convention, the APWU National Executive Board has selected Oct. 26 for a nationwide day of picketing to protest ill-advised postal consolidations. The coordinated informational picketing is intended to highlight the potentially damaging effects of the USPS consolidation plan, and to expose how Postal Service policy panders to major mailers. The Oct. 26 date was selected to give local unions the opportunity to seek support from elected officials and candidates prior to Election Day, Nov. 7."
September 29, 2006 -- The Atlanta Business Chronicle has reported that "Pitney Bowes Government Solutions will manage the U.S. Postal Service's Surface Transfer Center in Atlanta. The subsidiary of Stamford, Conn.-based Pitney Bowes Inc. said the federal contract is for four years, with two, two-year options. The potential revenue over the eight-year term is expected to be more than $53 million. Pitney Bowes will provide mail handling and sorting services, and run the overall management and operation of the Atlanta terminal, which has annual volume of 26 million mail trays, tubs and pouches."
September 29, 2006 -- Financial Times Deutschland has reported that "TNT, the Dutch mail and parcel delivery service provider, is aiming for a 10 per cent share of the German light mail delivery market by 2012, together with turnover of around 1bn euros. The German postal market is to be fully deregulated with effect from the end of 2007, when the country's former monopolist Deutsche Post will lose its remaining monopoly, in the area of light mail."
September 29, 2006 -- According to Le Monde, "In the next two weeks, the European Commission is expected to request that the French government withdraw the unlimited guarantee that it affords La Poste, which enables the national postal group to borrow."
September 29, 2006 -- The International Herald Tribune has reported that "Europe's highest court gave fresh ammunition Thursday to European Union regulators to clear away barriers to cross-border mergers, amid a wave of protectionist sentiment in countries like Germany, France and Italy. The European Commission immediately issued a new warning to EU capitals to give up the veto rights some of them hold in strategic companies, meant to shield them from unwanted - usually foreign - suitors. Judges at the European Court of Justice told the Netherlands on Thursday to give up the privileged minority stakes - so-called golden shares - in the telephone company KPN and the freight and postal company TPG."
September 28, 2006 -- The Jackson Clarion-Ledger has reported that "Local activists say talks between the U.S. Postal Service over the removal of about 250 mailboxes in the Washington Addition and Alta Woods neighborhoods have broken down. In July, postal officials acknowledged that several south Jackson homeowners had their service switched from home delivery to curbside mailboxes without their permission. The Mississippi chapter of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now said the program targeted poor, minority-populated areas of the city, putting them at greater risk of identity theft and stolen mail. Also, in response to constituent complaints, the Jackson City Council passed a resolution opposing efforts to convert more neighborhoods to curbside delivery."
September 28, 2006 -- Multichannel Merchant has reported that "Any impending postal rate increase has catalogers scrambling for ways to minimize the financial hit, from reducing page counts and printing on lighter paper to cutting back on prospecting and looking into cost-savings strategies such as comailing and cobinding."
September 28, 2006 -- The Irish Independent has reported that "THE Government gave the go-ahead yesterday for An Post to offer banking services. In a joint venture with one of Europe's biggest finance houses, Fortis, the company will offer a wide range of services, including insurance, mortgages and credit cards."
September 28, 2006 -- As the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has noted, "The mail recovery center once went by the more romantic-sounding name: Dead Letter Office. But that title, which dates from 1825, was dropped in 1994 because it gave the impression that postal employees weren't doing their darndest to deliver the mail. The mail recovery center's work still involves letters, but they don't go to auction. Only parcels do. Would-be bidders are allowed to inspect the lots of merchandise for 60 or 90 minutes before the auction. After that, the room is closed and guarded by two uniformed police officers as the auction unfolds. "You've got to have a little gambling in your blood to do it," added Jill Parker of Villa Rica, a regular bidder who on this day bought 80 pounds of children's DVDs, CDs and VHS tapes for $4,000."
September 28, 2006 -- Bloomberg has reported that "The European Union's highest court struck a blow against state control of former monopolies by ruling that the Dutch government's veto powers over TNT NV and Royal KPN NV are illegal."
September 28, 2006 -- Transport Intelligence has reported:
September 28, 2006 -- From PR Newswire: "As negotiations continue in developing a conference agreement on postal reform legislation, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is calling on members of the House and Senate to make sure final legislation is passed before the 109th Congress adjourns."
September 28, 2006 -- Here's a piece on "How Telcos Can Offset Postal Rate Increases" published at Xchange Online.
September 27, 2006 -- From Business Wire: "Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c42749) has announced the addition of Kuehne & Nagel: Logistics Profile 2006 to their offering. The Logistics 2006 Profiler series analyses the top competitors in the logistics sector, encompassing market shares, strategy, operations and financials. All of the areas covered in the profile are then consolidated into our unique Global Scorecard, as well as a detailed SWOT analysis and our view, which analyses the future outlook for the company."
September 27, 2006 -- Media Buyer Planner has reported that "The overall number of new magazines launching in 2006 is expected to plummet 17 percent from last year, marking the first decrease since 2001, predicts Samir Husni, a University of Mississippi journalism professor who tracks the industry, according to New York Business. The reason for the change stems from the internet, which is drawing readers away from print in dramatic fashion this year. Print is also seeing a flat advertising market, as well as increased prices in subscriber acquisition, production and postal prices. [They got THAT right.]
September 27, 2006 -- Editor's Note: We've been told that every time PostCom's President predicts the demise of postal reform, the reform measures get some legs. So...here is our last prediction: Postal reform is dead!...Now THAT ought to be enough to ENSURE enactment before Congress adjourns sine die.
September 27, 2006 -- According to PC Magazine's John Dvorak, "it's not just commercial shortwave that is over. Commercial radio itself is under the gun. It's no coincidence that the shortwave era is ending with the advent of podcasting. Podcasting is a much bigger threat to normal radio than it is to shortwave. In fact, radio is being assailed from every angle you can imagine."
September 27, 2006 -- KCCI.com has reported that "Pizza and Ice Cream Land will soon be the post office in Diamond City. The pizza place has won a contract from the U.S. Postal Service. It won't be a full-service post office, but will have mail boxes and other services. Residents of the north Arkansas town will soon be able to buy a roll of stamps and large pizza to go, all in one stop." [Let's hope the delivery of mail will be as timely as delivery of the pizza.]
September 27, 2006 -- The Jasper Newsboy has asked "What's that in your mailbox? Is it a "masquer-ad"? One story goes like this: The buyer was livid. He had received in his office mail a page ripped from a magazine with an article touting a book on public speaking. Ordinarily, he would have thrown the article away -but this one had one of those familiar yellow "stickies" attached, addressed to him by name. "Try this. It's really good!" the handwritten note said, with the signature "J." "J" happened to be the first initial of his supervisor's name, so the employee promptly ordered the materials, forking over almost $300 for what he assumed to be "obligatory" professional reading."
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September 27, 2006 -- Here are two hot ones. The President intends to nominate Thurgood Marshall, Jr. as Governor of the U.S. Postal Service, and . . . thru the grapevine . . . former House and Senate staffer, and current Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel Management Dan Blair as Chairman of the Postal Rate Commission.
September 27, 2006 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
The EU Commission has authorised ten-digit subsidies for Poste Italiane. At the same time, the Commission launched a subsidy inquiry into the relatively high interest rates which the post has received since last year on its deposits with the Italian Treasury.
The Argentinian government has postponed the date of the auction of Cor- reo Oficial de la Republica Argentina S.A. According to Tuesdays press reports, 31 July 2007 has been set as the new date.
Japan's new Prime Minister is set to stay on the postal market reform path.
Ceske Posta should be sold to a strategic partner rather than transformed into a public limited company, according to IT Minister Ivan Langer.
Morocco is opening its biggest public companies to private investors and intends to privatise the post as part of the scheme.
The sale of Swedish airline Falcon Air last February is casting a shadow over Posten AB. Based in Malmo, the airline had worked mainly for the post.
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.
September 27, 2006 -- EUFA has reported that "Österreichische Post AG (the Austrian Post Office) has signed an agreement to become a National Supporter of UEFA EURO 2008™. The agreement includes a licence to issue and market stamps and any other philatelic products in conjunction with the final tournament in Austria and Switzerland in two summers' time."
September 27, 2006 -- As the Wall Street Journal has noted, "The health-care premiums of employers and their workers have climbed twice as fast as wages and inflation in 2006 -- to nearly double their cost in 2000 -- and they look to rise at a similar clip next year, two nationwide surveys show. That said, the pace of increase is about half what it was just a few years ago."
September 27, 2006 -- "Complaints that 1c stamps to top up 7c stamps, since the postal tariff increase, are not readily available have been quashed by Maltapost, which told The Times retail outlets were being provided with adequate stocks."
September 27, 2006 -- The BBC has reported that "Royal Mail has announced a shake-up of its operations in Northampton and Coventry as part of a £70m investment. It is planning a new combined mail centre for the two places, likely to be in the Northamptonshire area, to replace the two existing sites. Two new localised sorting offices in Coventry would replace the facility at Bishop Street in the city. Royal Mail said any job losses "will be through natural wastage and without the need for redundancy".
September 27, 2006 -- "Royal Mail Group, one of the UK's largest consumers of transport services with a fleet of some 30,000 vehicles today published its third annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report for 2005-2006, in which the organisation continues to give a high priority to minimising harmful emissions and reports on its ongoing programme of reducing its CO2 greenhouse gas pollution levels and fossil fuel consumption. However the environmental record of Royal Mail is not as good as it seems says the Communication Workers Union in their comments on the report!"
September 27, 2006 -- IrishDev News has reported that "The Commission for Communications Regulation has today published its consultation paper on access points for Bulk Mail services. This consultation paper specifically concerns bulk mail access to the postal network."
September 27, 2006 -- From PR Web: "Document Command, Inc., the company that invented Remote Control Mail™, the world’s first fully online service for management of postal mail, disclosed today unprecedented data about the behavior of postal mail recipients. Advances in Internet and television technology had previously enabled companies to track consumer behavior among users of the Internet and services like TiVo, but until today no equivalent data was available to describe the on-the-spot decisions of people who receive postal mail. Remote Control Mail’s online postal mail service allows users, such as corporate employees or people who would otherwise use an offline mail forwarding or P.O. Box service, to have selected mail sent instead to addresses provided by Document Command."
September 27, 2006 -- According to the Hartford Courant, "Postmaster General John E. Potter is right about one thing: His agency's former public affairs chief, Azeezaly S. Jaffer, has left quite a legacy. In June, the U.S. Postal Service's inspector general issued a report accusing Mr. Jaffer of, among other things, drinking so much at a work-related function that he passed out, charging the agency for exorbitant dinners and hotel bills, and sexually harassing a female employee. For the record, Mr. Jaffer's lawyers deny, deny, deny. Mr. Jaffer's summer vacation may have been the last straw, however. Shortly after the inspector general released its report, Mr. Jaffer took a two-month paid vacation until Sept. 1. (His lawyer says Mr. Jaffer is in line for two more months' paid vacation.) Considering Mr. Jaffer's $160,000 salary, that's about $50,000 of vacation time on the taxpayers' dime."
September 27, 2006 -- From the Federal Register: "On May 3, 2006, the Postal Service filed a request with the Postal Rate Commission to change prices for virtually all domestic mailing services. The Commission designated the filing as Docket No. R2006-1. This proposed rule provides the mailing standards that would accompany the new prices if the R2006-1 price change proposal is adopted."
September 27, 2006 -- According to NewIndPress, "The cash registers of Postal Department have been ringing ever since TRAI made it mandatory for mobile service providers to ensure that an address furnished by applicants were authentic."
September 27, 2006 -- According to CBS4 Denver, "The U.S. Postal Service said it's confident that no more threatening letters will be delivered in Denver after four state offices had to be evacuated on Monday." See also the Denver Post.
September 27, 2006 -- According to Bloomberg, "SkyPostal, which delivers mail in the Caribbean for clients including Deutsche Post AG and American Express Co., plans to sell shares in London to raise money to complete its satellite mail-tracking system. The Miami-based company aims to raise $10 million in the sale, giving it a market value of $27 million, according to an e-mailed statement today. SkyPostal will be listed on London's Alternative Investment Market." See also the Financial Times.
September 27, 2006 -- The New Zealand Herald has reported that "New Zealand Post has asked some of its customers to modify or shift their letterboxes for what it says is safety reasons. But a lobby group claims it is a cost-cutting exercise." See also Stuff.co.nz
September 27, 2006 -- According to Trading Markets, "General Motors Corporation has introduced a GM HydroGen3 fuel cell minivan that will be added to the U.S. Postal Service's Irvine, California, fleet -- marking the first time a fuel cell vehicle will be used for mail delivery on the West Coast. The new vehicle is part of an extended agreement between GM and the U.S. Postal Service to continue to test and validate the hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system in real world driving conditions."
September 27, 2006 -- As Business Week has noted, "The European Commission is set to propose a full liberalisation of postal services by 2009, which will force member states to stop protecting public operators from national or cross-border competition. Brussels expects the move may spark "quite a polarised political debate" across Europe, according to one official, as a number of jobs in the public sector are at stake in several countries."
September 27, 2006 -- According to InTheNews.co.uk, "The continued closure of rural post offices across Britain is denying older people access to the most basic financial and informative facilities, a charity has claimed. Age Concern says that more than nine in ten people aged over 60 in the countryside describe their local post office as a "lifeline", allowing them to take out their pension and benefits, as well as pay bills and receive advice and information. There are about 8,000 post offices remaining in rural areas, with 144 closed during the last 12 months. The fact that 90 per cent are run at a loss means most are under pressure to close."
September 27, 2006 -- The
U.S. Postal Service is proposing to revise its mailing standards to encourage mail preparation that is compatible with the Postal Service’s improved processing capabilities. When implemented, the standards would accompany the proposed price changes planned to take effect next spring. The new standards give customers more choices in terms of shape, sorting, packaging and containers that encourage more efficient mail preparation. The proposal also increases worksharing opportunities for mailers, allows them to qualify for lower prices by permitting multiple classes of mail to be combined, and reduces the number of bundles, sacks, or trays in a mailing through scheme sorting for letters, flats, and parcels, when appropriate.
September 26, 2006 -- PostCom Members! The latest
PostCom Postal Issues Brief, this one dealing with Flat Sequence Sorting (FSS), has been posted on this site.
September 26, 2006 -- The
National Association of Postal Supervisors has told its members that "With only four days remaining before Congress departs Washington for the upcoming mid-term elections, the chances for pre-election action on a final postal overhaul bill have sunk to nearly zero. Republican leaders on Capitol Hill, deciding that House and Senate attention during the final week of the regular session should be devoted solely to high-profile issues like homeland security and defense spending, have shelved postal overhaul work, at least for the time being."
September 26, 2006 -- Air Cargo World has reported that:
September 26, 2006 -- From the U.S. Postal Service: "The mailing standards to support our current pricing proposal will be published in tomorrow’s Federal Register. A DMM Advisory will be sent first thing in the morning with a link to the Federal Register."
September 26, 2006 -- Dubai City Guide has reported that "Members of the Dubai Street Naming and Numbering Committee held a meeting with officials of Emirates Post to discuss application of the proposed street naming and numbering system which will help implement a unified postal code system throughout the country."
September 26, 2006 -- Reuters has reported that "Continental Airlines has signed a $258 million, five-year mail contract with the U.S. Postal Service, making it the second-largest U.S. passenger airline carrying mail. The contract, effective Sept. 30, includes priority, first class and express mail products within the United States and Puerto Rico."
September 26, 2006 -- As the Arizona Daily Star has noted, "The U.S. House of Representative has passed a resolution renaming the Cherrybell Post Office in Tucson in honor of the late Congressman Morris K. Udall. It was Udall who steered the Postal Reorganization Act of 1971 and thus laid the foundation for an independent post office."
September 26, 2006 -- The International Herald Tribune has reported that "The European Commission opened an investigation Tuesday into the interest rates the Italian Treasury gives the country's postal service, saying it may be paying it too much. Poste Italiane deposits funds it collects from customers' current accounts into the Italian Treasury which pays the postal service interest. The European Commission said it was concerned that new Italian budget rules mean the Treasury pays the post office interest that is higher than the rates at private lenders. These extra payments could be an illegal state subsidy, it said." See also Noticias.info
September 26, 2006 -- From the PR Newswire: "PSI Group, the nation's leading provider of mail presort services, has been certified at its Los Angeles, California facility as a Quality Mail Partner under the United States Postal Service (USPS) Mail Preparation Total Quality Management (MPTQM) Program. MPTQM certification is a prevention-based quality system designed to help the USPS ensure the output of consistent, high-quality mail."
September 26, 2006 -- Land o'Goshen! The American Bankers Association ("ABA") and the National Association of Presort Mailers ("NAPM") have withdrawn the direct testimony of James A. Clifton (ABA/NAPM-T-1) filed by the two parties on September 6, 2006. Withdrawal of the testimony was required by a divergence between the interests of ABA/NAPM and Dr. Clifton's other client in this proceeding, the Greeting Card Association ("GCA").
September 26, 2006 --
Rainer Hengst, a recognized expert with over 30 years experience on international postal affairs, has joined Mail Services, Inc. as Vice President of Marketing & Public Affairs.
September 26, 2006 -- The BBC has reported that "A postman suspended for telling customers how to ban junk mail deliveries has been told he can keep his job, the Royal Mail has confirmed."
September 26, 2006 -- Heard it through the grapevine.... Word has it that Jan Caldwell will be retiring from the Postal Service after the next National Postal Forum. She currently serves as the Postal Service's Manager, Address Management.
September 26, 2006 -- According to the Wall Street Journal, "Email, heralded as one of the greatest productivity tools of our time, is terrific for mass mailing, trading files, getting a word in edgewise, and providing evidentiary manna for plaintiff's lawyers. But with an estimated 84 billion messages sent world-wide each day, according to research consultancy IDC, it's sometimes hard to put your finger on the efficiency of email while digging out from a pile of it. Like bad advice, self-importance and ugly carpeting, there's just too much of it in the office. Email Backlash 2.0's features include an overtendency to send it, an inability to respond to it, and a conversation slower than smoke signals. That's why the telephone is looking ever better these days."
September 26, 2006 -- The Society of Procurement Officers has noted that "UNISON is challenging government claims that NHS Logistics staff will keep their pay and conditions if outsourcing to parcel giant DHL goes ahead in November."
September 26, 2006 -- The Financial Times has reported that "Skypostal is expected to join Aim next month and will use the $10m (£5.4m) it hopes to raise on expanding the business and paying down loans. The company specialises in hand delivering mail to countries in Latin America, offering an alternative to the largely state-run postal services. It has been in business since 2001 and already has contracts with the Economist and the Guardian to deliver their publications overseas. Albert Hernandez, chief executive, said: "We are planning to spend the money we raise on developing a GPS-based technology which will enable post to be delivered more accurately." He said that seven out of 20 countries in Latin America currently have no post codes for addresses and this often leads to post being delivered to the wrong address."
September 26, 2006 -- International Business Times has reported that "Yamato Transport Co. will start its own international delivery service as a replacement for a service deal with United Parcel Service starting on Oct. 1, the company said on Monday. Yamato, the leading private parcel delivery service company in Japan, is ready to launch its own service, which it says will be up to 60 percent cheaper than UPS."
September 26, 2006 -- As Federal News Radio has reported, "Postal employees, the most unionized folks in the federal family, will continue to pay lower health insurance premiums than white collar civil servants next year. In some cases the postal employees who belong (as in pay dues) to unions will pay half the premium that is charged white collar and blue collar feds."
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September 26, 2006 -- American Postal Workers Union president William Burrus told his members that "After 15 years of fighting excessive postage discounts for large mailers, the APWU succeeded in 2004 in persuading key legislators, mailers, and other interested parties to include specific restrictions on discounts in pending postal reform legislation. The principle that guided us was simple: Discounts should not exceed the costs the Postal Service avoids when mailers presort their mail or engage in other "worksharing" activities. While mailing-industry spokesmen wage a constant propaganda tirade against the salary and benefits received by hard-working postal employees, behind closed doors these phonies demand continued excessive discounts in order to pad their own profits. This is hypocrisy at the highest level."
September 26, 2006 -- The Tribune-Democrat has reported that "The postal service has denied a request from U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, to bring curbside mail delivery to about 115 families living in a mobile-home park here. But the U.S. Postal Service has given approval for Leisure Village's owner, Robert McKool, to install a "neighborhood collection box" unit at a centralized location on Warrior Street inside the park."
September 26, 2006 -- From SourceWire: "L-Mail.com is an online post office that accepts letters in an electronic format from its clients, either through its web site or via its automated integration account (an API for the more computer literate). The innovative service then prints and posts the letters on behalf of its clients via 23 global locations."
September 26, 2006 -- It's a sign of the times: this year's World Postal Business Forum, organized by the Universal Postal Union during Post-Expo 2006 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, will focus largely on how postal operators are using evolving technologies to grasp new business opportunities and be more efficient, progressively moving towards a merger of the physical and electronic postal network to deliver enhanced products and services. Top postal executives gathering for the Forum on 10 and 11 October 2006 will explore the changing face of the postal business, while some 150 leading companies showcase the latest in postal equipment, technology and vehicles at the Amsterdam RAI.
September 26, 2006 -- As the House and Senate move closer to enacting postal reform legislation, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is calling for cooperation among key mailing industry stakeholders in order to maintain the momentum for this much-needed legislation. As Congressional leaders work to resolve differences in the House and Senate versions of postal reform legislation, a debate has surfaced over Parcel Post rates that is threatening to undermine the postal reform efforts. Some representatives of the private-sector parcel delivery industry are pushing language in the House bill that could result in an increase of up to 40 percent in Parcel Post rates – the benchmark that many private carriers use for setting their own delivery fees. See also the report in Multichannel Merchant.
September 26, 2006 -- "Star Press readers showered Kathy Bland with cards, $10 checks and boxes of dog bones after a recent article revealed the 21-year mail carrier had saved close to 800 neglected and abandoned animals along her route, paying with her own money for them to be rehabilitated and placed in loving homes. The United States Postal Service had a less positive reaction. It sent one district-level and one regional official to discuss "safety issues" with Bland on Monday morning in Yorktown. The verdict of the two-hour meeting, said Bland: no more media interviews in her post-office uniform, no more candy for the neighborhood children, no more temporarily stashing needy strays in the office break room."
September 26, 2006 -- According to the New York Times, "A Congress derided as do-nothing has a week to do something, and the prospects are cloudy. Skip to next paragraph Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The Senate, led by Senator Bill Frist, above, and the House have a week to do something, and the prospects are cloudy. Multimedia Graphic Unfinished Politics Blog News, updates and insights on the midterm elections, the race for 2008 and everything in-between. Procrastination, power struggles and partisanship have left Congress with substantial work to finish before breaking for the elections. The fast-approaching recess and the Republican focus on national security legislation make it inevitable that much of the remainder will fall by the wayside."
September 26, 2006 -- UC Berkeley News has reported that "Four months after making an unusual pitch to the U.S. postmaster general, UC Berkeley freshman Gideon Sofer is making progress in his campaign for a stamp highlighting inflammatory bowel disease, and in spreading awareness of the disorder. Last May, New Jersey's Make-a-Wish Foundation made arrangements for Sofer, 22, an avid stamp collector, to meet with Postmaster General John Potter to discuss Sofer's idea for an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) stamp. Sofer has Crohn's disease, a chronic intestinal disorder and member of the IBD constellation, which has landed him in the hospital for months at a time since he was 12 and led to the removal of nearly half his gut."
September 26, 2006 -- PostCom Members! The latest issue of the
PostCom Postal Policy Report has been posted on this site.
September 25, 2006 -- One of our usually reliable sources has informed PostCom that long-time governmental postal guru Nye Stevens has retired and that Kevin Kosar is now the CRS specialist on postal matters.
September 25, 2006 -- Air Cargo World has reported that "The three main package carriers operating in the United States all took their fuel surcharges down a peg on air shipments in October, but they all pushed their ground package fuel fees higher. FedEx Express and UPS both dropped their air surcharges by half a point to 16.5 percent for the coming month, but moved the ground shipment fees up half a point to 5.25 percent. DHL is dropping its air package fuel surcharge to 18.5 percent from the 19 percent it charged in September, and raising its ground fee to 5.3 percent from 4.8 percent. Although fuel costs have fallen sharply in recent weeks, the carriers all set their fees based on prices two months in the past - in this case using August prices."
September 25, 2006 -- According to the Financial Times, "Nursultan Nazarbayev, the president of Kazakhstan, has sacked the head of the state telephone company who is accused of drawing an excessive salary. The president also threatened to take legal action against other overpaid leaders of government-owned companies. He also ordered executives at Kazpochta, the state postal service, Kazakhstan's development bank, and Samruk, a holding company that oversees state monopolies, to repay their excessive earnings or face investigation. Samruk was set up last year to improve corporate governance in the state sector."
September 25, 2006 -- AllAfrica.com has reported that "An agreement to speed up the recovery of millions of dollars in outstanding student loan debts was on Friday signed between the Ministry of Education and Nampost."
September 25, 2006 -- The NIS News has reported that "Competitors are permitted to break TPG's monopoly for postal deliveries of up to 50 grams by making ordinary letters heavier. The district court in The Hague yesterday rejected a case brought by TPG against postal company Sandd."
September 25, 2006 -- So, how do all the postal, express, and package shipping competitors stack up? Fortune has a nice chart showing who's on first.
September 25, 2006 -- From Business Wire: "Newgistics Inc., the leader in returns management solutions for direct retailers, today introduced enhancements to the Returns Resource Team, a group of highly experienced client service professionals that provides personalized consulting services to support effective returns management. To ensure maximum operational efficiency, the Returns Resource Team works in close partnership with customers to ensure a rapid and seamless end-to-end implementation of Newgistics' intelligent returns management solution."
September 25, 2006 -- Domain-B has reported that "Continuing its thrust to utilise the vast network of post offices in the state, the Tamil Nadu postal department has signed an agreement with Veta, an English training academy to sell its home study course books."
September 25, 2006 -- Trinidad and Tobago Newsday has reported that "THE Trinidad and Tobago Postal Corporation (TTPost) has launched its new website ttpost.net. The website is a joint venture of TTPost and the Ministry of Public Utilities and the Environment."
September 25, 2006 -- From Market Wise: "Regulus, the nation's largest independent provider of bill presentment and payment processing solutions, announced today that, as a member of the Major Mailers Association's (MMA) Rate Committee, the company is taking a leadership role to provide the Postal Rate Commission (PRC) with important data to impact the outcome of the U.S. Postal Service's current rate case. The information, which is being supplied as testimony to the PRC, quantifies the efforts made by large First-Class mailers such as Regulus to provide preliminary address cleansing and electronic sorting that speeds up mail processing and decreases required handling by the USPS."
September 25, 2006 -- According to the Federal Times, "The U.S. Postal Service is steadily becoming a safer place to work. Last year, slightly fewer than 64,200 injuries were reported by Postal Service workers, down from 71,433 in 2004 and 79,514 in 2003. Workers' compensation payments for 2005 injuries also fell to about $60 million, about half the amount of payments for new injuries of the previous year, and down to a level not seen since 2003, according to Labor Department statistics."
September 25, 2006 -- The EUobserver has reported that "The European Commission is set to propose a full liberalisation of postal services by 2009, which will force member states to stop protecting public operators from national or cross-border competition. Brussels expects the move may spark "quite a polarised political debate" across Europe, according to one official, as a number of jobs in the public sector are at stake in several countries. According to a draft proposal seen by EUobserver, the EU executive will suggest a scrapping of the concept of "reservable areas" to which member states can currently restrict access to certain operators. But it will stick to the existing rule of "universal service obligation" which means that a certain list of services must be provided to citizens - like delivery of letters and parcels within a certain time, with a certain frequency and standard."
September 25, 2006 -- The BBC has reported that "A brand new multi-million pound Royal Mail postal sorting office has opened in Suffolk."
September 25, 2006 -- Reuters has reported that "Japanese retailer Aeon Co. and Japan Post [JP.UL] said on Monday they would expand their cooperation in delivery services and postcard sales, a move that could grow into an alliance in financial operations. Aeon, the country's second-biggest retail conglomerate after Seven & I Holdings , and Japan Post had already joined forces in some areas, including handling of the national postal service provider's Yu-Pack parcel post at the retailer's Ministop convenience store chain outlets."
September 25, 2006 -- The Washington Post has reported that "Five years after the anthrax attacks that killed five people, the FBI is now convinced that the lethal powder sent to the Senate was far less sophisticated than originally believed, widening the pool of possible suspects in a frustratingly slow investigation."
September 25, 2006 -- From the Federal Register: The U.S. Postal Service has published a "notice that sets forth the changes to the Domestic Mail Classification Schedule to be implemented as a result of the Decision of the Governors of the United States Postal Service on the Opinion and Recommended Decision of the Postal Rate Commission on Extension of Capital One NSA, Docket No. MC2006-6."
September 24, 2006 -- According to Stuff.co.nz, "NZ Post's general manager of stamps, Ivor Master, says NZ Post looked at introducing a similar service to the U.K., "but after consideration decided to offer some other, equally innovative services instead". He says Royal Mail's online service can be quite cumbersome for customers. "While our back-end systems would be up to offering such a service, we decided at this stage it is not practical and wouldn't necessarily add any value to the online products we provide." NZ Post might reconsider if it saw strong market demand but would probably "streamline" any similar offering, he says. "It may be something we could look at trialling with some smaller customers in future." NZ Post customers can go online to design and pay for booklets of their own personalised stamps that are then posted to them."
September 24, 2006 -- Check this out from PostalNews.com.
September 24, 2006 -- CBS News has asked: "Five years ago next week, American officials began to suspect that someone was sending anthrax-tainted letters through the mail. Five people eventually died and 17 other became ill as a result. The attacks remain unsolved, but there have been some security upgrades to the nation's postal system. The question remains: are we any safer?"
September 23, 2006 -- According to Business Week, "Spending on Internet ads is growing faster than any other sector of the advertising industry and is expected to surge from $12.5 billion last year to $29 billion in 2010 in the U.S. alone, according to researcher eMarketer Inc. About half of these dollars are going into deals requiring advertisers to pay by the click. Most academics and consultants who study online advertising estimate that 10% to 15% of ad clicks are fake, representing roughly $1 billion in annual billings. A cybercrime unit led by the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service just last month assigned two analysts to examine whether federal laws are being violated."
September 23, 2006 -- The Cumberland Times-News has reported that "Protesters, mostly postal workers, marched up and down Park Street in front of the U.S. Post Office Friday afternoon in opposition to the consolidation of mail-sorting operations from Cumberland to Frederick — nearly 90 miles away. The demonstration was timed to coincide with a conference at Rocky Gap attended by postal workers from Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia and West Virginia. Two busloads of these fellow workers arrived on the scene in support of the Cumberland area objectives."
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September 23, 2006 -- You can read about the new president of the National League of Postmasters at Federal Times.
September 23, 2006 -- According to postal commentator
Gene Del Polito, "There are lots of things in life over which you may have little or no control. The sureness of death and taxes, the need for electricity to run an information-based business, the need for water and sewage to handle daily human needs. Unlike death and taxes, those in the mailing business can actually exercise substantial control over the postal outcomes that shape their businesses' destinies. Many, however, suffer from the "Scarlet O'Hara Syndrome." Talk about postal, and they'll quickly want to put it off until "tomorrow." Tomorrow, of course, never comes."
September 23, 2006 -- The Olympian has reported that "The [Washington] state capital said goodbye to its own postmark for stamped letters and postcards sent from a zip code beginning with 985 this week after the U.S. Postal Service launched a joint Tacoma-Olympia postmark. The decision to offer a joint postmark comes as the result of a five-month effort to transfer mail processing duties to Tacoma that had previously been done at a Tumwater mail plant. Last November, the Postal Service said the move was necessary to cut costs and create production efficiencies, estimating it would save about $1.2 million annually. South Sound politicians and members of the state's congressional delegation, along with postal worker union officials, have challenged the need for such a consolidation."
September 23, 2006 -- From Business Wire: "Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c42557) has announced the addition of DHL: Logistics Profile 2006 to their offering. The Logistics 2006 Profiler series analyses the top competitors in the logistics sector, encompassing market shares, strategy, operations and financials."
September 23, 2006 -- The Hindu has reported that "There has been a big fall in the volume of personal mail, the Postal Department has acknowledged. Radhika Doraiswamy, Chief Postmaster-General of Tamil Nadu Circle, speaking to presspersons on Friday, attributed it to the advent of technological innovations such as mobile phones and Internet."
September 23, 2006 -- ABC7Chicago has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service wants to know what it can do to improve its service in the Chicago area. It has asked for customer feedback -- following a rash of complaints about poor mail delivery in some of the city's neighborhoods and in one suburb."
September 23, 2006 -- WXYZNews has reported that "Friday, a quick thinking postal worker was being hailed as a hero after spotting and saving a disoriented man while delivering mail. As Tracy Birdsall delivered mail in a South Lyon neighborhood she noticed a man stumbling near his car. When she crossed the street she saw he was trying to open his medication. "He was trying to get his medication open and he couldn't and he said everything was spinning," she said. Tracy helped the man, Roger Miller, with his medication and then jumped in his car and drove him home. Miller's family called an ambulance because he was having a heart attack."
September 23, 2006 -- The latest copy of the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. electronic governmental affairs newsletter is available on the NAPUS web site. In this issue, NAPUS said that "One of the key remaining H.R. 22 issues is the classification of single-piece parcels. These parcels are an integral part of the universal postal system. Postmasters know that UPS is intent on killing H.R. 22 if this product is categorized as market dominant. The Senate bill correctly classifies single price parcels as market dominant."
September 22, 2006 -- The latest issue of
the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
September 22, 2006 -- FE News has reported that "Royal Mail Learning Services has signed up for the prestigious British Learning Association Quality Mark to meet the business learning needs of some 200,000 employees."
September 22, 2006 -- Kyodo news service has reported that "Japan Post said Friday it will partially discontinue the early morning collection of mail from letter boxes, effective Oct. 16, as a step to reduce costs." See also International Business Times.
September 22, 2006 -- From the Canada NewsWire: "Symbol Technologies, Inc., The Enterprise Mobility Company(TM), today introduced the DS6707 handheld digital imager scanner designed for bar code scanning and image capture in a multitude of environments. The DS6707 builds on Symbol's legacy of innovation by creating a handheld scanner with a 1.3 Megapixel imager capable of capturing and transferring images up to 8.5 x 11 inches (21.59 cm x 27.94 cm). Pharmacies, retailers and manufacturers can use the device to scan bar codes and capture, store and instantly recover documents and images for increased employee productivity and streamlined business operations."
September 22, 2006 -- According to the Tribune-Democrat, "Jackson Township supervisors have appealed to U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, to intervene with the postal service so 115 families living at a mobile-home park can receive mail near their homes."
September 22, 2006 -- Gulf Times has reported that "Two "letter bombs" exploded and two others were diffused at a post office here, hours ahead of President A P J Abdul Kalam's visit to the city. No one was injured in the blasts, police said. The first bomb exploded at the Manacaud post office in the heart of the capital city when the postal officials were sorting letters for delivery. Jacob Punnoose, additional director general of police said the explosives contained potassium chlorate and aluminium powder. "This is not a letter bomb in its true sense but something like a firecracker," he said."
September 22, 2006 -- Business Day has reported that "MAANDA Manyatshe, former CEO of the South African Post Office (Sapo) and now MD of cellphone group MTN, failed yesterday in his bid to stop the Mail & Guardian (M&G) from publishing allegations of possible fraud and misconduct while he was the postal chief."
September 22, 2006 -- From PR Newswire: "Stamps.com(R), the leading provider of Internet-based postage services, today announced the launch of PhotoStamps(R) featuring the entire NFL line-up of teams. The new PhotoStamps, created under a license with the NFL, are now available with designs featuring the team logos and helmet designs for all 32 NFL teams. Customers that order the NFL PhotoStamps by October 4, 2006 will also receive a unique collectible first release insignia on their sheet to mark the first ever release of postage featuring NFL logos."
September 22, 2006 -- Multichannel Merchant has reported that "Speaking in Arlington, TX, at a conference of business mailers on Sept. 20, Postmaster General Jack Potter, said that he expects the new postal rates to take effect on May 6, 2007. But some observers say that, given the complexity of the pending rate case, a summertime implementation is more likely."
September 22, 2006 -- According to the Durham Region News, "We all knew postal carriers had an aversion to dogs but it appears a canine's worst enemy is also a key foe at Canada Post. Reports that a postal carrier suffered flea bites in a south Oshawa neighbourhood resulted in the suspension of mail deliver to 173 homes in the area on Sept. 7. Canada Post put up notices around the townhouse complex instructing people to pick up their mail at Canada Post's Simcoe Street office. Who knows for sure where the carrier in question received the flea bites, but apparently the grass around the townhouse complex was deemed to be the trouble spot. So mail delivery resumed Monday after the Region, which owns and manages the complex, sprayed lawns in the area."
September 22, 2006 -- American Postal Workers Union President William Burrus told his members that "In a letter sent to every member of Congress, APWU President William Burrus asked legislators to support citizens' efforts to be part of the debate about plans to realign the nation's mail-processing network. "The Postal Service has failed to consider the concerns of the American people, denied them the information necessary to determine if the revised network will meet their needs, and excluded them from having real input in the decision-making process," Burrus wrote. Those who defend efforts to consolidate mail sorting facilities without proper public input have chosen to ignore the intent of federal law that governs the Postal Service, Burrus said in the Sept. 12 letter [PDF]. Their "disdain for the needs and wishes of ordinary citizens — your constituents," he wrote, "is evident in a recent editorial in the newsletter of the Mailing & Fulfillment Service Association, an association of large mailers."
September 22, 2006 -- According to Human Events, "For the first time ever, the U.S. Postal Service is now negotiating new contracts with all four of its unions at the same time. This is an extraordinary opportunity for USPS to get its costs under control -- especially considering that stamp prices just climbed to 39 cents, and USPS has already requested another increase to 42 cents, which will probably take effect next year. So what, exactly, is driving prices upward? Labor. Labor is -- by far -- the Postal Service's largest expense. Labor costs account for about 80% of USPS costs -- compared to about 50% at private delivery companies. That's because unionized postal workers receive much higher wages than their private-sector counterparts."
September 22, 2006 -- At its most recent meeting, the Continuity Shippers Association presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to former Postal Rate Commission chairman Edward Gleiman. Congratulations, Ed.
September 22, 2006 -- At its annual HR Innovations Summit today the
Performance Institute presented the United States Postal Service (USPS) with the 2006 Excellence in Human Capital Management Award. The annual award recognizes departments and agencies for striving to meet challenges in the area of human resources and that demonstrate results for those efforts.
September 22, 2006 -- Rarely do scholars of postal organizations and systems meet and discuss their ideas and research with scholars of philately. In an attempt to bridge this gap, the National Postal Museum and the American Philatelic Society will host a national conference to bring together these two research groups. The first Winton M. Blount Symposium on Postal History aims to integrate the history of postal operations and philately within the broader context of American history. The Smithsonian National Postal Museum and the American Philatelic Society invite submission of individual papers and panels for the symposium. The opening plenary panel will discuss "What is postal history?" Featured speakers include Richard R. John, professor, University of Illinois at Chicago; John Willis, historian, Canadian Postal Museum; Michael Laurence, executive director, Philatelic Foundation; and Maynard H. Benjamin, president, Envelope Manufacturers Association.
September 22, 2006 -- According to information gleaned by the CEP News, Deutsche Post is due to announce a reshuffle of board members as well as radical changes to the company structure at the beginning of next week. The German post will discontinue and break up the 'Express Europe' division. Land transport will be transferred to 'Logistics' (under John Allan), while the 'Express' division (John Mullen) takes over responsibility for European express services and thus for the entire Express division. Peter E Kruse, currently in charge of the division about to be dissolved, will in future work directly under CEO Klaus Zumwinkel as special commissioner for the Deutsche Post group. According to market observers, Mr Zumwinkel has thus set a clear structure for his company's future development. The move will certainly be followed by further changes in terms of personnel and organisation at second and third company level. However, the succession of Mr Mullen ('America, Asia-Pacific and Emerging Markets") remains unclear at present, and the same goes for the European express division. See also Air Cargo World.
September 22, 2006 -- A copy of the Postmaster General's remarks delivered at National Postal Customer Council Day has been posted on the USPS web site.
September 21, 2006 -- According to the Guernsey Press, "Guernsey Post needs to sort out its losses."
September 21, 2006 -- The Wall Street Journal has reported that "FedEx Corp. said fiscal first-quarter net income jumped 40% but lowered its near-term guidance due to the impact of a new pilot contract. FedEx Corp. estimated that U.S. gross domestic product growth for the remainder of the company's fiscal year will be about 2.7%"
September 21, 2006 -- According to Market Day, "Paper will always exist. Some people prefer paper the feel of paper. Others doubt the legitimacy of electronic documents. Some remain uncomfortable using a computer, while others are apprehensive about the security of personal information online. Technology and security continues to progress and improve, more companies will use the internet to reduce paper cost. It seems however, that as much as we hated the time consumption and filing problems of the paper days, we are dealing with an ever-growing workload. Years back and still today, we are sifting through the mail we receive from the post office to discard junk mail. That doesn't even come close when compared to spam, viruses, and pop-ups that litter our workplace."
September 21, 2006 -- Here you go. Word has it that the USPS Office of the Inspector General is slated to get a 31.6% increase in its budget from 2006 to 2007. Must be a whole lotta shakin' goin' on.
September 21, 2006 -- Uni-Postal has reported that "UNI postal affiliates in Mauritius have formed a common front as a way of addressing their challenges together. The front is called The Common Front of Trade Unions of the Mauritius Post Limited."
September 21, 2006 -- The Financial Times has reported that "FedEx is best known for its fleet of nearly 700 aircraft, shuttling parcels across oceans and continents. Over recent years, however, the US group's fastest growth has come at a much lower altitude. FedEx is building an increasingly powerful presence in the US road freight market, expanding its delivery capabilities beyond parcels into a broader range of cargo."
September 21, 2006 -- From the Federal Register: "Commission rules include five sets of rules with sunset provisions. The Commission proposes to reissue four of these sets of rules with limited revisions. These include shortening and standardizing the intervention period (where applicable); eliminating the sunset provisions and, in one set, redesignating provisions to conform to Office of Federal Register style and making minor editorial revisions. Reissuance of these sets of rules, as revised, will allow the Service to have continued flexibility and will enhance administrative efficiency. The Commission seeks comments on whether the other set of rules (for certain Express Mail requests) should be reissued. Initial comments are due October 13, 2006; reply comments due October 20, 2006."
September 21, 2006 -- The Dallas Business Journal has reported that "American Airlines is one of seven airlines that have signed a five-year mail delivery contract with the U.S. Postal Service. The contract is potentially worth $500 million in revenue for American over the next five years. The other carriers that will participate in the five-year contract are Houston-based Continental Airlines; Tempe, Ariz.-based US Airways; Forest Hills, N.Y.-based JetBlue Airways; Oak Creek, Wis.-based Midwest Express; Indianapolis-based ATA Airlines; and Mendota Heights, Minn.-based Sun Country Airlines."
September 21, 2006 -- According to its sponsors, "the RFID & Printing Electronic Conference is important because it will put you ahead of the curve on this technology and give you a competitive edge. The event is being held on October 3-5th in Cherry Hill New Jersey and it should be of interest to those looking for business opportunities, partnerships or a better understanding of this rapidly emerging field. Program brochure and registration can be found at www.gaa.org"
September 21, 2006 -- The following reports have been posted on the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General website. Questions concerning these reports should be directed to Agapi Doulaveris at 703.248.2286.
September 20, 2006 -- From the PR Newswire: "The Postmaster General of the United States announced expanded support and new publications for the nation's 200 Postal Customer Councils during a national satellite broadcast today. Postmaster General John E. Potter addressed more than 15,000 mailing partners and customers across the country during a coast-to-coast broadcast from the Arlington Convention Center, emphasizing the collaborative nature of the work of the Postal Service with Postal Customer Councils (PCCs). Potter pledged the support of district managers, plant managers and executive-level postmasters and marketing managers at future PCC meetings. A new, monthly electronic newsletter will debut. The "PCC Insider" will keep members updated on issues affecting the Postal Service and mailing industry partners. Taking another lead from the focus groups, Potter announced a new publication, "Mail Pro," combining the best features of two existing hard-copy publications, "Memo to Mailers" and "Mailer's Companion," and adding new content."
September 20, 2006 -- Speaking before a nationwide audience from Dallas, Texas (in observance of National PCC Day), Postmaster General Jack Potter said that mailers should expect to see the Postal Service's proposed R2006 implementing rules published in the Federal Register next week. He said that while the anticipated decision will come some time in early March, the Postal Service must prepare for a possible implementation on May 6. He said he knows that many have asked to push off the actual implementation date beyond 60-days, but, he said, such a decision will be up to the Governors and would most likely be tempered by the state of USPS finances. [If past is prologue, brace yourself for a May 6 implementation. Don't bank on the milk of human kindness flowing from postal veins.]
September 20, 2006 -- WJACtv.com has reported that "Neither rain nor sleet nor snow may keep the mail from getting through, but in one local community, a damaged building is making it harder for residents to pick it up. The Johnstown post office is refusing to deliver mail to the residents of Leisure Village in Mundy's Corner because workers said their mail house is simply unfit for postal workers. The mail house was damaged in July when a car drove into in, breaking through one of the walls. Since then, the post office has refused to deliver residents' mail, telling them they need to instead drive into Johnstown to pick it up at the post office. Many residents said they work long hours and don't have time to drive into the city until the weekend. Further, other residents are handicapped or don't have vehicles."
September 20, 2006 -- ABC7 Chicago has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service says the lieutenant governor's suggestion that unhappy Illinoisans mail tea bags with their utility bill payments is steeped with concerns."
September 20, 2006 -- From Business Wire: "FlyDoc was chosen today to become a member of the U.S. Microsoft Office Marketplace, an online directory of third-party tools, services and add-ins that enhance the Office customer experience. FlyDoc is an online mail and fax service available directly from Microsoft Office applications. To be included in the Marketplace, products and services must prove they help customers improve their business productivity. FlyDoc provides a solution for all types of business offering the benefits of a fax server and a mailroom without the normally associated capital investment. With FlyDoc, electronic documents are sent directly from the user's desktop applications such as Microsoft Office. The documents enter FlyDoc's worldwide network of mail and fax facilities, where they are transformed into postal mail and faxes and sent automatically. Users can monitor progress via a web interface available 24/7/365 and can call upon live technical support at no additional charge."
September 20, 2006 -- According to ThisIsLondon, "Thousands of struggling postmasters fear a new system of buying electronic 'stamps' over the internet will drive a final nail into the coffin of their businesses. Sub-postmasters across the UK have seen a slump in trade following the abolition of pension books and a move to pay benefits direct into bank accounts. The number of people visiting their shops, often vital community stores selling groceries and other goods, has fallen dramatically. Now the launch of a new system by the Royal Mail allowing people to buy an electronic stamp over the internet, which can be printed by a home computer, threatens to take away even more trade."
September 20, 2006 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
In future, Belgian companies looking for facility management can turn to the post. According to "De Tijd" (13.09.) daily, La Poste intends to offer its maintenance service to other firms, too. A pilot project begun last year will now be extended, the paper reports.
The French GeoPost, a subsidiary of La Poste, has strengthened its position in the Spanish CEP market through an acquisition. Last week saw the announcement that the joint venture GeoPost-Seur has taken over franchisee Osvalma S.A., which operates in the Barcelona area, employs 60 members of staff and achieved a turnover of around 20m euros.
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.
September 20, 2006 -- Gulf Times has reported that "The Queen's head has been banished from a new hi-tech version of the stamp that was launched by the Royal Mail yesterday. The decision ends a tradition dating back more than 160 years. In future, the public will be able to download a ‘stamp' from the Internet which can be printed directly on to an envelope or label. However, this new era stamp will be a barcode, rather than the traditional image. Currently, all paper stamps have an image of the Queen on them, even if it is miniaturised and placed in the corner. However, there is no place for the reigning monarch on the new barcodes."
September 20, 2006 -- WJLA has reported that "7 ON YOUR SIDE exposes how mail is getting stolen right out of the post office and it appears to be an inside job but as Ross McLaughlin discovered the post office has been slow to respond.
September 20, 2006 -- According to Forbes, "The State Postal Bureau (SPB), or China Post, plans to sell hotel assets as part of its restructuring."
September 20, 2006 -- Cosmetics in Russia has reported that "Although Russia hasn't made it into the global list of Top 20 countries with the highest incidence of Internet purchases, a sound 63 % local people regularly using Internet, admit having ever shopped online. Most of them tend to place an online order once in two to six months, buying mainly books, music, videos or games – 2-3 items at a time. Men seem to be more inclined to online shopping than women. In Russia, 67.5% of male Internet users have ever placed an online order, while only 58% of female respondents have done so. A similar situation is observed worldwide. In 38 countries, 80% of male respondents said they have purchased online, while among female respondents, 74% did so. In Russia, only 2% of Internet users say they buy groceries online; only 8% buy clothes, shoes or accessories; 15% buy cosmetics or nutrition supplements."
September 20, 2006 -- According to the Palm Beach Post, "The U.S. Postal Service has notified 4,500 businesses across the Southeast, including the city of Port St. Lucie, that a laptop holding their account information was discovered missing in August and may have fallen into the wrong hands."
September 20, 2006 -- The Federal Times has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service has set strict guidelines for meal and alcohol expenses, three months after an inspector general report accused one former vice president of excessive spending on entertainment. Azeezaly Jaffer, who on June 30 resigned from his post running the Postal Service's public affairs office, spent tens of thousands of agency dollars on meals and drinks for himself, other postal workers, friends, family and business associates, according to the IG. Also, Congress wants to know more about Jaffer's departure, which Postmaster General John Potter said was to explore other career opportunities. House Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., and ranking Democrat Henry Waxman of California sent Potter a letter Sept. 15 seeking all records related to Jaffer's resignation."
September 20, 2006 -- From the PR Newswire: "The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) wants you to be on the lookout for and know what to do if you encounter mail or a package that appears suspicious in nature. In an effort to help people identify suspicious mail or packages, ATF along with the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Postal Inspection Services, U.S. Postal Service and the FBI produced a new workplace poster, "Suspicious Mail and Packages."
September 19, 2006 -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters and UPS have opened negotiations on a new contract to replace a six-year pact that expires July 31, 2008.
September 19, 2006 -- From the
U.S. Postal Service: "One of the fastest growing Internet-based companies in the country has fashioned an arrangement with the U.S. Postal Service to deliver all international online sales. eFashionSolutions will use the Postal Service's Global Shipping Solution (GSS) exclusively for all orders placed through its 26 websites destined overseas. GSS software allows companies like eFashionSolutions to create online customs forms, print labels and track packages door-to-door. The process is easy for customers and helps simplify the customs clearance process, shortening delivery times."
September 19, 2006 -- According to Vanguard Nigeria, "Irregular house numbering and huge debts owed Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) by ministries, parastatals and government agencies are said to militate against the smooth management and delivery of mail."
September 19, 2006 -- And then there's this from ThinkProgress. "U.S. Postal Service executive Azeezaly Jaffer was found "drinking at a work function until he passed out; running up $8,000 in extra hotel room charges so he could qualify for a suite with a bathtub for two; and following a female colleague into her hotel room, propositioning her, then passing out." His punishment? Four months of paid vacation." As former NALC President Vincent Sombrotto once put it: "I guess this means if you screw up enough you'll eventually get to be postmaster general." Vince had a way with words.
September 19, 2006 -- And then, of course, there's this from WNBC. "There will be no trial for an Ohio postal worker accused of urinating in his co-workers' coffee. Thomas Shaheen admitted Monday that he put urine in the break room coffee pot at the Wolf Ledges, Ohio, post office branch earlier this year. Shaheen was sentenced to six months in a jail work release program. He was also ordered to pay his co-workers $1,200 to reimburse them for the video camera they rented to help capture him in the act."
September 19, 2006 -- According to the Washington Post, "This week's award for Laziest Public Servant goes to postal employee Charles Fred Miller, of Grayson, Kentucky. On Friday, the 32-year-old, ex-mail carrier pleaded guilty to stuffing more than 500 items of undelivered mail into garbage bags in a storage shed behind his house because he "just got lazy." Prosecutors acknowledged that there was no evidence his crime was committed for personal gain, or any other reason other than sloth. Besides a felony for obstructing correspondence and possible jail time, Miller also earns an automatic bid in OFF/beat's Idiot of the Year Awards, held December 20th."
September 19, 2006 -- From the Government of Canada News Room: "Canada Post has introduced a new way to save a penny with the launch of the PERMANENT stamp. The PERMANENT stamp will always be worth the going rate, eliminating the need for Canadians to purchase 1¢ stamps to match postal increases. No more searching under the couch in order to find your hidden cache of pennies!"
September 19, 2006 -- The Cambridge News has reported that "BUSINESS leaders warn postcode changes in the Cambridge area will hit them hard in the pocket. More than 50,000 homes and businesses will start finding out their new postcodes by the end of the month. Royal Mail said the changes are necessary because of the growth in development in the city and surrounding area - and it expects new addresses to rise in the next few years by an estimated 50,000."
September 19, 2006 --
Windowbook has announced that its postal shipping software, Postal Package Partner™ has been upgraded to offer Delivery Confirmation to most APO/FPO and Pacific Island Destinations."
September 19, 2006 -- According to the Orange County Register, "The U.S. Postal Service will revive its free "How to Sell on eBay" seminars."
September 19, 2006 -- DMNews has reported that "DHL Global Mail has expanded its Mail Terminal network in an effort to increase volume and customer demand. Weston, FL-based DHL Global Mail said its new Phoenix Mail Terminal is expected to handle more than 25,000 mail parcels daily with capacity to quickly double its output. Due to the expanding market needs DHL Global Mail recently opened a state of the art Mail Terminal in Kansas City, Kansas, to service increasing volumes of mail to the Midwest region. The Phoenix Mail Terminal offers technologically advanced, full-service domestic processing for mail and mail parcels, including Smartmail Parcel residential package delivery service for shipments that are less than one pound. The new facility has approximately 25,000 square feet and is about 20 minutes west of the Phoenix International Airport."
September 19, 2006 -- Here's a factoid for you. KSDK NewsChannel 5 has reported that "according to researchers, if, instead of email, you got the equivalent mail through the United States Postal Service, it would amount to 133 pieces of mail every day!
September 19, 2006 -- Il Sole 24 Ore has reported that "Italian post office Poste Italiane is set to face fresh competition this autumn in handling mail for businesses. A new company, Uniposta, will begin operating in the corporate postal business around the end of October or beginning of November."
September 19, 2006 -- CityLimits.org has reported that "Life just got a little easier for some residents of public housing on Staten Island. That's because United Parcel Service (UPS) last Monday agreed to deliver packages into the lobbies of two housing complexes, instead of following their current procedure of parking somewhere outside the development during set hours, necessitating that tenants come to UPS trucks to get their packages."
September 19, 2006 -- The BBC has reported that:
September 18, 2006 -- The Bucharest Daily News has reported that "The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCTI) will resume the selection process in the search for a consultant on the privatization of the National Postal Company (CNPR), after the first attempt to select a consultant failed, as the institution received only a single offer."
September 18, 2006 -- The Philippine News Agency has reported that "In its efforts to continuously give quality service to the public, the Philippine Postal Corporation (PhilPost) has its "Express Pouch" next day delivery service which guarantees a next day door-to-door delivery of pouches sent by any individual."
September 18, 2006 -- From the Army News Service: "The 700,000 current employees of the USPS were honored for their unwavering service and dedication to troops through Freedom Team Salute. The program, which began in 2005, gives Soldiers the opportunity to recognize those who have shown their support and encouragement."
September 18, 2006 --
Press Release: "Window Book, Inc., the leader in postal mailing and shipping software proudly announced today that Mailing data management software, DAT-MAIL(tm) <http://www.windowbook.com/DATMAIL/tabid/133/Default.aspx has been officially certified to interface with EFI Hagen OA(tm)."
September 18, 2006 -- The BBC has reported that "A postman who burned and attempted to destroy 40,000 letters after he retired has been jailed for four months."
September 18, 2006 -- From MarketWire: "PennySaverUSA.com, the Web site of the shopper publications of Harte-Hanks, Inc. (NYSE: HHS), has entered into a relationship with the Southeastern Advertising Publishers Association (SAPA), a not-for-profit organization representing more than 150 free-circulation community papers and shoppers reaching more than 6 million homes in the Southeastern region of the United States. Through this alliance, PennySaverUSA.com is designated as SAPA's vendor of choice for Web services and an aggregator of local classified advertising content online for its members."
September 18, 2006 -- Reuters has reported that "The U.S. government said on Thursday all packages brought to airline counters for shipping must be screened for explosives before being loaded on passenger planes under new anti-terrorism rules."
September 18, 2006 -- The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area has reported that "After several months of local hiring and relocating workers from around the country, a U.S. Postal Service call center is close to reaching its full staffing level of 420 employees."
September 18, 2006 -- NDTVProfit has reported that "The decision to allow post offices to accept Income Tax Returns (ITRs) has earned the ire of the income tax officers union."
September 18, 2006 -- The Akron Beacon Journal has reported that "Some airline travelers are shipping luggage through the U.S. Postal Service or with package delivery companies now that they face tighter restrictions on carry-on items."
September 18, 2006 -- According to the Louisville Courier-Journal," You may never do business with United Mail, but if you live in Louisville, you've probably received bills or other letters from the 26-year-old enterprise on Bishop Lane. The mail-processing center sends out statements, fund-raising requests, promotional mail and more for customers such as the Louisville Water Co., Actors Theatre and the Jefferson County property valuation administration, which recently used it to distribute 140,000 real estate review forms."
September 18, 2006 -- As the Miami Herald has noted, "Global shippers reach out to small business customers by offering tips, tools and financial services."
September 18, 2006 -- The Washington Post has reported that "On Friday, Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) who chairs the House Committee on Government Reform, and the committee's ranking minority member, Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), sent a letter to Potter requesting a pile of records linked to Jaffer's case. "The Inspector General's report of clearly unacceptable conduct by a senior postal official is troubling to all of us," the letter reads. The Postal Service has until Sept. 28 to respond. Jaffer spent some of his summer vacation telling his side to Sidley Austin, which recently released a 42-page "white paper" denying the charges against him. Copies of Jaffer's written responses to the Inspector General's report can be found at http://www.washingtonpost.com/fedpage.
September 17, 2006 -- Logistics Management has reported that "Express and logistics services provider DHL is taking measured steps to gauge its performance in the United States in comparison to its two biggest competitors-UPS and FedEx."
September 16, 2006 -- The Gulf Times has reported that "THE efficiency of government departments is expected to improve considerably with changes taking place at their helm, said Q-Post IT Manager George Scott Campbell. Campbell was presenting a paper on the changes in the postal corporation in the five years of its existence, at a conference on corporate governance held at the Doha InterContinental Hotel."
September 16, 2006 -- The latest issue of
the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
September 15, 2006 -- The South Missourian News has noted that "We've heard from several local postal employees who were angry about my column "An oxymoron: Government business" that ran on the opinion page Aug. 23. What particularly raised their ire was the statement that postal workers make an average of $75,000 a year. That number, through an extrapolation, was not pulled out of the air. It came directly from Jack Potter, postmaster general of the United States, at a special postal summit called by the National Newspaper Association in Washington just a month ago. He used it to justify the looming rate increase for in-county delivery, which is expected to jump around 25 percent in 2007, a rate increase we will have to pass on to our subscribers (subscription rates are based largely on the cost of printing and delivery)."
September 15, 2006 -- The Gulf Times has reported that "The Q-Post will shortly be linked to the Universal Postal Union's (UPU)'s network, said a postal corporation statement quoting Ali Mohamed al-Ali. The decision to link the Q-Post with the UPU electronic network was decided at a meeting al-Ali had with Saeed al-Raqragy, director of international centre of postal technology of the UPU, at the General Postal Corporation's office yesterday. Al-Ali said the advantage from linking with the UPU network was that it would speed up the outgoing mails handled by Mumtaz Post. Right now, the UPU network consists of 120 of nearly 185 members of the UPU, the apex body of the world postal corporations."
September 15, 2006 -- Transport Intelligence has reported that "Deutsche Post World Net and UNICEF have launched a global partnership under the motto "We deliver help." The goal of the initiative is to reduce child mortality around the world. Eva Luise Köhler, patron of UNICEF Germany, and Walter Scheurle, Board Member for Personnel at Deutsche Post World Net, announced the global partnership at a joint press conference in Berlin."
September 15, 2006 -- According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "The U.S. Postal Service is again considering the possible development of a new mail processing and distribution center in southeastern Wisconsin, a project that could create one of the area's largest light industrial buildings."
September 15, 2006 -- The Periodical Publishers Association has reported that "Postcomm CEO, Sarah Chambers (pictured), will join a panel at PPA's CEO conference (3 November) to consider the future postal landscape. The conference as a whole will focus on the supply chain and how publishers are making the most of opportunities in the digital publishing environment."
September 15, 2006 -- According to The Scotsman, "BRITAIN'S postal services regulator, Nigel Stapleton, yesterday pledged to support the interests of small businesses and communities throughout rural Scotland by upholding the principle of an all-UK standard or "universal" postal prices, for non-domestic users."
September 15, 2006 -- KYW Newsradio has reported that "The union representing US Postal Service police accuses the postal service of turning a blind eye to security."
September 15, 2006 -- The American Postal Workers Union has told its members that "Analyzing the Postal Service's own data, APWU testimony before the Postal Rate Commission has demonstrated that proposed increases in the price of postage would expand a controversial USPS policy – shifting costs from large corporate mailers to small businesses and individual citizens. Testimony submitted on Sept. 6 shows that new rates requested by the Postal Service would increase excessive discounts to major mailers who presort their mail, and, as a result, force small businesses and individual customers who do not presort their mail to pay more. The report, prepared by economist Kathryn Kobe, the director of Price, Wage and Productivity Analysis for Economic Consulting Services, found that the suggested presort discounts are considerably larger than the costs the Postal Service would avoid as a result of worksharing."
September 15, 2006 -- The Herald has reported that "the postal regulator has stepped up pressure on the government over rural post office closures by rebuking it for delay and short-termism. Nigel Stapleton, chairman of Postcomm, which has an advisory role to the government on the post office network, said yesterday on a visit to Scotland it would be publishing a major report next month. "It will be hard-hitting," he said."
September 15, 2006 -- From Business Wire: "What's the secret to building a web site that actually helps customers and keeps them coming back for more? In a story that ran in this week's issue of BtoB Magazine, DHL's U.S. web site, http://www.dhl-usa.com, was featured as one of the "10 Great Websites" of 2006 for its focus on the customer. It's no secret that an on-line presence is the price of entry for almost any business, but a close partnership with current and potential users of your web site during every step of the design process is the catalyst for online success."
September 15, 2006 -- The latest DMM Advisory from the
U.S. Postal Service has been posted on this site.
September 14, 2006 -- According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, "The U.S. Postal Service in New Mexico recently improved its delivery scores enough to put it on par with national averages, but the state's district manager says he still expects better.
September 14, 2006 -- The Hill and the Congressional Research Service have two interesting pieces on what can only be described as the last vestige of a "postal spoils system" of yesteryear.
September 14, 2006 -- The Malta Independent has reported that "Maltapost said that the Malta Communications Authority decided that with effect from Tuesday, the local postage rate for letters/postcards up to 50g in weight will be increased by one cent, from seven cents to eight cents."
September 14, 2006 -- According to the Public Service Alliance of Canada, "Due to the lack of transparency by Canada Post in refusing to reveal its development plans for this public service, members of the Union of Postal Communications Employees (UPCE) of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) will support a citizens' action against the Crown Corporation on Monday, June 19, at noon."
September 14, 2006 -- Postmaster General Jack Potter today announced the appointment of
Jerry Lane as Vice President, Area Operations, Capital Metro Area. Lane has served as Manager, Capital Metro Operations, since July 2002.
September 13, 2006 -- AllAfrica.com has reported that "The events that led to the eventual disconnection of Postal Corporation of Kenya's Internet link by an Israeli firm early last week have been well-documented. The matter is the subject of investigations by the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, while Universal Satpace, the vendor in question, has gone to court to stop the parastatal contracting another supplier, and the verdict is due next month. Clearly, the entire saga stands out as a serious indictment of our key corruption oversight body, and its ability to process cases promptly and efficiently."
September 13, 2006 -- From Business Wire: "Comergent Technologies(R), Inc., the leading provider of enterprise eBusiness solutions, is powering Pitney Bowes new Stamp Expressions(TM) Printer to enable users to purchase and print postage with unique images on demand. With the new eBusiness offering, customers can create postage of variable denominations and add either Pitney Bowes approved personal images or select images from an extensive Web-based library of nearly 200 different designs. Categories include special occasions, general business, and industry-specific messages."
September 13, 2006 -- According to Directions magazine, "ZIPCodeWorld.com is pleased to announce the availability of September 2006 Edition ZIPCodeWorld United States ZIP Codes Database, PostalCodeWorld Canada Postal Code Database and PostalCodeWorld Mexico Postal Code Database subscription service. ZIPCodeWorld ZIP Code database contains all ZIP codes in the United States with over 76,000 records. PostalCodeWorld Postal Codes database contains postal codes in the Canada with over 762,000 records. All databases are available in four ready-to-use formats: Access 2000, Excel 2000, dBASE IV and CSV ASCII text file."
September 13, 2006 -- icCoventry has reported that "Royal Mail was holding last-ditch talks in London today in a bid to head off a threatened postal workers' ballot for industrial action."
September 13, 2006 -- A copy of the presentation to the USPS Board of Governors by
H. Glen Walker, Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice President has been posted on this site.
September 13, 2006 -- From the
U.S. Postal Service: "On Monday, the Governors approved the Postal Rate Commission's recommended decision for a change in the eligibility rules for Periodicals subscription prices. The change will allow a reduction of up to 70 percent of the basic annual subscription rate for a copy to be counted as part of the publication's paid circulation. This change takes effect today. In a separate action, the Governors approved a one-year extension of the Capital One Negotiated Service Agreement (NSA), which is effective immediately."
September 13, 2006 -- From PR Newswire: "SteelCloud, Inc., a leading engineering and manufacturing integrator of network centric and embedded computing solutions today announced it has been selected as a sub-contractor by Lockheed Martin Distribution Technologies for their $17.4 million contract to improve automated parcel-sorting systems at the U.S. Postal Service's bulk mail centers. Lockheed Martin will install optical character-recognition systems on parcel sorters known as Singulation Scan Induction Units, at 19 bulk mail centers across the nation."
September 13, 2006 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
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.
September 13, 2006 -- The Financial Times has reported that "Europe's drive to throw open the region's services market is condemned to failure, the continent's top business leader warned yesterday as he called for politicians to redouble efforts to push through economic reform. Ernest-Antoine Seillière, the president of the pan-European business lobby Unice, said: "There is no European common market for services and there will not be one for many years."
September 13, 2006 -- From Open Press: "Why is the United States Postal Service, USPS spending billions of dollars to automate product handling and logistics across the nation? Because its' committed to being the final delivery services for media, books, mail order prescription and other small parcels for the home and businesses delivery service. Their business continues to mushroom and their expanding "small parcel" shipment volume presents $100's of millions in new business opportunity to existing mail pre-sort and parcel processing centers that jump on board and take advantage of this market opportunity. The USPS is still the most advantageous and formidable carrier when you consider it's daily delivery coverage for both the B to B and B to C markets states Dan Hanrahan president of The Numina Group (Burr Ridge, IL), a firm specializing in parcel sorting and material handling automation. What's needed by industry to win a piece of the small parcel handling business is more flexible sorting and automation technology that handles existing mail streams such as business mail and flats and also can process larger parcel size footprints."
September 13, 2006 -- The Caymanian Compass has reported that "Post Office customers on all three islands will soon be able to pay their Cable & Wireless phone bills, top up their bmobile prepaid phones and purchase Hot–spot wireless cards and mobile phones."
September 13, 2006 -- From PR Newswire: "The U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors today approved a fiscal year 2007 integrated financial plan that includes cost reduction programs totaling $1.1 billion, while continuing to provide universal service to a continuously expanding delivery network. These cost reductions contain a planned decrease of 40 million workhours from the estimated FY 2006 level. Savings will come from automation improvements and implementation of additional "breakthrough productivity" initiatives. The Postal Service's 2007 fiscal year begins Oct. 1, 2006 and ends Sept. 30, 2007. The plan also calls for a 3.2 percent increase in revenue and a 2.6 percent increase in expenses over the current year's forecast, resulting in $1.7 billion in net income. However, the estimated $3.3 billion escrow requirement results in a net deficiency after escrow of $1.6 billion. The plan assumes continued slower growth in the U.S. economy and implementation of the planned postage price adjustments in May, 2007."
September 12, 2006 -- According to Business Week, "Netflix execs agree movie downloads are the wave of the future, but they are banking that the market for DVDs is still growing and won't go away anytime soon."
September 12, 2006 -- The Financial Times has reported that "Europe's drive to throw open the region's services market is condemned to failure, the continent's top business leader warned on Tuesday as he called for politicians to redouble efforts to push through economic reform. Ernest-Antoine Seillière, the president of the pan-European business lobby Unice, said: "There is no European common market for services and there will not be one for many years."
September 12, 2006 -- InformationWeek has reported that "Every company wants to come up with that one compelling service that ties a customer closer to its business. Dell's buyer-activated computer configuration system is one example. FedEx's Web package tracking system was another. But that system kept a firm grip on customers only as long as FedEx's competitors couldn't duplicate it. Eventually they did, sending the company back to the drawing board. FedEx came up with Ship Manager, an application on a small computer set up by FedEx at customer sites to help users weigh packages, calculate shipping charges, and print shipping labels. Illustration by Carl Weins But FedEx didn't stop there. The company is making it easy for customers to link their invoicing, billing, accounting, and inventory systems into FedEx Ship Manager."
September 12, 2006 -- From MarketWire: "Regulus, the nation's largest independent provider of bill presentment and payment processing solutions, announced today the opening of a new remittance processing facility in Atlanta, Georgia. This premier site will serve Regulus' regional and multi-national clients with customers located throughout the Eastern and Southeastern United States. The new 36,000-square-foot facility is strategically located near a major U.S. Postal Service hub as well as the Atlanta airport. Known in the industry as one of the fastest mail collections and clearing points in the country, Atlanta offers immediate value to current and future clients seeking coverage in this heavily populated region. Among Regulus' customers in the region are industry bellwethers in the telecom, healthcare, utility, and financial sectors. The close proximity to the USPS postal hub means that payments are received, processed and deposited faster and more efficiently. The new high-volume facility also has the potential to double in capacity in coming years as the demand from Regulus' customers continues to grow."
September 12, 2006 -- The Guernsey Press and Star has reported that "bulk mailers have reacted cautiously to proposals to further postal tariff increases."
September 12, 2006 --
Press Release: "BÖWE BELL + HOWELL, a leading manufacturer of document processing and postal solutions, today introduced the newest member of its industry-leading family of vision technologies – JETVision™ Express.
September 12, 2006 -- As ITP Technology has noted, "Since Qatar's postal service was denationalised in 2001 it operates as a commercial entity independent of government. This has meant updating its business practices, along with its technology. One of the major implementations has been its recent adoption of the Oracle E-Business suite to help give an overall picture of the company's finances and improve inter-departmental efficiency. Q-Post has deployed modules to cover accounts payable, accounts received, general ledger, financial analysis, purchasing, cash management and payroll."
September 12, 2006 -- Okay, postal aficionados, who was Lysander Spooner and what did he have to say about the American postal system? Check it out.
September 12, 2006 -- From the U.S. Postal Service: "Secretary of the Army Francis J. Harvey will recognize the U.S. Postal Service as one of the largest employers of Army veterans, Reservists and Guardsmen. As the Postal Service representative, Postmaster General John E. Potter will receive the Freedom Team Salute pin during a ceremony at the Pentagon."
September 12, 2006 -- From MarketWire: "PennySaverUSA.com, the Web site of the shopper publications of Harte-Hanks, Inc., has entered into a relationship with the Midwest Free Community Papers (MFCP), a not-for-profit organization representing more than 140 free-circulation community papers and shoppers reaching more than 3.5 million homes across the Midwest. Through this relationship, PennySaverUSA.com is designated as MFCP's vendor of choice for Web services and online classified aggregation for its members. MFCP will, in turn, market and support the PennySaverUSA.com Web site (http://www.pennysaverusa.com), where individual MFCP members will be able to receive Web classified services and list their own online classified ads. This alliance with MFCP further expands the association network of PennySaverUSA.com, which also entered into a relationship with the Association of Free Community Papers on behalf of its 2000 member publications in July 2006."
September 12, 2006 -- From PR Newswire: "Pitney Bowes Inc. today provided investors with a road map for delivering revenue and earnings growth over the next five years. The company gave financial outlooks for each of its seven business segments and committed to reducing its ratio of selling, general, and administrative expense to revenue from 31% to 28% by 2010. The company reported that it expects to deliver long-term growth through execution of the following strategies: (1) Strengthening and enlarging its global customer base. (2)Influencing the postal environment. (3) Driving margin expansion throughout its businesses, and (4)Expanding into high growth adjacencies within the mailstream."
September 12, 2006 -- The Edge Daily has reported that "DHL Express has projected a double-digit revenue growth for 2006 and 2007 for its Malaysian operations, as the country continues to be one of its key markets in the Asia Pacific region."
September 12, 2006 -- Dow Jones has reported that "Deutsche Post AG has warned potential postal service competitors not to place too much hope in making profit in the shrinking German postal market, which reflects a global trend, weekly WirtschaftsWoche reports Sunday ahead of publication Monday. Deutsche Post board member Hans Dieter Petram tells the magazine that classic letter-posting, excluding advertising, is expected to shrink by about 20% in 10 years, replaced by email. The liberalization of the postal service in Germany at the end of 2007 won't change that fact, he adds."
September 12, 2006 -- According to Asia Pulse, "President director of state postal service company PT Pos Indonesia Hana Suryana said the draft law on postal affairs to be discussed in the House of Representatives should include a clause on PT Pos Indonesia's monopoly on the conveyance of letters weighing less than 500 grams."
September 12, 2006 -- Xinhua has reported that "On September 4, the postal administration was established in four provinces and provincial-level Tianjin. The China Post Group Corp is under preparation. Moreover, banking regulators have nodded approval for the launch of the postal deposit bank. The move, which splits postal regulation from business in those regions, marks the most substantial postal reform in past years. It has a profound impact on deepening the reform of the sector, and its success will provide valuable lessons for those departments where the regulatory and business functions remain mixed up. The functional splitting is inevitable as China's postal sector deepens its reform."
September 12, 2006 -- Radio New Zealand has reported that "New Zealand Post on Tuesday posted a net annual profit of $68.7 million - 17% up on last year's result. The state-owned enterprise says challenges during the year included: rising fuel prices, a tight labour market, tough competition and changes in letter services."
September 12, 2006 -- The Sun-Journal has reported that "Two post offices in Androscoggin County - Lisbon and Lisbon Falls - have won the Five-Star Customer Service Award for Postal Quarter III. The two post offices are among 32 in the state that have been designated as individual winners of the award for delivering exceptional customer service in their respective communities. Lisbon has won the award for two quarters in a row."
September 12, 2006 -- GovExec.com has reported that "Progress on legislation to overhaul the U.S. Postal Service, a project that is now 12 years in the making, continues to shuffle along slowly as House and Senate negotiators mull a recently proposed compromise measure."
September 12, 2006 -- The latest copy of
ProNews has been posted on this site.
September 12, 2006 -- The latest copy of the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. electronic governmental affairs newsletter is available on the NAPUS web site.
September 11, 2006 -- In letters to every member of the House and Senate, the
Mailers Council today asked Congress to oppose any legislation that would prevent the Postal Service from closing outdated and inefficient mail processing facilities in its campaign to keep postage affordable despite continuing declines in mail volume.
September 11, 2006 -- The Prague Daily Monitor has reported that "Ceska posta could be transformed into a joint-stock company as of January 1, 2008 and the cabinet should then decide whether the state will still be a 100-percent owner of the postal services provider or whether the firm will be privatised, Interior and IT Minister Ivan Langer said Sunday."
September 11, 2006 -- The Postal Rate Commission has issued a solicitation for assistance in improving the quality of its web site.
September 11, 2006 -- The News-Press has noted that "Post Offices in Fort Myers and Cape Coral are introducing a special "Senior Pen Pal" program to connect individuals with seniors who would enjoy corresponding with someone. Beginning this month, you can purchase a gift bag for $15 at any Fort Myers/Cape Coral Post Office. It contains note cards and a writing pen that lights up. You put your name and address on the gift bag before leaving it with the postal clerk. Mail carriers deliver the gift packs to participating nursing home/retirement facilities/assisted living places, etc. The facilities will select seniors who need outside contact and then the writing can begin."
September 11, 2006 -- From TNT: "For the second consecutive year TNT has been designated leader in its industry in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index."
September 11, 2006 -- The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, and the Minister for Finance and Administration, Senator Nick Minchin, today welcomed the appointment of Mr David Mortimer, AO, as Chair of the Board of the Australian Postal Corporation and the reappointment of Mark Birrell as a Board member.
September 10, 2006 -- Here is where you can find the testimony submitted by PostCom in Postal Rate Commission Docket No. R2006-1 (the 2006 postal rate case):
September 10, 2006 -- From Memo to Mailers: "Mailers now can access a Web-based training course to learn about the Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) system. FAST provides a standardized process for the scheduling and management of all drop shipment appointments. Advance appointment notification at all Postal Service facilities enables improved operational efficiency, allowing USPS to manage drop shipments more effectively. This Web-based course offers convenience and real-time access to FAST training and resources. The course provides self-paced visual exercises, and hands-on demonstrations provide the user an interactive training experience. Mailers who have tested the training are enthusiastic about its ease-of-use and accessibility. FAST Web-based training can be accessed before or after login via FAST at https://fast.usps.com. On the Resources page, click "Reference Documents." The course is organized so mailers get quick and easy access to desired information."
September 10, 2006 -- The Associated Press has reported that "A proposed contract for pilots of FedEx Express, operator of the world's largest cargo airline, is heading to union members for a vote. The FedEx Master Executive Council, the governing body of the FedEx pilots' union, approved the proposed contract late Friday and recommended approval to the pilots."
September 9, 2006 -- The Scotsman has reported that "ALMOST a fifth of Scots
living in the countryside are more than three miles from a post office - nearly four times as many as the Royal Mail's
national target, according to a new survey. The Rural Post Office Survey carried out by Postwatch Scotland quizzed 1,200
rural customers about how they use the postal service."
September 9, 2006 -- The American Postal Workers Union has told its
members that "Negotiations between the USPS and the APWU over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement resumed Sept. 7 and 8,
with preliminary discussions of non-economic issues. Discussion of economic issues, including upgrades, will take place
later in the negotiation process. The union's topics included workforce categories, job security, and issues involving the
implementation of technological changes. The USPS issues included the expansion of "management rights" and the movement of
employees."
September 8, 2006 --
According to the Kyodo news service, "Japan Post said
Friday it will end mail collection and delivery services at 149 post offices in 11 prefectures."
September 8, 2006 -- According to SmartMoney, "United Parcel Service Inc.'s
(UPS) extensive use of technology differentiates the package-delivery company from its competitors, Chief Information
Officer David Barnes said. The Atlanta company uses technology to advance its own growth and also that of its customers,
Barnes told Dow Jones Newswires Thursday. UPS employs technology on many different levels, from devices that its drivers
carry to help track deliveries and pickups to software that does that on a much larger scale companywide."
September 8, 2006 -- The Guernsey Press and Star has reported that
"Guernsey Post has submitted new tariff proposals to the Office of Utility Regulation for its three-year price control.
Under those, the rate for local letters up to 100g would increase from 1 April 2007, then to 36p the year after. Rates for
a standard letter to the UK would increase from 34p to 39p on the same date, then to 44p and to 49p in 2009."
September 8, 2006 -- The latest issue of the
PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:
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.
September 8, 2006 -- The Washington Post has
published a letter from Mail & Jobs executive director Peter Miller, in which he contests some of the suppositions
underlying a recent piece written by Post writer John Kelly.
September 8, 2006 -- The Louisville Business Journal has
reported that "Fedex has completed its purchase of private trucking company Watkins Motor Lines, adding long-haul services
to its freight portfolio."
September 8,
2006 – According to the American
Postal Workers Union, the Postal Service falls short in attempts to get public input on consolidations."
September 8, 2006 -- According to the BBC, Staff involved in a postal strike which
disrupted mail to 400,000 homes across Devon are threatening another stoppage."
September 8, 2006 -- The Standard has reported that "The Government
has engaged Safaricom to provide Internet links to Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK) at a monthly fee of Sh127,500. The
deal covers 51 PCK sites in which the corporation will pay Sh2,500 per month for each of the outlets. This follows a
disconnection of satellite communication to 400 PCK sites this week by a US-based company, Universal Satspace of North
America."
September 7, 2006 -- According
to the Charleston Daily Mail, "While some
people worry about technology overtaking their jobs, about 350 local employees have jobs doing what technology
cannot. At the Charleston Postal Remote Encoding Center on Lee Street, data-entry workers handle mail that
computerized sorting equipment is unable to decipher. The Charleston facility has been operation since June 1994 and
processes mail for several U.S Postal Service processing hubs, including Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Richmond, Va. The
Postal Service is currently expanding the facility with plans to hire more than 100 workers over the next few months."
September 7, 2006 -- Editor
& Publisher has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) proposed postage increase of 25% to 30% for
the class of mail most used by newspapers punishes their efforts to speed delivery, officials of the National Newspaper
Association (NNA) testified Wednesday before the Postal Rate Commission in Washington. Max Health, chairman of the NNA's
postal committee, told the commission the rates will make delivery less efficient and penalize publisher who make the USPS'
job easier by pre-sorting, drop-shipping, bar-coding and documenting their mail with Postal Service-approved software."
September 7, 2006 -- VNUNet has reported that "Royal Mail
has redeveloped an automated web-based pricing calculator to assist customers with its new Pricing in Proportion (PiP)
payment structure. PiP establishes the price of sending a letter based on size and weight, while the calculator (Pricing
Configurator) helps customers determine exact costs. Royal Mail has integrated the calculator more fully with its web site
to improve speed and customer experience."
September 7, 2006 -- According to the New Zealand Herald, "Dog owners need to take more responsibility for securing their yards and their
pets after two dog attacks left posties seriously injured, New Zealand Post says. NZ Post general manager of postal
delivery Matthew Nant has called on dog owners to think hard about the damage their pets could cause, after the dog attacks
in Whakatane and Auckland."
September 7, 2006 -- According to Brand
Republic, "A week ago the only people who knew who Roger Annies was were the householders on his postal round in Barry,
South Wales. That was before Royal Mail's code of conduct processes took over and Annies was suspended, allegedly for
breaching them. From Royal Mail's perspective, the distribution of a home-spun leaflet telling residents how to put paid to
the increasing volume of unaddressed mail appearing on their doormats is not the sort of initiative it expects or
encourages from its postmen. Neither was it ever likely to be a career-enhancing move, even assuming the greatest
generosity of spirit on the part of Annies' employer. As we now know, Royal Mail's perspective doesn't matter a damn. Its
objection to an incident that may have lost it a localised handful of households has rather been swept away by a consumer
protest campaign taken up by the national press and broadcast media, in which Annies has, without exception, been venerated
as defender of the nation's letter box."
September 7, 2006 -- The North County Gazette has reported that
"A federal grand jury in Phoenix has returned a one count indictment against a postmaster for misappropriation of postal
funds."
September
7, 2006 -- Transport Intelligence has
reported that "DPWN CEO Klaus Zumwinkel has made a public statement welcoming the prospect of a major purchase of equity by
Blackstone, the very large American private equity company. "Private equity and hedge funds are welcome because they invest
and lift the shares higher" he said in an interview with a newspaper. Yesterday rumours emerged in the US, UK and German
stock markets that Blackstone was planning to buy a 10% stake in the company. The German state investment bank KfW
initially denied that there would be a sale to Blackstone."
September 7, 2006 -- According to Multichannel Merchant, "the lack of postal
reform leads to the blame game."
September 7, 2006 -- The Economic
Times has reported that "Geopost of France may pick up 10% stake in Bangalore-based courier and express company DTDC,
in which Anil Ambani-controlled Reliance Capital holds 40%."
September 6, 2006 -- Now here's one that ought to
fry your egg. One of our correspondents has told us that "An informally conducted internal review by the largest trade
magazine publisher found that 30% of "Undeliverable As Addressed" (UAA) mail was correctly addressed. This led to flagging
UAA mail addresses for suppression only after UAA-ing twice within 60 days."
September 6, 2006 -- The USPS is seeking information on
available technology and supply sources, in the area of mail processing technology for the USPS Mail Recovery Center's
incoming Undeliverable Letter Mail, which can provide products that function to the general specifications described in
this notice.
September 6, 2006 -- AllAfrica.com has reported that "The Ethiopian Postal Service is
taking steps towards entering the competitive marketplace. After more than a hundred years of operation this signals a new
era for the EPS. The Ethiopian Postal Service (EPS) has completed a draft proclamation to be presented to the Council of
Ministers for approval; the proclamation is to re-establish EPS, founded in 1894, as a Corporation. The draft is expected
to be presented at the beginning of the coming Ethiopian fiscal year."
September 6, 2006 -- Starting 1 January
2007, TNT will launch a next-week mail delivery service through
its subsidiary Netwerk VSP. With this service, intended for delivery within the Netherlands of large volumes of pre-sorted,
addressed mail on the basis of next-week delivery, TNT is responding to customer demand for non-time-critical delivery of
large volumes of addressed mail at a very competitive price.
September 6, 2006 -- From PR
Newswire: "Stamps.com(R), the leading provider of Internet-based postage services, today has announced the launch of
Photo NetStamps(R), an innovative product that allows PC Postage(TM) customers to easily and cost-effectively create
customized postage by uploading a digital image or business logo, and then ordering sheets of Photo NetStamps labels
pre-printed with their image in photo-quality color. Customers can then print exactly the postage amount they need, when
they need it, on the Photo NetStamps labels using their PC Postage software and their own printer."
September 6, 2006 -- A new RFID report
that has just been completed by eyefortransport. The results have been published in a report : RFID in Transportation &
Logistics - An analysis of eyefortransport's recent survey, which can be downloaded from www.eyefortransport.com/rfid2006/report_2006.shtml/.
September 6, 2006 -- From UPS:
September 6, 2006 -- CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:
The planned joint venture between Post Danmark and 365 Media Scandinavia for the distribution of unaddressed mail has been given the go-ahead.
Finland's Suomi Posti Oy is consolidating its subsidiaries in the information logistics segment.
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.
September 6, 2006 -- The
U.S. Postal Service has reported that "USPS revenues for July
were $5.5 billion, or 0.5% under plan and 4.1% more than July 2005. Expenses for the month were $5.8 billion, or 0.4% over
plan and 4.3% more than same period last year (SPLY). Year-to-date (YTD), revenue through July was 0.6%, or $364 million
higher than plan and 3.9% above SPLY. Expenses through July were 0.5%, or $295 million higher than plan and $2.4 billion
above SPLY. YTD, mail volume is 0.8% above SPLY. YTD, the net income before the escrow allocation is $1.3 billion. A net
deficiency of $1.2 billion exists after the escrow allocation."
September 6, 2006 -- The DM Bulletin
has reported that "The Direct Marketing Association (U.K.) has received 100,210 requests from consumers to be added to the
Mailing Preference Service, in the wake of last Monday's news that Royal Mail had suspended a postman for encouraging
people to opt out of door-drop deliveries."
September 6, 2006 -- According to the Washington Post:
September 6, 2006 -- Air Cargo World has reported that "Air cargo growth slowed
in June, according to figures released by the Air Transport Association."
September 6, 2006 -- The Telegraph has reported that
"Unions have pledged support for strike action in a bid to stop the Government outsourcing two National Health Service
operations to DHL, the German-owned logistics company."
September 6, 2006 -- Food Business
Review has reported that "TNT Logistics UK has been awarded a five-year contract to operate the home delivery services
for the newly-launched Tesco Direct service. The nationwide service will utilize dedicated Tesco Direct vehicles as well as
TNT Logistics' multi-user TNT Home fleet, which already delivers furniture and larger goods for other retailers."
Remember when the U.S. Postal Service made some noises about delivering food orders?
September 6, 2006 -- The Financial Times has reported that "Deutsche
Post probably has the biggest conglomerate discount in Europe. That, at least, is the view of analysts at Dresdner
Kleinwort, supported by several senior bankers in Frankfurt, who say that if the group was broken up into its constituent
parts it would be worth as much as 50 per cent more than the group's current combined value. Nonsense, says Klaus
Zumwinkel, head since 1990 of the German postal, logistics and banking group. Trends such as focusing on a core business
come and go, he argues, but his strategy of diversifying away from mail into parcels, logistics and financial services will
pay off."
September
6, 2006 -- Xinhua has reported
that "The long-awaited reform of China's postal service is gathering momentum with the launch of 10 new management bureaux
this week. The State Postal Bureau (SPB), or China Post, yesterday launched five provincial post management bureaux in
Shanghai, Hebei, Fujian, Ningxia and Congqing, an SPB spokeswoman told China Daily. That followed the inauguration of
another five bureaux in Tianjin, Zhejiang, Shandong, Sichuan and Shaanxi on Monday. The new bureaux are part of the
government's ambitious market-oriented reform scheme under which the SPB's administrative functions and business practices
will be separated. The SPB plays a dual role in China; it is both the national postal operator and the country's postal
regulator."
September 6, 2006 -- The Standard has
reported that "Some conditions in a Sh2.7 billion contract between an Israeli company and the Postal Corporation of Kenya
are not tenable, the Government has said. Information and Communication minister, Mr Mutahi Kagwe, said there were issues
in the contract that required scrutiny before its implementation."
September 6, 2006 -- Here's an interesting piece on
"A Brief History of the All Cargo
Airlines Part One."
September 6, 2006 -- The Associated Press has reported that:
September 6, 2006 -- ZDNet.au
has reported that "Australia Post is trialling a two-factor authentication service to be used by customers such as banks
for online transactions. The new service is an electronic extension of Australian Post's traditional identity verification
business."
September 6, 2006 -- Die Welt has
reported that "The German brands and patents office has ruled that only Deutsche Post, the German postal service operator,
will be allowed to use the term 'Die Post' to describe itself. Rival companies had attempted to persuade the authority to
abolish the brand, which is registered in Deutsche Post's name. The brands and patents office says that the name 'Die Post'
is closely associated with Deutsche Post in the public's perception, and that the protection of the brand is therefore
justified. The federal association of international express and courier services (BIEK), which had called for the
protection of the brand to be lifted, can lodge a complaint with the patents court."
September 6, 2006 -- As Pacific Business News has noted, "More than
1,200 Hawaii businesses will have to buy new postage meters by Jan. 1 or start licking stamps again. That's because the
U.S. Postal Service is decommissioning more than 300,000 postage meters nationwide this year as part of an effort to
curtail mail fraud and strengthen mail security."
September 6, 2006 -- The Columbus Business Journal has reported
that "The U.S. Postal Service has renewed ABX Air Inc.'s contract for its terminal handling services in
Indianapolis."
September
5, 2006 -- From Business Wire:
September 5, 2006 -- Presstime has reported:
September 5,
2006 -- According to DM News postal commentator Cary
Baer, "The current IG, David Williams, seems to be taking a different, more productive tack. He has produced a
fascinating white paper titled "USPS Cost Burdens." What are these unnecessary cost burdens, and who is causing them to be
a postal service responsibility? The largest of these burdens is an annual payment that Congress mandated the USPS pay into
an escrow account. The second-largest cost burden involves military pensions — yes, military pensions. So we have
learned from the inspector general's report how the USPS, and therefore we users of the mails, annually pay $5 billion more
than we should because of an ongoing series of congressional or administration decisions."
|
September 5, 2006 -- It
is with sadness that we report that Postmaster General Jack Potter's father, Richard (Dick) Potter, died on Saturday
morning. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jack and to his family. |
September 5, 2006 -- According
to ABC News' The Blotter, "The U.S.
Postmaster General John Potter praised his vice president of communications Azeezaly Jaffer upon his resignation shortly
after an inspector general report revealed that Jaffer spent thousands of dollars in postal funds on extravagant meals and
hotels. Potter said Jaffer "maintained a strong focus on public service in every position he has held," according to a June
memo obtained by ABC News. Potter went on to ask other Postal Service employees to join him "in thanking Azeez for his
outstanding contributions in his almost 30 years of government service," the memo says. Jaffer resigned in June less than
two weeks after the postal service Inspector General's report revealed his extravagant spending and also alleged that
Jaffer drank in excess at business events, at times to the point of unconsciousness, and sexually harassed female
employees. Potter's memo made no mention of the allegations in the report and said that Jaffer was leaving the service "to
pursue other career opportunities."
September 5, 2006 -- As Business Week has noted, "As the U.S. population reaches the
benchmark set by China and India, large numbers of immigrants and young people keep the economy vital." But what will it
mean for mail?
September 5, 2006 -- According to Traffic
World, "Apollo Management's $1.91 billion acquisition of TNT Logistics signals the emergence of private equity capital
as a growing force in the logistics world, one that may offer fresh opportunities to shippers and raise new questions for
today's transportation providers. The financial force of new investment may signal a new era of even more intense
competition, particularly among mid-sized and smaller providers, as the makers of mega-mergers digest those deals and
investors with cash in hand look for new takeover targets logistics, industry experts say."
September 5, 2006 -- The Wall Street Journal has
reported that "A rapidly multiplying number of TV networks, startup firms and Web portals are rushing to feed a growing
demand for Web video. Increasingly caught up in this stampede are magazine publishers, anxious to get their hands on video
ad dollars that typically have been beyond their reach. Advertisers have long regarded television as the preferred medium
for marketing, pumping as much into TV as into magazines and newspapers combined -- roughly $50 billion last year,
according to TNS Media Intelligence. Spending on online video ads is now taking off and is expected to increase to about
$1.5 billion in 2009 from a projected $385 million in 2006, according to eMarketer."
September 5, 2006 -- The Washington Post has
reported that "Congress returns this week from its summer break with the 2007 federal pay raise as one of several issues up
in the air. Congress will try to break for the campaign season by Oct. 1, the start of the next fiscal year, according to
the aides. That timetable suggests that as many as eight appropriations bills, including the one that contains a pay raise,
would be put off until Congress convenes a lame-duck session. In that case, some parts of the government would be placed on
interim funding, through a "continuing resolution," until final 2007 budget decisions are made."
September 5, 2006 -- icWales has reported
that "THE Royal Mail has been accused of breaking a promise by marking post from Wales as if it came from
England."
September 5,
2006 -- The Independent has reported that
"Ministers faced pressure last night to take action to tackle the scale of junk mail being delivered to British
householders each year."
September 5, 2006 -- ITV has reported
that "Management at the Royal Mail has been accused of bully boy tactics after the settling of the week long industrial
dispute which has crippled mail services in Exeter and Torquay. Staff originally walked out in a row over the docking of a
postman's pay while he was off ill. Tonight work is beginning to process the sacks and sacks of letters and parcels that
have piled up during the dispute."
September 5, 2006 -- Malta Today has
reported that "The price of stamps will be increasing by one cent to 8c for standard letters after earlier this month,
Maltapost issued a set of five stamps depicting Malta's maritime history in which the 8c stamp was featured for the first
time. No notice has yet been given of the price increase, which has yet to be signed into the law by the minister for
communications. The Malta Communications Authority, the national regulator for postal services and telecommunications,
decided not to uphold a request by Maltapost to increase postage prices for heavier envelopers and parcels."
September 5, 2006 -- M-Net has reported that "Inland Revenue has just finished using its
first SMS campaign to let the public know about its Working for Families initiative. The text channel allowed families to
check their eligibility for the assistance package by texting. In an effort to communicate with such a large number of
potentially eligible customers, Inland Revenue began the text initiative back in January. It was developed and maintained
by mobile enablement company Run The Red. Families were able to text their postal details to code 473 and subsequently have
an information pack sent out to them. Both the text message and information pack were free." An interesting multimedia
approach.
September 5, 2006 -- According to The
Standard, "An Israeli firm has switched off satellite communication to the Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK), denying
millions of Kenyans access to the Internet. Universal Satspace cut the satellite link to more than 500 PCK outlets on
Friday due to non-payment of a Sh1.2 billion bill. The radical measure put millions of Internet users — who rely on
PCK — in a crisis, and affected service delivery at post offices countrywide."
September 5, 2006 -- According to the Oxford Mail, "Striking postal
workers in Witney and Carterton have called for two more days of official strike action at the end of this month.
Communication Workers Union representative Bob Cullen said that although there had been some positive movement during
negotiations with management on Sunday, members were still unhappy and had called for further action on Thursday, September
28, and Friday, September 29." How in blazes do you survive in a postal system that is subject to wildcat
strikes?
September 5, 2006 -- Transp ort
Intelligence has reported that "Massive potential exists in the Chinese logistics market for integrated contract
logistics companies. This is one of the key findings of a new survey by Transport Intelligence contained in its latest
report China Logistics 2006. The survey comprised interviews with over 230 senior professionals representing a cross
section of logistics users and providers with operations in China."
September 5, 2006 -- As the DM
Bulletin has noted, "The Communication Workers Union has accepted a pay deal with Royal Mail, in which postal workers
pay will rise by 3.9% this year and provide the opportunity for further deals in the future. The deal means that the threat
of industrial action is withdrawn, and the direct marketing industry escapes costly disruptions. As part of the deal, the
current cap on door-drops will be lifted, therefore protecting jobs and improving pay."
September 5, 2006 -- According to DaijiWorld, "Door to door delivery of postal mail in the emirate
may not be a distant dream for Dubai residents. A proposal to introduce the system was discussed at a high-level meeting
organised by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) at the Dubai Municipality headquarters."
September 5, 2006 -- People's Daily has reported that "China's State
Post Bureau (SPB) is separating government functions from its business practices, and its mail delivery services will
become more market-oriented."
September 4, 2006 -- According to EU Observer, "The European
Commission will from next week onwards start to send its proposals for EU laws directly to national parliaments for comment
- but it has made clear that it will not review any of its plans if national deputies dislike them. Member states'
parliaments earlier this year decided to jointly scrutinize two of this year's commission proposals - on cross-border
divorces and liberalisation of postal services - where they suspect the commission could over-regulate.
September 4, 2006 -- According
to the Chicago
Tribune, "Investors are rewarding FedEx for continuing to post healthy profits and to enforce strong cost controls.
UPS, which has tightened its business, generates more revenue and has higher operating margins and return on invested
capital than FedEx. Consequently, margins and return on capital at UPS haven't changed much, while FedEx's have steadily
improved."
September
4, 2006 -- Bloomberg has reported that "Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said his government is studying the sale
of state-owned property and stakes in companies such as utility Enel SpA to reduce the European Union's biggest debt. The
previous government under Silvio Berlusconi pledged to raise as much as 100 billion euros by selling assets including the
postal service and broadcaster Rai SpA. Those sales never happened and the government only managed to raise a fraction of
the target."
September 4, 2006 -- From PR Inside: "Reksoft, the software outsourcing vendor with primary resource base in St.
Petersburg, Russia, announced that it successfully developed an innovative software solution to raise the efficiency of
Germany's leading manufacturer of franking machines, Francotyp-Postalia."
September 4, 2006 -- EDP24 has reported that "Deputy Prime Minister
John Prescott is facing calls to look again at controversial plans cut subsidies to the post office network."
September 4, 2006 -- The BBC has reported that "Post deliveries in the South
West are still being affected by an unofficial postal strike in Devon."
September 3, 2006 -- According to the Finan cial Times, "Postal staff have endorsed
overwhelmingly the peace agreement reached between their union and Royal Mail in July, by a margin of almost six to one.
This accepts the 2.9 per cent pay rise for 2006 imposed by management in May, with 1 per cent extra due under arrangements
for sharing the benefits of productivity improvements. Royal Mail has said there will be no compulsory redundancies and has
promised no change in retirement age or pension contributions, in return for changes in work practices necessary to fend
off increasing competition in the letters market."
September 3, 2006 -- According to The Independent, "The Daily Mail has been conducting
one of its vociferous front-page campaigns, this time against the growth of junk mail which, according to the paper, is
threatening the lives of all of us. As the editor of a small-circulation magazine, which finds it hard to get on to the
news-stand, my future depends largely on the business of selling subscriptions through the post - junk mail, in other
words. So I have a personal interest in this field. But there is a bogus hysteria about the paper's anti-junk mail campaign
which ought to make everyone sceptical. Just as racists talk about the flood of immigrants and asylum-seekers swamping the
country, the Mail describes a "daily cascade" or alternatively a "mountain" with the whole country being "driven to
distraction" - all this about a few envelopes being shoved through the letter box."
September 3, 2006 -- As the Associated Press has noted, "Commercial delivery
companies such as UPS, FedEx and others pay a steep price for doing business in New York City, getting an average of 7,000
parking tickets every day and paying more than $102 million in fines."
September 3, 2006 -- Azertag has reported that "Within the
framework of the Bakutel-2006 international conference and exhibition to be held October 3-6, the Ministry of Information
Technologies of Russia and Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies of Azerbaijan will ink the agreement on
cooperation in information technologies, postal service and telecommunications sectors."
September 3, 2006 -- According to Multichannel
Merchant, "Manifesting software is becoming more sophisticated with each passing year. The software pinpoints the most
cost-effective carrier for each package, based on the criteria that you have configured into the software. These criteria
typically include the physical dimensions of the box the item will be shipped in, the weight of the package, the
destination, and the approved carriers. While shipper-provided systems are becoming faster and more flexible, there remains
a clear advantage in both speed and functionality to investing in systems from third-party manifest
companies."
September 2,
2006 -- The BBC has reported that "Talks
between Royal Mail managers and unions aimed at ending an unofficial postal strike in Devon have failed."
September 2, 2006 -- The Wilmington Star News
has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service is expanding a facility in Charleston as it takes over the work of a similar
facility in North Carolina."
September 2, 2006 -- From PR.com:
"PackageMapping.com revolutionizes the way we track parcel packages by combining the valuable tracking information we
depend on in text form with a new graphical display using Google®'s Map feature. It is now possible to view your
package graphically as it makes its way across the map."
September 2, 2006 -- By the way, if you've read the item from PostalNews.com on
Kalkines, but you don't know what "Kalkines" means, there is an informative link now available on the PostalNews.com web site.
September 2, 2006 -- According to the Federal Times, "The U.S. Postal Service said Sept. 1 it will not
seek reimbursements for more than $46,000 in questionable spending from former vice president Azeezaly Jaffer."
September 2, 2006 -- The Guardian has reported that " Postal workers
have overwhelmingly accepted a pay deal, ending the threat of a national strike. Members of the Communication Workers Union
voted by 85% in favour of the agreement, worth 3.9%."
September 2, 2006 -- The Federated States of Micronesia Postal Services announces
that beginning September 1 2006, the nation's Postal Services will no longer include US Postal Money Orders. According to
Postmaster General Bethwel Henry, the FSM Postal Services efforts to secure a Postal Money Order service with an interested
Bank were not able to be finalized before the deadline.
September 2, 2006 -- The latest
Postal Service DMM
Advisory has been posted on this site.
September 2, 2006 -- The Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service will meet in
Washington, DC, at Postal Service Headquarters, 475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, on Sept. 12, 2006. The public is welcome to observe
the board's open session, scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. in the Ben Franklin Room on the 11th floor. The Board is expected to
discuss the following items: 1. Minutes of the previous meetings, May 2-3, June 6, and July 12, 2006. 2. Remarks of the
Postmaster General and CEO John E. Potter. 3. Committee reports and committee charters. 4. Board of Governors Calendar Year
2007 Schedule. (Chairman James Miller) 5. Office of the Governors Fiscal Year 2007 Budget. (Chairman James Miller) 6.
Postal Rate Commission Fiscal Year 2007 Budget. (Chairman James Miller) 7. Financial Update. (Chief Financial Officer and
Executive Vice President H. Glen Walker) 8. Fiscal Year 2007 Operating, Capital and Financing Plans. (Chief Financial
Officer and Executive Vice President H. Glen Walker) 9. Capital Investments. A. Automated Package Processing Systems (APPS)
Phase 2. (Engineering Vice President Walt O'Tormey) b. Phoenix, Arizona – Purchase Existing Building. (Facilities
Vice President Tom Samra) 10. Tentative Agenda for the Nov. 14-15, 2006, meeting in Washington, D.C.
September 1, 2006 -- From the PostalNews.com Comment Board: "The Federal Times obviously does not have a crack legal
staff or they would have seen that Jaffer was given a Kalkines warning which means he was forced to talk. Forced to talk
with the IG because prosecution was declined by the prosecutor. Which means the IG at least did try to present the case for
prosection but got the thumbs down sign. Once that was done and the Kalkines was given the waters are too murky now for any
prosecution to be revisited. Actionjackson."
September 1, 2006 -- The Daily
News has reported that "The Posts and Telecommunications Ministry has decided to modernise the Postal Service and
provide a better and speedier service to the public under a Japanese aid scheme. This follows a resolution adopted by the
Asia-Pacific Postal Union at a meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia recently, said a press release issued by the
Ministry. The resolution said the Sri Lanka Postal Service should gain priority for development and modernisation over all
other postal services in Asian Countries considering Sri Lanka's high literacy rate, enormity of the mail and the country's
stable rate of economic development."
September 1, 2006 -- The Memphis Business Journal has
reported that "The U.S. Department of Transportation has granted FedEx Express permission to fly additional flights to
China, the Associated Press reported Wednesday evening. The addition of four weekly flights, starting March 2007, will
bring the total to 30. FedEx Express, a division of Memphis-based FedEx Corp., is the largest operator of cargo flights to
and from China. Rival Atlanta-based United Parcel Service Inc. currently operates 21. FedEx recently broke ground on $150
million distribution center in Guangzhou, China, slated to start operations in 2008."
September 1, 2006 -- The Herald has reported that "Postal chiefs in Scotland were last
night delighted by figures which show Royal Mail is beating its targets for next-day delivery of first-class letters.
Official independent figures for April to June this year reveal that Royal Mail exceeded the postcode area targets of 91.5%
for next-day delivered first-class mail, which is set by postal regulator Postcomm, in all 13 mainland postcode
areas."
September 1,
2006 -- According to Reuters, "Britain's Ascension Island has been without post since October
because the Royal Mail has been sending its mail to South America."
September 1, 2006 -- According to the Kyodo news service, "The postal privatization
headquarters, which is headed by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and comprises all other Cabinet ministers, decided Friday
to call on Japan Post Corp. to report by the end of next April specific details about how it intends to proceed with the
planned privatization, government officials said. The plan is supposed to address, for example, such issues as how the
privatized postal operations will try to ensure their adherence to lawful conduct as recommended by the headquarters' panel
comprising outside experts."
September 1, 2006 -- From PR Newswire: "Pitney Bowes Inc. today
completed its previously disclosed tax settlement with the Internal Revenue Service. As a result of the IRS settlement and
the previously completed sale of the Capital Services business, Pitney Bowes expects to pay about $1.1 billion of tax over
the next six months. This tax liability was previously accrued in the company's financial statements. All of the tax
payments will be made using proceeds from the Capital Services sale, as well as an advance against the company's Corporate
Owned Life Insurance (COLI) assets."
September 1, 2006 -- Easy Bourse has reported that "Dutch postal and
logistics company TNT NV Friday announced the acquisition of ARC India Limited which operates under the trade name Speedage
Express Cargo Services, one of the leading road express companies in India."
September 1, 2006 -- Business Day has reported that "MILLIONS of
Kenyans across their country awoke today without access to cheap and easy communication when the company providing
satellite bandwidth to more than 500 post offices cut off their services due to nonpayment. Universal Satspace, based in
Israel, yesterday sent a fax to Kenya's acting postmaster-general, Ken Oluoch, informing him of the suspension. More than
$12,4m is owed to the service provider."
September 1, 2006 -- The Oxford
Herald has noted that "Households and businesses in West Oxfordshire were without mail yesterday as postmen in Witney
and Carterton began a three-day strike."
September 1, 2006 -- The Korea Herald has reported that
"Traditional mail has seen a steady decline as alternative communication tools have appeared. Global mail volume fell to
4.7 billion in 2005 from 5.5 billion three years prior in 2002. "The changed environment requires us to modify our
approach. Korea Post, established back in 1884, is now moving towards 'ubiquitous postal service,' through which users get
to know the exact whereabouts of mail or packages, anytime, anywhere," said Hwang Joong-yeon, president of Korea Post.
"This is being achieved through the combination of the country's advanced information technology infrastructure and postal
services."
September 1,
2006 -- The Associated
Press has reported that "The former head public affairs official of the U.S. Postal Service is denying charges made by
the agency's inspector general alleging improper activities ranging from overspending to excessive drinking. Jaffer sent a
lengthy response denying the charges to the Postal Service dated Aug. 4."
September 1, 2006 -- From PR Web: "Webplus, Inc., the leading provider of leased
ecommerce solutions, announced today that it has launched Shipping Sidekick v1.0 (www.shippingsidekick.com). Shipping Sidekick is a quick and easy tool allowing
shippers to compare rates and shipping times in one simple step. Shipping Sidekick is available free of charge on a trial
basis for a limited time at www.shippingsidekick.com. Using Shipping Sidekick, small business owners, ebay sellers, or
anyone who wants to compare shipping rates can compare the rates of UPS, USPS, FedEx, and DHL quickly and efficiently.
Package weight, destination, and package characteristics need only be entered once to retrieve the rates of all shippers
for all delivery speeds on one single screen for comparison purposes. The difference between shipping rates allows the
shipper to use the most cost effective shipper for any given package, resulting in substantial savings to the
shipper."
September
1, 2006 -- Transport Intelligence has
reported that "DHL has announced details of its new Mexican Air Network that will begin operations this week. The initial
investment in 2005 was more than 140 million pesos (€10m). It is expected to increase to a total of 230 million pesos
(€16.5m) by 2007."
September 1, 2006 -- According to the Arizona Star, "The U.S. Postal Service should bring back the
numbered-ticket wait system in Arizona post offices. The tickets offer a convenient and civilized way to conduct mail
transactions."
September 1, 2006 -- The St.
Petersburg Times has noted that "Dozens of absentee voters were not using 52 cents in stamps and are getting their
ballots back. Others encounter routing confusion."
September 1, 2006 -- The latest issue of the
PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this
issue: