September 26, 2007

Dow Jones has reported that "Small German postal service providers won't be able to survive and tens of thousands of jobs in the sector will be lost if the planned minimum-wage agreement for the sector were to become generally binding, Guenter Thiel, chief executive of Pin Group, a private Deutsche Post AG competitor, said Tuesday.

Inquirer.net has reported that "the government has included Philippine National Oil Co.-Exploration Corp. (PNOC-EC) and the state's stake in Philippine Postal Corp. in the list of assets to be privatized next year."

September 25, 2007

Multichannel Merchant has reported that "How are catalog list owners like the U.S. Postal Service? Both keep raising prices to make up for business shortfalls. And catalogers can’t ignore this vicious cycle, Bill LaPierre told attendees of the NEMOA conference in Portland, ME, last week. In his Sept. 20 luncheon keynote, La Pierre, the senior vice president of list brokerage for Millard/Mokrynski Group, referred to gifts and gadgets cataloger Brookstone’s decision to prospect only with the Abacus cooperative database. The strategy, according to Brookstone, is working out just fine, so it’s likely that other mailers may follow suit. Most catalogers already rely heavily on the co-op databases for prospecting. “Close to 50% of catalog circulation is coming from the co-ops,” LaPierre said, and there are just six co-ops to choose from."

A copy of the Postal Service's informational briefing on the development of service performance standards is available on this site.

According to Electronics Supply & Manufacturing, "When FedEx sneezes, it's fighting an infection from the U.S. economy and from you, its customers. The logistics company has just cut its financial forecast for the current fiscal year citing the "sluggish" U.S. economy."

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

• IS-AR-07-014(R) - Application Control Review of Oracle Accounts Payable - Feeder Systems http://www.uspsoig.gov/FOIA_files/IS-AR-07-014.pdf

• EN-AR-07-003 - Bronx, New York Processing and Distribution Center Consolidation http://www.uspsoig.gov/FOIA_files/EN-AR-07-003.pdf

• NO-AR-07-008 - Internal Controls Over Operation Clock Rings at the Margaret L. Sellers Processing and Distribution Center http://www.uspsoig.gov/FOIA_files/NO-AR-07-008.pdf

• NO-AR-07-006(R) - Mail Condition Reporting at the San Francisco International Service Center http://www.uspsoig.gov/FOIA_files/NO-AR-07-006.pdf

• EN-AR-07-004 - Post-Implementation Reviews of the Marina Processing and Distribution Center Area Mail Processing Consolidation http://www.uspsoig.gov/FOIA_files/EN-AR-07-004.pdf

According to Mailers Council executive director Robert McLean, "The House Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia will hold a hearing at 2 p.m. on October 3 in Rayburn 2154 regarding the effect of the last rate increase on mailers."

From the Federal Register: "The Postal Service\TM\ is revising its standards for mailing medical waste so that medical professionals as well as individuals can use a larger container to mail medical waste to disposal sites. The new standards allow a maximum mailpiece weight limit of 35 pounds for packages approved as ``Medical Professional Packaging.''

According to the Nashville Tennessean, "FedEx Corp. may pay as much as $33 million in severance costs to some California delivery drivers, the Teamsters union said. FedEx said the estimate was wrong."

Check the PRC web site where you'll find the Postal Service's draft Mail Classification Schedule as well as its accompanying report to the PRC.

The Herald Express has reported that "Mail order business owner Ann Walker fears planned postal strikes could cost her company more than £10,000 and bring it 'to its knees'."

According to the Reading Evening Post, "a last minute change of plan by Royal Mail still means more than 300 postal workers in Reading face redundancy. Royal Mail announced a new £20 million plan to modernise postal services last Friday which will see mail centres in Swindon and Gloucester remaining with Reading and Oxford closing down. The new plan spells a reprieve for the Gloucester Mail Centre and an unexpected blow for workers in Oxford."

The Financial Times has reported that "The union representing 12,000 Royal Mail managers has threatened to ballot its members on strike action if the state-owned postal operator goes ahead with plans to close its pension scheme for all staff. Emerging from talks with management on Monday afternoon, Unite said Royal Mail was preparing to start consultations with staff over plans to wind up the final-salary pension scheme. Under the plans, members of the final-salary scheme would be offered a pension linked to their average pay. This would hit managers particularly hard, since they earn their highest pay in the years before they retire."

September 24, 2007

Interested in a new job as an attorney at the Postal Regulatory Commission? Then check the PRC web site.

You can find many of the comments submitted to the Postal Regulatory Commission on the creation of a new postal ratemaking system on the PRC web site.

According to Startups.co.uk, "Small businesses have endured several months of postal chaos as a result of the dispute between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union. The news today of a fresh dispute between the troubled postal firm and a second union will come as a harsh blow to those who rely on smooth postal services to make a living."

Die Welt has reported that "According to German press reports, German chancellor Angela Merkel is due to call upon Klaus Zumwinkel, head of German national postal services provider Deutsche Post, to negotiate with rival companies and trade unions over the introduction of a minimum wage in the sector. However, Franz Muntefering, the German minister for work, has said that the minimum wage of up to 9.80 euros agreed between Deutsche Post and German trade union Ver.di should be implemented across the sector. It is said that Ms Merkel fears that this wage could be too demanding for competition in the postal industry, a position supported by German minister of finance Michael Glos. Mr Glos has invited Deutsche Post's smaller rival companies, such as PIN Group and TNT Post, to a meeting with the aim of the companies agreeing to an additional, lower pay agreement with Ver.di or for a new agreement to be reached that incorporates the smaller rivals."

The ABC News has reported that "Australia Post says it does not plan to screen parcels heading to remote Northern Territory communities for pornography, for privacy reasons. The Federal Government has banned R- and X-rated material from proscribed areas in the Territory, including remote Indigenous communities and town camps. The Territory Government says it wants to shut down the illegal postal trade in porn, and has sent a departmental official to Canberra to investigate whether a licensing system could help stop the trade.

Chambersburg Public Opinion has noted that "Proposed legislation, the "Supply our Soldiers Act of 2007," would provide free mailing privileges to those sending correspondence and parcels to active-duty members of the U.S. military in the Middle East. H.R. 1439 would designate postal vouchers specifically designed to wave postal costs for eligible mailings to soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, or soldiers in a U.S. medical facility recovering from injuries caused by their service in those countries."

The Scotsman has reported that "Royal Mail and a second union are set to enter crisis talks on Monday in a bid to prevent a potentially crippling strike over controversial pension plans."

According to Transport Intelligence, "FedEx's recently released First Quarter results seem to indicate a clear end to the boom that has driven the parcel carrier forward over the past five years, as the US slips into period of low or no growth."

The Times has reported that "Royal Mail plans to close its final-salary pension scheme to all employees in a move that could plunge the business further into industrial turmoil. The decision is expected to trigger strikes by thousands of postal managers, in addition to unrest among its 130,000 employees who are in dispute over pay and working arrangements."

September 23, 2007

The Telegraph has reported that Postal workers have announced they will stage two new 48-hour strikes next month over their bitter pay and jobs dispute. Up to 130,000 members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) will walk out on Oct 5 and Oct 8 following the failure to reach a deal with the Royal Mail. A rolling programme of strikes will then start on October 15 and will continue every week until the row is resolved, the union said."

The Financial Times has reported that "Fedex, the delivery company, on Thursday cut its earnings forecast for the rest of the year by 4 per cent, citing slowing of the US economy and rising fuel costs. "While the US economy is growing at a moderate pace, recent financial market volatility and high energy costs have increased the uncertainty surrounding the near term economic outlook, and weakness in the housing sector continues," said Alan Graf, chief financial officer. Fedex had previously predicted that the US economy would improve by late summer or early autumn."

The Scotsman has reported that "Edinburgh and Glasgow are expected to be among the first cities in Britain to test run a full business postal service to rival the Royal Mail. Sources at Postcomm, the postal services regulator, say TNT Post is building up its capacity in the two cities so that it can trial a full "end to end" service for Scottish business."

The Mirror has reported that "Royal Mail is to axe two huge sorting offices with the loss of more than 2,000 jobs. Management started briefing staff at the Oxford and Reading mail centres on the radical changes last night. The £20million shake-up will be seen as hugely controversial as the plan has not been agreed with union leaders."

MarketingWeek has reported that "UK Mail has slammed rival Royal Mail over continued strike action, warning it will damage the future of the mail industry. Guy Buswell, chief executive of UK Mail parent Business Post Group, has spoken out following this week's announcement of further Royal Mail strike action."

According to UTV, "Thousands of Royal Mail managers could be balloted for strikes in a dramatic escalation of the industrial unrest currently hitting the postal organisation Unite said its 12,000 members working as managers in the postal service could soon vote on whether to take industrial action in a row over pensions. The Royal Mail is already embroiled in a bitter dispute with the Communication Workers Union which has called two 48-hour strikes next month in a long running dispute over pay and jobs."

According to the Virginia Pilot, "The U.S. Postal Service plans to stop mail delivery to the Currituck County northern Outer Banks, an area accessible only by a hazardous drive along the surf and over dunes."

The Fayetteville Observer has reported that the "Postal Service is pulling the plugs on all its retail counter TVs."

September 22, 2007

The final report of the Mailers Technical Advisory Committee workgroup #114 on the establishment of service performance standards is available on this site.

The Economic Times has noted that "One of the oldest deposit taking institutions — the Post Office — may well get to provide seamless fund transfer, with an RBI panel recommending that the Post Office be linked to the clearing system and the National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT). The panel has also sought to keep smaller banks with a net worth of less than Rs 50 crore out of the NEFT."

September 21, 2007

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

• Postmaster General Jack Potter told the nationwide gathering of Postal Customer Councils this week that there is no decision yet as to the timing or method of the next rate increase, but added that he would prefer to see changes made under the new rules. The PMG also said the Postal Service is hearing mailers’ concerns about business mail acceptance.

• In this perspective, postal commentator Gene Del Polito looks at the importance of the Postal Regulatory Commission and its members, and provides some ideas about qualifications for new commissioners and the process by which they should be named.

• PRC to hold public meetings on USPS service standards and measurement Sept. 24. DHL workers say no to union.

• Deutsche Post names Allan to replace Ernst as finance chief. Winning bids for Japanese postal contracts tainted by conflict of interest.

• PostCom welcomes two new members (Postal Logisitics Services and Macy’s).

• A list of upcoming postal-related events.

The PostCom Bulletin is distributed via NetGram

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

The Financial Times has reported that "The agency set up to help the taxpayer get better value for money from the remaining nationalised businesses should have its remit extended and its powers strengthened, MPs said yesterday. But a potential conflict of interest in its responsibilities for the Royal Mail and the Post Office network - one of the more difficult issues facing the government - should be removed, the Commons' public accounts committee recommended yesterday."

The Street has reported that "FedEx said earnings rose for the just-completed quarter, but the package carrier reduced its forecasts for the current quarter and the full year because of economic uncertainty."

From eMediaWire: "Soulize Greetings introduces a new type of greeting card for businesses, called Business Video Greeting Card (www.businessvideogreetings.com). Now businesses are no longer limited when it comes to greeting cards. Gone are the days when companies had to choose between mail or email. Soulize Greetings is empowering businesses with more choices. Greeting cards can now be delivered via company web site, online newsletter, blog and more by using the Virtual Business Video Greeting Card."

ThisIsMoney has reported that "Postal workers will strike again next month as their bitter dispute with the Royal Mail drags on." See also the Financial Times.

According to the Marine Corps Times, "Richard Erickson of Fort Myers, Fla., was fired from the U.S. Postal Service for what his termination letter says was excessive use of military leave. A National Guard Special Forces sergeant major who already had served one tour in Afghanistan, Erikson was terminated because postal officials calculated he had missed more than five years of work since 1991 because of his military service and was about to be mobilized for another 18 months. "

Media Daily News has reported that "the latest Nielsen Company report confirms what other research companies have revealed--advertising spending is in a weakened state."

Transport Intelligence has reported that "DHL has introduced a new daily air service between the U.S. and Western Canada, designed for shippers across the northern U.S. border. The new service includes additional express service options, including next day delivery for heavyweight shipments weighing over 150 pounds between the U.S. network and Western Canada."

September 20, 2007

According to Personnel Today, "Union leaders have announced fresh postal strike dates after branding Royal Mail "completely out of control".

FedEx Corp. has reported earnings of $1.58 per diluted share for the first quarter ended August 31, compared to $1.53 per diluted share a year ago. “FedEx increased its revenue and earnings against the backdrop of a sluggish U.S. economy,” said Frederick W. Smith, FedEx Corp. chairman, president and chief executive officer. “Outside of the United States, the economy is generally solid, contributing to the growth in our international express shipments. I continue to believe that FedEx will, over the long-term, reap the rewards of our strategy of investing in key growth markets and strengthening and expanding our worldwide networks.”

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

Just two weeks ago, a spokesman for Deutsche Post described a newspaper report about the upcoming replacement of CFO Edgar Ernst as "definite nonsense"- now it is a fact.
In the last few years, the Chinese postal market has been growing by more than 10 per cent every year.
Private postal service providers in Switzerland have voluntarily committed themselves to creating better working conditions.
The New Zealand Post has completed the first half of the year with a "robust result", to quote CEO John Allen.
As previously reported, private delivery services in Germany have created their own employers’ association.
Following the failed wage negotiations between Royal Mail and the union CWU, the British post has now laid out plans for its "final offer".
CityMail Sweden plans to expand. CEO Mats Forsberg announced to the daily newspaper »Dagens Nyheter« (13.09.) that the company will be operating in the whole metropolitan area of Stockholm from April 2008. The goal is to reach 60 per cent of businesses and households within the next two to three years, according to Mr Forsberg.
Business for the Brazilian post came to an almost complete standstill last Thursday when around 90 per cent of all employees went on strike.
India Post must reimburse customers of its Speed Post services if stipulated delivery times are not adhered to.
Deutsche Post may face the threat of having to pay back millions of euros worth of government subsidies.
Schweizerische Post is testing a late delivery service for private parcels.
The British specialist operator Business Direct Group plans to make its network more accessible to European senders, through a subsidiary company on the continent.
TNT plans to provide primarily road based express services on the Chinese market.
The Indian CEP operator Blue Dart plans to invest equivalent to 62.3m euros in its network and infrastructure in South India.
Anil Khanna, Managing Director of Blue Dart Express, has spoken out against the Indian government’s plans to limit foreign shareholding to 49 per cent.
The American Velocity Express, which specialises in same-day services, plans to expand its national network through further franchising.
Dan McHugh is the new CEO of DHL Express Asia Pacific.

The MRU, founded in 1992, is the only consultancy in Europe, which has specialised in the market of courier-, express- and parcel services. For large-scale shippers and CEP-services in particular, the MRU provides interdisciplinary advice for all major questions of the market, as there are for example market entry, product design, organisation, and EDP.To learn more about the stories reported above, contact CEP News. (We appreciate the courtesy extended by CEP News to help whet your appetite for more of what CEP offers.)

According to Le Figaro, "The board of directors of La Poste, the French national postal services group, is expected to make an announcement today about the sale of the group's air freight unit, Aeropostale. The company Aigle Azur is the only candidate for the acquisition."

Press Release: "The world's top technology companies will share their vision of the postal future at PosTech.

The Sofia Echo has reported that "UK’s Royal Mail checks all post packages from Bulgaria, the Check Republic and Poland. The post authorities suspected that post from these countries may contain forbidden substances, drugs, cigarettes or child pornography, a reportage of Czech television Nova said. As a result, parcel post sent from the Czech Republic to the UK was regularly delayed by 12 days, Nova said as quoted by Bulgarian National Radio (BNR). A Royal Mail representative said that the measures were introduced after child pornography was found in postal parcels from these three countries."

The Associated Press has reported that "Shares of major railroads, trucking companies and freight forwarders soared Tuesday, after the Federal Reserve announced it would cut a key interest rate to help relieve recent economic woes. The federal funds rate was lowered a half point to 4.75 percent from 5.25 percent. Analysts covering the sector have touted the anticipated rate cut in recent days as a way for freight companies struggling with low volumes and poor demand to stage a recovery."

The Sun Journal has reported that "Mail carrier Wayne Viger remembers vividly the afternoon he stepped into the burning apartment on Knox Street in search of people. It was April 3, 2006, and he was at the end of his route. Smoke was pouring from the building and alarms were sounding inside. Viger believed an elderly woman was inside her first-floor apartment. "I pushed open the door and I went in the kitchen," he said. "This woman came out of the living room. The living room was filled with thick, thick smoke. It was like a dream. She came out of that thick smoke and she was on fire. Her clothes were on fire." Viger, 55, smothered the flames that were burning the woman's clothing and got her outside. Viger has been named National Hero of the Year by the National Association of Letter Carriers.

DM News has reported that "Pitney Bowes Management Services has been selected as one of the Top 10-ranked outsourcing vendors for environmental stewardship, according to a recent Brown-Wilson Group independent study of industry decision makers and analysts. PBMS also ranked first in the category of Document Processing Outsourcing."

From the American Red Cross: "Neal Denton, currently Chief of Staff at the American Red Cross, has been asked to lead an effort to reinvigorate this charter-based Red Cross service. Neal will now become Senior Vice President, Service to the Armed Forces (SAF). Neal will seek ways to appropriately expand upon the services provided by the former Armed Forces Emergency Services (AFES) department in a manner that reflects our traditions and meets the challenges of today’s environment. Before joining the Red Cross, Neal was Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the leading national trade association of nonprofit fundraisers, where he worked for 20 years, forging relationships with veterans service organizations, nonprofit executives and members and staff from many of the House and Senate Committees that will serve us well in his new role. Neal is also a U.S. Army veteran, having served in the Military Police Corps from 1977-80. Please join me in congratulating Neal on his new responsibilities. He can be reached at (202) 303-4348; email dentonn@usa.redcross.org. [See....There really is life after postal. Congratulations Neal.]

From an online forum: "On May 14th, the USPS dropped the international surface mail and all economy mail services. This move by the post office has already caused outcries from many people and organizations throughout the world, but it’s not enough. A petition has been created, you can go here http://www.petitiononline.com/USPSISM/petition.html to sign it and show your support. Petition will be sent to the US Post Office as well as the US Congress. This elimination is severely going to hurt humanitarian aid groups such as the Peace Corps as well as book companies, religious groups, expatriates, students, especially those living overseas or foreign students living in the US, small businesses, and lots more. Please support us by signing the petition and passing it to everyone in your group, organization, company or church who you think benefits from this service or who would like to see the service return."

The Globe and Mail has noted that "Canadians can expect a lot more unwanted advertising in their mailboxes as Canada Post cracks down on letter carriers who have been plucking out marketing mailings with outdated names. Carriers have, on their own, been quietly defying Canada Post policy that specified that all advertising mail is to be delivered to customers, even if it is addressed to a previous occupant - and even if the recipient says they don't want it. No more: Over the summer, letter carriers started operating under the letter of that postal law, meaning each and every piece of mail must be delivered. Carriers are grumbling, and saying customers are incredulous they must intercept their mail - every day - in order to have such incorrectly aimed advertising mailers returned. But Canada Post says it won't endanger its half-billion in revenue from mass mailers, and that it is obliged to deliver the advertising pitches that generate the cash, 1.47 billion pieces of individually addressed ad mail last year."

BizHelpNews24 has told its readers that "If your business was affected by the postal strikes in August, then the news that talks between the Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have broken down again after a four week period of calm. This means that new strikes are expected in late September or early October, adding to the delays and disruption caused by the earlier strikes. British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Policy Adviser Narinder Gill has said: “Small firms rely on royal mail services to do business, and get hit in the pocket every time post is held up. Estimates suggest that each postal strikes costs the UKs small and medium sized businesses (SME’s) £2.5 million through delayed post. “All that the strikes are achieving is disruption and the further degradation of the reputation of Royal Mail. An agreement needs to be reached soon or yet more customers will seek alternative solutions for their postal needs.”

The Oxford Mail has reported that "Postal workers union leaders in Oxford believe they are being deliberately targeted by Royal Mail management in a bid to force through sweeping changes to the service. Officials from the Oxfordshire branch of the Communication Workers Union say the dismissal of two workers in the past week is clear evidence that management is trying to "break" the union, not just locally but nationally."

September 19, 2007

From leveraging cutting-edge technology to conducting national elections, mail matters to American consumers and businesses and finding ways to make mail more valuable is invaluable to the future of the U.S. Postal Service. That’s the message Postmaster General John E. Potter shared with more than 14,000 customers and Postal Service officials gathered at more than 150 sites to participate in National PCC Day today. Potter said that no decision has been made yet on the timing or method of the next rate adjustment.

Bloomberg has reported that "German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet agreed on legislation that paves the way for basic rates of pay for postal workers, a move that extends the industries covered by statutory pay levels without introducing a national minimum wage."

The Canadian Press has noted that "Antigonish County Council in Nova Scotia has passed a resolution asking Ottawa to maintain postal service in rural areas."

Thanh Nien Daily has reported that "Vietnamese prosecutors ratified charges Tuesday against 46 people in a postal equipment purchase scam two years ago that caused the exchequer a loss of US$2.3 million."

The DM Bulletin has reported that "The Communications Workers Union has returned to the negotiating table in its dispute with Royal Mail, after being invited by the employer to offer a proposal to solve the impasse."

From the Federal Register: "On Monday, September 24, 2007, the Commission will host two public meetings related to implementation of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) of 2006. Information obtained at these events will assist the Commission in meeting statutory requirements for consultation with the Postal Service on development of modern service standards. At the first meeting, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., representatives of the Mailers Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) will brief the Commission on final MTAC workgroup recommendations to the Postal Service on service standards and service measurement systems. This meeting will be broadcast live and will be accessible via the Internet from the Commission's Web site (http://www.prc.gov ). At the second meeting, which will begin at 1:30 p.m., there will be a discussion of retail service measurement and related issues with representatives of the American Postal Workers Union. Both events will be held in the Commission's main conference room and both will be open to the public."

DM News has reported that "Neopost, provider of mailing and shipping solutions, is now offering online shipping through an agreement with UPS and the US Postal Service. Neopost will provide its customers with a new multi-carrier online shipping application that lets users compare shipping options."

Transport Intelligence has reported that "DHL has announced the expansion of its Europlus Day Definite delivery service to Romania, Bulgaria, Russia and Turkey. The expansion of the Europlus service reflects the company's increasing provision of services to Eastern Europe. The new service expansion brings the total number of European destinations serviced by DHL Europlus to 34 countries and territories."

September 18, 2007

MakFax has reported that "Anti-corruption prosecutors asked Romanian President Traian Basescu on Tuesday to authorize a criminal investigation against Justice Minister Tudor Chiuariu for alleged graft-related crimes. Chiuariu is suspected of power abuse and actions against the public interest relating sellout of a state-owned asset. Earlier this month, prosecutors said in a statement that they were investigating dealings between the state-owned postal services company and two private firms, including legal papers approved by the communications and justice ministries."
 

PostCom welcomes its newest member: Macy's Inc. 2101 E. Kemper Road Cincinnati, OH 45241-1805 represented by Ann Urban Marketing Buyer.

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. 25-26, 2007. The public is welcome to observe the Board’s open session, scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 26 in the Ben Franklin Room on the 11th floor. The Board is expected to discuss the following items: Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 8:30 a.m. 1. Minutes of the previous meeting, Aug. 7-8, 2007. 2. Remarks of the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board (Jim Miller and Alan Kessler). 3. Remarks of the Postmaster General and CEO (John Potter). 4. Committee reports. 5. Board of Governors calendar year 2008 and 2009 schedule (Chairman Miller). 6. Office of the Governors fiscal year 2008 budget (Chairman Miller). 7. Postal Regulatory Commission fiscal year 2008 budget (Chairman Miller). 8. Consideration of the fiscal year 2008 operating and capital plans – FY 2008 Integrated Financial Plan (Glen Walker, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President). 9. Tentative fiscal year 2009 appropriation request (Mr. Walker). 10. Capital investments. 1. Perris, CA, Delivery Distribution Center (Tom Samra, Vice President, Facilities). 2. Miami, FL, Mail Processing Facility (Mr. Samra). 11. Tentative agenda for the Nov. 14-15, 2007, meeting in Washington, DC.

IT Pro has reported that "DHL, the German-owned parcel delivery company, is automating its accounts receivable (AR) processes across the UK and Europe with a new electronic invoicing service. The project to deploy an e-invoicing application and update manually intensive AR processes is also essential for the carrier to comply with European regulations that came into force in 2004 that mandate local taxation authorities to accept electronic versions of invoices."

The Ledger-Enquirer has reported that "Columbus Presort provides postal services to its customers, which are mostly local businesses and organizations that send out mail in bulk. When customers need to send out mass mailings, they usually send their lists of intended recipients to Columbus Presort via e-mail. Columbus Presort then uses that database to address its customer's mailers. "The trend is towards e-mailing," Cornelius said. That trend is what many businesses have already caught onto. From mom-and-pop establishments to Fortune 500 firms, businesses worldwide now connect with others through e-mail to confirm meetings, send documents, follow up with customers and more. But though e-mail provides efficiency for a business, it may not be the answer for everything."

From PR Newswire: "Parascript, LLC, the image analysis and pattern recognition technology provider, today announced Parascript StampVerify, a powerful image-based indicia detection system that automatically recognizes indicia presence on envelope images to ensure accuracy and legitimacy of postage. StampVerify locates indicia and determines indicia type, including stamps, meter marks, facing identification marks, information-based indicia and/or postal stationary. Additionally, StampVerify reveals the number of indicia present, recognizes postage amounts and total values for all valid indicia on given mail pieces."

From PRWeb:

• Earth Class Mail Corp. is the winner of a 2007 Brilliant Award for Business Innovation. The award celebrates solutions that go beyond "green" to generate real economic value while mitigating negative environmental impact. Earth Class Mail receives its customers' mail each day, scans the outside of the sealed envelopes and makes these images available to the customer online. The customer then chooses whether to have the online postal mail securely opened and scanned, shredded, recycled, or forward-shipped.

• Window Book has announced the launch of Meter and Stamp Manager, easy to use software designed for efficiently collecting, tracking and reporting postage purchase/usage.

The Grand Rapids Press has reported that "If not rain nor snow nor dark of night, what did prompt reports last winter that mail went undelivered on the Northwest Side of Grand Rapids? The Postal Service isn't saying, even though nearly half of the 59 letter carriers from the postal station at 1625 Walker Ave. NW faced suspensions ranging from two days to nine months. The last of the suspensions of 29 workers ended in August. But officials refused to reveal details. In fact, with the help of their unions and arbitration, all of the workers received back pay for their time off, said Jim Mruk, spokesman for the Postal Service Great Lakes Region in Chicago."

The Daily Yomiuri has reported that "A private company, whose president was a career official at the Posts and Telecommunications Ministry, won contracts granted at the discretion of Japan Post to operate 70 of the 122 cafeterias and shops at 61 of the Kanpo no Yado lodging facilities run by Japan Post for policy holders of postal insurance, it was learned Monday. The company took over most of the 70 cafeterias and shops from a foundation that was found to have offered cushy jobs to retired bureaucrats via a practice called amakudari after that operator was disbanded as part of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's reform of public-service corporations. The private company, Yume Kanpo Service, is located in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo."

Morningstar has reported that:

• The German grand coalition Cabinet is set to approve a minimum wage for the postal deliveries sector when it meets Wednesday, a government spokesman said Monday.

• German postal services and logistics company Deutsche Post AG said Wednesday it rejects the allegation made by the European Commission that it misused German government subsides.

September 17, 2007

In a perspective prepared for the Baltimore Postal Customer Council, postal commentator Gene Del Polito noted that "It won't be long before we will be observing the first anniversary of the enactment of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA). This might be a good time to take stock of the impact the new postal law has had on our way of doing things."

PostCom welcomes its newest member: Postal Logistics Services, LLC 2380 Diehl Road Aurora, IL 60502-5300 represented by Tony Dobush Director, Postal Affairs

From the Congressional Research Service: "This report (U.S. Postal Service Workforce Size and Employment Categories, 1986-2006) provides data from the past two decades on the size of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) workforce, the number of persons employed by USPS by employment categories, and the number of persons employed by USPS under time-limited contracts. It also analyzes the most salient aspects of these employment data. USPS employs over 784,000 persons. USPS’s workforce declined about 1% during the past two decades, and nearly 12% in the past five years. The number of career employees declined over 6% since 1986, and the number of non-career employees increased more than 62%. Clerks, who staff retail counters at post offices and manually sort mail, dropped about 26%. Rural mail delivery employees, however, grew more than 84%, and three categories of employees directly involved in the transportation of mail prior to its delivery grew between 8.9% and 26.9%. This report will be updated in the first session of each Congress to include the most recently available data."

According to postal commentator Gene Del Polito, "What the PRC needs most of all are commissioners that have sufficient depth of experience within federal or state capacities that have dealt with the issue of regulatory oversight and public acccountability. Commissioners of tomorrow should be expected to have expertise in the areas of public utility regulation and/or financial auditing and reporting."

Trading Markets has reported that "Courier major Blue Dart Express has sought continuation of the 100 per cent foreign direct investment for the industry even as the Centre plans to introduce the Post Office Act (Amendment) Bill in the winter session of Parliament. At present, 100 per cent foreign equity is allowed in domestic express companies. The bill proposes to bring down the ceiling to 49 per cent, raising concerns for the industry. Foreign companies such as DHL (which holds 81 per cent in Blue Dart), FedEx and new entrants such as TNT have substantial interest in the growing Indian market."

China Daily has reported that "China's post service business has witnessed an 11.6 percent average annual growth to exceed 80 billion yuan (US$10.64 billion) since the sector was separated from telecommunications business in 1998, according to a senior postal official."

Dubai City Guide has reported that "du, the UAE’s new telecom operator, has entered into an agreement with Emirates Post to offer du mobile Pay as You Go lines and recharge cards through 84 post offices across the UAE starting from 18 September 2007. Emirates Post offices will sell du Pay as You Go, and Visitor mobile lines and recharge cards. Counter staff of Emirates Post offices have been trained to deliver all du services to customers and guide them, as part of du’s goal of making its services accessible in all corners of the UAE."

The News & Star has reported that "a community near Carlisle has accused Royal Mail of downgrading its postal service, making life more difficult for those who run businesses from their home. A Royal Mail spokesman said that as a result of an operational review of collections in the CA postcode areas changes were made last year. Some final collection times were brought forward while others were moved to later in the day. These changes were introduced to enable the Royal Mail to spread the arrival of mail at Carlisle Mail Centre more evenly and ensure next-day delivery."

Transport Intelligence has reported that "UK parcels company Business Direct Group plc. has set up a subsidiary company in Germany in advance of the launch of a dedicated inbound European 'high speed' through the night logistics service into the UK."

The Daily Yomiuri has noted that "Introducing Toyota Motor Corp.'s business methods to Japan Post Corporation, which will be privatized on Oct. 1, is the next challenge for Norio Kitamura, a former Toyota Motor Italia president who will be the chairman and chief executive officer of Japan Post Service Co., one of four operating firms in charge of postal services. Japan Post will be divided into a holding company and four operating firms handling postal delivery, customer service, postal savings and postal insurance."

September 16, 2007

The Daily Record has noted that New Jersey Governor "Corzine wants a cheaper way to send tax rebates. Mailing and printing costs are at $10 million, and the governor hopes to have direct credit next year."

Sify has reported that "The postal department is liable to compensate a consumer for not delivering a consignment within the stipulated time as assured under it Speed Post service, the Delhi Consumer Commission has held. Rejecting the department's plea that the Indian Post Office Act gives it immunity from paying compensation for any delay in delivering articles, the Commission, presided over by Justice J D Kapoor, said it was liable for any "deficiency in service or negligence".

September 15, 2007

The Washington Post has noted that "FedEx has long been at odds with organized labor, a close ally of Congress's Democratic majority. For years, Democrats such as Oberstar and unions had been angling for legislation that would open the way for more unionized workers at FedEx. The balance on Capitol Hill tips toward labor, it's specifically tipping toward United Parcel Service. Both companies are major players in national politics, spending large sums on lobbying and, through their political action committees, on campaign contributions. Among corporations, UPS and FedEx were No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, in PAC giving in the 2006 election cycle. But FedEx continues to have rocky relations with Democrats over labor issues. Its ground-delivery unit has been sparring with some of its drivers, who are contractors but want to be treated as full-time employees. FedEx is being sued by scores of its drivers over their status."

As the Business Standard noted, "The brown uniforms and brown trucks are so much a part of everyday America — they’ve appeared in movies, sitcoms and books. This year is special, though. Already, two books have been released that don’t just mention UPS: they are about the package delivery and logistics giant."