Author: Archive

Postmasters `told to stick to official line' on closures

Posted by | Aug 3, 2007 | |

Postmasters have been warned they face losing compensation packages if they stray from the official line on closures, it was revealed today.

Anonymous Post Office representatives are to travel around the country to ensure that “key messages” about the plans to close 2,500 branches are being given to customers in an “accurate and professional manner”, according to a letter to postmasters obtained by the Conservatives.

The letter, from Sue Huggins, director of the Network Change Programme, goes on to warn that postmasters whose branches are chosen for closure, risk losing compensation packages if they do not comply.

It states: “Subject to state aid clearance, any compensation offered to you if your branch is selected for closure shall be subject to you having complied, and continuing to comply, with this obligation up to the date of closure.”

Ms Huggins makes it clear that it is preferable that the details of the programme are kept confidential.

But the letter adds: “We do appreciate that customers may ask questions that you might find difficult to answer.”

With that in mind, Ms Huggins also encloses a “key message/FAQ document” for staff to use when answering questions from the public.

George Thomson, general secretary of the National Federation of SubPostmasters said: “The Federation accepts that this was an error of judgment by Post Office Limited and we are confident that Post Office Limited will apologise to SubPostmasters in due course.”

Shadow Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Secretary, Alan Duncan, said: “It is shameful that the Government which is closing thousands of Post Offices should blackmail hard working SubPostmasters into parroting the political spin of Gordon Brown to customers.

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EMS Russian Post offers new delivery speed for express services

Posted by | Aug 3, 2007 | |

Beginning of 1st of August 2007 «EMS Russian Post», affiliated branch of FSUE Russian Post improves speed of express mails delivered within the territory of the Russian Federation. It became possible due to optimizing routes network, launching additional transport routes and opening regional sorting centers of EMS Russian Post this year numbered 19 units.

Reduction of delivery terms of EMS items touches the main routes within Russia, i.e. from Moscow to the major part of regional centers of the Central Federal District (Bryansk, Vladimir, Voronezh, Tambov, Ivanovo and other ones), Privolzhskiy Federal District (Samara, Perm, Ufa), Siberian Federal District (Novosibirsk, Omsk) and other interregional delivery routes. Now minimal delivery term of express-mail sent to other cities within the territory of the Russian federation is one day only.

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Turning 100, UPS eyes future growth

Posted by | Aug 3, 2007 | |

As UPS Inc. celebrates its 100-year anniversary later this month, it now is a USD 4 7 billion businesses with a fleet of trucks, an airline and operations in 200 countries.

Increasing competition for delivery of goods has meant the company has had to broaden its global reach and expand its business beyond small package delivery to shipping heavy freight and providing logistics services for companies.

But even as the Internet has made it easier to send, receive or download items electronically instead of paying a service to deliver them, the breaking down of trade barriers has given shippers like UPS overseas opportunities they haven’t had in the past.
These days, the U.S. small package delivery market has slowed along with the economy. As a result, UPS has been increasingly looking beyond U.S. borders for business, offering faster delivery to worldwide destinations. International growth has helped the company’s bottom line.

Last month, UPS reported a 4.1 percent rise in second-quarter earnings on a modest increase in sales. The company’s shares, on an adjusted basis, are up more than 14 percent over the last year.

A century from now, Chief Executive Mike Eskew expects that delivering small packages will still be an important part of the Atlanta-based company’s business, but he isn’t sure it will be the largest part. In 2001, the company expanded its services by acquiring the Mail Boxes Etc. chain. Most of the stores were later renamed The UPS Store.

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Snail mail postal service still popular

Posted by | Aug 3, 2007 | |

E-mails, short messaging and multi-media messaging services may be the in thing these days but they can never replace the humble stamp.

In fact, the use of snail mail, as the postal service has become to be known these days, has actually increased in the past decade.

Pos Malaysia managing director Datuk Idrose Mohamed said between 3mil and 3.5mil letters were distributed daily.

This was higher than the average two million letters it delivered daily 10 years ago.

“During the festive season, the number of letters can increase to up to five million,” said Idrose.

He said the sale of stamps contributed to about 63 pct of the company’s revenue. The other income was derived from services such as PosLaju and PosExpress.

Idrose was speaking to reporters after the launch of a collection of Negri Sembilan Royal Heritage Stamps by the Yang Di-Pertuan Besar Tuanku Ja’afar.

The event was held in conjunction with the ruler’s 85th birthday celebration and 40th year of reign.

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Deutsche Post concerned about unfair competition in Europe

Posted by | Aug 3, 2007 | |

Klaus Zumwinkel, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Post, has expressed concerns about the failure of the liberalization of postal markets in Europe, the comprehensive and country-wide provision of postal services for Germany, job security at Deutsche Post and the social standards offered by new postal service providers.

Zumwinkel urged the German government and parliament to work vigorously to create fair competitive conditions for the full opening of the German and European postal market.

Zumwinkel said that in recent years Deutsche Post has done its homework, become one of the world’s most modern postal companies and solidly positioned itself in international business. In the current situation the course is set for the functionality of Germany’s postal service and the future of Deutsche Post, he said. Customers and employees should not be the ones to pay the price for these decisions, he said. Following the fundamental political decisions about privatization in 1989/90 and the initial public offering in 2000, the company is now facing a kind of “Postal Reform III,” Zumwinkel said. Binding regulations for the long-term development of the sector must be introduced, the chairman said.

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Deutsche Post World Net boosts revenue and earnings

Posted by | Aug 3, 2007 | |

Deutsche Post World Net concluded the first half of 2007, boosting both revenue and EBIT. Consolidated revenue rose by 5.4 percent to 30.9 billion euros, fueled by the contributions of all divisions in the Group. EBIT increased by 9 percent to 1.7 billion euros. Before non-recurring items, the increase totaled 12.4 percent.

The earnings growth was fueled by the LOGISTICS and EXPRESS divisions. “The LOGISTICS division continued its strong earnings growth, and the EXPRESS division made major progress,” Klaus Zumwinkel, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Post World Net, said at the half-year press conference in Bonn. For the entire year, the Group continues to expect a positive business development. “We can confirm our guidance that the underlying EBIT will total at least 3.6 billion euros for the entire fiscal year of 2007,” Zumwinkel said. During the first half, consolidated net profit after minorities totaled 784 million euros, an increase of 7.1 percent over the same period last year. Earnings per share were 65 cents, compared with 61 cents. In the second quarter, consolidated net profit climbed 13.1 percent to 285 million euros. Earnings per share rose to 24 cents from 21 cents, accordingly. Thus, growth of the consolidated net profit outpaced growth in revenue and EBIT. On a quarterly basis, revenue climbed 6.5 percent to 15.4 billion euros, and EBIT totaled 703 million euros, a jump of 9.5 percent over the same period last year.

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USPS’s workgroups to improve service

Posted by | Aug 3, 2007 | |

Three workgroups presented their plans at the Mailers’ Technical Advisory Committee Meeting, each with its own purpose. All three shared a common goal: to improve service and measurement.

The first group’s task was to revise the strategic transformation plan. Linda Kingsley, USPS senior vice president of strategy and transition, said that the workgroup is in the midst of revision and that the actual document is not due for another year.

The USPS is supposed to put together five-year plans every three years. Now the group has a big challenge. It totally has to revise the plan give the new law, which went into effect in May.

The new law accelerates the need to measure service for all classes of mail using intelligent mail. In addition, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance is changing. Due to all of this the workgroup is resetting their priorities in the new plan.

The new plan is expected to be out in November of this year.

The next workgroup talked about how it is set to identify gaps and define solutions for adoption of PostalOne by lettershops and mail service providers. Mail preparers want to be able to track and trace their pallets having as little as 200 pieces or 50 lbs. of mail. He also mentioned that spoilage has to be accounted for. The group has made a software vendor capability matrix draft, and a final matrix is expected shortly.

The last group is responsible for advanced notification streamlined verification. Carla Siniscachi presented the group’s process. The workgroup’s aim is to define capabilities for streamlined notification and accessibility for First-Class Mail.

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