Author: Archive

USPS seeks to make sticky note classification permanent (U.S)

Posted by | Feb 29, 2008 | |

The U.S. Postal Service has asked the Postal Regulatory Commission to allow mailers to place repositionable [sticky] notes on their market-dominant mailing packages on a permanent basis.

Specifically, the USPS is seeking to make permanent several experimental classifications of standard and first class letters and flats as well as periodicals on which sticky notes are attached, according to PRC documents.

Nearly six years ago, the USPS began testing a program that letmailers enhance their mail pieces with specially designed Post-It notes.

The service, offered in conjunction with Post-It manufacturer 3M Co., allows mailers to attach a Post-In note on the left side of the front of a conventional size business envelope, or a large-size postcard being sent by first-class mail or standard mail. The piece was required to be compatible with USPS automated sorting equipment and presorted by ZIP+4 (Direct Newsline, April 3, 2002).

In the intervening time, the USPS extended this test to periodicals.

Last Spring the USPS Board of Governors voted to extend the deadline of this test until April 3, 2008.At that time, the PRC had recommended a one-year extension of this test, which calls for a provisional classification and a one-half-cent charge for placing notes on first class letters and a 1.5-cent charge for placing them on standard mail and periodicals.

Read More

TNT suspends workplace talks with unions

Posted by | Feb 29, 2008 | |

TNT NV has confirmed a statement from trade union Abvakabo FNV that it has suspended talks with Dutch trade unions over a new collective labour agreement (CAO).

TNT spokesman Pieter Schaffels said talks have been suspended for a couple of days and the matter is now being discussed at a board of management level.

Abvakabo spokeswoman Toos Bierhoff said unions are demanding a 3.5 pct wage rise and a new CAO from April 1, while TNT is requesting a wage freeze.

The Dutch postal company has been in talks with the unions for several months to reach an agreement on its cost-cutting programme, which targets 370 mln eur in annual savings by 2015, to be achieved partly via the 6,500-7,000 job cuts.

However, if an agreement cannot be reached with unions over savings on wages, overtime pay, pension costs and other issues, TNT said it may be forced to lay-off up to 11,000 workers to meet its targeted savings.

‘If we can agree on a wage freeze for 2.5 years and can talk about a lowering of labour conditions such as benefits, we can then keep the number of job losses restricted to 6,500-7,000,’ TNT’s Schaffels said.

He said the suspension in talks with unions is therefore ‘disappointing’.

In November, TNT and the unions extended the CAO until April 1 to allow more time to reach an agreement in the proposed savings.

Abvakabo’s Bierhoff declined to speculate about industrial action now that talks with TNT have been suspended.

Read More

UPS reports revised results (U.S)

Posted by | Feb 29, 2008 | |

On Jan. 30, 2008, UPS reported an 8pct increase in adjusted diluted earnings per share to USD 4.17 for the full year of 2007. Following the release of this information, in completing the company’s financial statements for 2007, UPS identified a state income tax benefit of USD 65 million that was incorrectly recorded in the fourth quarter.
The tax benefit was related to UPS’s withdrawal from the Central States multi-employer pension plan. This error was discovered by the company during its regular internal review process prior to the filing of its Form 10-K for 2007. Correcting this error has reduced adjusted diluted earnings per share to USD 4.11 for the full year, a 6.5pct increase over the prior year.
The correction has no impact on revenue, operating profit (loss), income (loss) before taxes or segment results for the fourth quarter or the full year of 2007, nor does it impact cash flow or liquidity.
For the 4th quarter, UPS originally reported adjusted diluted earnings per share of USD 1.13. The revised adjusted diluted earnings per share are USD 1.07.
On an unadjusted basis, UPS previously reported a loss per diluted share of USD 2.46 for the quarter and a diluted profit per share of USD 0.42 for the full year. Those figures now are a loss of USD 2.52 per share and a profit of USD 0.36, respectively.
UPS’s previous estimates for 2008 earnings per share remain unchanged at USD 0.94-to-USD 0.98 for the first quarter and USD 4.30-to-USD 4.50 for the full year, as does the company’s estimated effective tax rate for 2008 of approximately 36pct .

Read More

CTT Correios De Portugal Exceeds Quality of Service Targets

Posted by | Feb 29, 2008 | |

CTT Correios de Portugal achieved a global performance of 184.5 (index = 100) in 2007 exceeding all quality targets defined by the Portuguese regulator, Anacom. The indicators of the domestic ordinary mail achieved 97.1pct while the international inbound mail achieved 99.2pct. These results in the quality of service also enhance the image of CTT within the Portuguese people, who once again with a rate of 87pct confirmed CTT Correios de Portugal as the most trustworthy Portuguese brand in the European survey lead by the magazine “readers’s digest” between September and November of 2007. Last year, only one in ten customers waited 10 minutes or more, CTT Correios said. In addition, the recent certification of more 72 delivery centers made by the international services of certification entity, recognized and rewarded the commitment of CTT to continue to be among the best postal operators within the future liberalisation scenario.

Read More

Japan Post Service, Sankyu to form air cargo venture

Posted by | Feb 29, 2008 | |

Japan Post Service and transport services company Sankyu will create a joint venture in July to launch international air cargo services mainly in Asia.

The joint venture will be owned 60 percent by Japan Post Service and 40 percent by Sankyu.

Sankyu will spin off its air cargo division, with current annual sales of around USD 89 million, and Japan Post will invest in the spinoff.

The joint venture will arrange cargo transportation including for parcels and will prepare Customs clearance documents. Its cargo collection and delivery services will be based on Sankyu’s existing overseas network and Japan Post Service’s network in Japan.

Japan Post Service is one of four firms owned by Japan Post Holdings. The five firms were created when the Japanese postal system was broken up for privatisation last October.

Read More

Postcomm consults on Royal Mail's request for exemption from some publication requirements for its Tailor Made Incentives

Posted by | Feb 28, 2008 | |

– On 17 August 2007, Royal Mail applied for a Direction from Postcomm for exemption from certain aspects of Condition 7, regarding publishing on its website particular details relating to Tailor Made Incentives (TMIs).
– On 28 February 2008, Postcomm issued a “minded to” consultation letter seeking views on Royal Mail’s request for exemption and Postcomm’s initial assessment of this request.
It is important for Postcomm to get the views of stakeholders including other licensed postal operators, postal users, Postwatch, trade associations and other interested parties in the postal sector, and we will consider carefully these views in making our decision on Royal Mail’s request.

The consultation will be open for three months and closes on Friday 30 May 2008. Postcomm will then assess the responses received and meet interested parties to discuss the consultation as necessary. A final decision on this application is expected in the summer of 2008.

Read More

Joint Venture between Ferrovie Dello Stato and Poste Italiane

Posted by | Feb 28, 2008 | |

Italia Logistica seeks to reach a position of excellence amongst the major international players by 2010.

Through the integration between the activities of Omnia Logistica (FS Group) and the activities of SDA Logistica (Poste Italiane Group), Ferrovie dello Stato and Poste Italiane have created a joint venture on equal terms that demonstrates their strategic vision and ability to systemise.

The sharing of reciprocal experiences will produce synergies that are able to create significant savings in terms of operations and undisputable competitive advantages both in terms of the market and to the benefit of the entire Italian system, even in light of the liberalisation of the goods transportation sector. The unique nature of the business model of Italia Logistica, which integrates the offer of combined railway-road transportation over long distances (typical of Omnia Logistica) with the activity of delivering up to the “last mile” (characteristic of SDA Logistica), will make it possible to bring together the movement of large volumes of goods with the wide distribution of small-scale delivery.

The operations of Italia Logistica will centre on the sorting hubs of Ferrovie dello Stato and Poste Italiane, thereby allowing the new goods carrier to take advantage of a network of pick-up and drop-off points that are extremely widespread throughout Italy.

Italia Logistica will play on the integration between railway-road transportation and a park of ecological vehicles to unite efficiency and respect for the environment. The commercial strategy of the new company will focus above all on providing high-value, integrated services for the market segments of Urban Logistics, Reverse logistics, the “inverse logistics” that deal with the flow of return goods from clients to producers, as well as the HoReCa (Hotel, Restaurant, Cafè) sector.

Read More

UPS opens branches across China

Posted by | Feb 28, 2008 | |

United Parcel Service Inc will enhance its ground capability in China by opening 10 more branches this year, the US express delivery giant said yesterday.

The branches will open in 10 cities, including Zhuhai, Nantong, Wuhan, Shaoxing and Weihai, this year, said Sebastian Chan, vice president of UPS China’s supply chain operations.

Now the company runs 23 branches across the country.

UPS is the first foreign express firm to operate as a wholly owned concern after it paid USD 100 million to gain total control of its Chinese operations from Chinese partner Sinotrans.

It also runs a financial unit, UPS Capital, in Shanghai to offer loans for domestic clients involved in its supply chain by cooperating with Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, Shenzhen Development Bank and China Merchants Bank.

The company will compete with its rivals on improving its hardware as well as technologies.

The company has invested USD 600 million in China from 2002 to 2007 to boost its capacity and infrastructure, leading to a 40-percent growth in cargo volume last year.

An air-cargo hub of UPS will be open in the fourth quarter of this year at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

The facility is designed to have a sorting capacity of 17,000 pieces an hour by 2012, and the initial investment is USD 20 million.

UPS launched a 210,000-square-meter logistic center in Beijing last June and will offer services for 19 Olympics venues.

Read More

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

P&P Poll

Loading

What's the future of the postal USO?

Thank you for voting
You have already voted on this poll!
Please select an option!



View ResultsHide Results

Post & Parcel Magazine


Post & Parcel Magazine is our print publication, released 3 times a year. Packed with original content and thought-provoking features, Post & Parcel Magazine is a must-read for those who want the inside track on the industry.

Subscribe to the Magazine

 

Pin It on Pinterest