Tag: Domestic

Royal Mail workers announce more strike dates

Posted by | Aug 2, 2007 | |

Royal Mail workers announced a new wave of 24-hour strikes on Thursday after talks failed to resolve a dispute over pay and job cuts.

Workers held the first national walk-out in 11 years in June and there were further rolling strikes last month.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said the industrial action was due to Royal Mail’s “below inflation pay offer” and its plans to reduce the workforce by around 40,000 by automating mail-sorting processes.

It said the latest strikes would come against the Royal Mail’s modernization plans, due to start on August 13, which would make changes to delivery times and reduce customer services.

“The union has made a fresh offer for a period of calm,” CWU Deputy General Secretary Dave Ward said on Thursday. “All Royal Mail have to do is take a step back and engage in meaningful negotiations.”

The planned 24-hour stoppages will affect different Royal Mail units from August 9 to 17.

The Royal Mail said it could not understand why the CWU had announced more strike dates when the parties were engaged in talks at the conciliation service Acas.

It said the strikes were costing the company business.

“Royal Mail also deplores the move by the union, in spite of these talks, to attempt to cause further disruption to customers’ mail,” a spokesman said.

“As the CWU is responsible for calling the strikes, they are clearly free to stop this damaging action at any time. Royal Mail urges them to do so, in the interests of our customers, our people, and the future of the business.”

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New U.S. Postal Service rules now in effect for packages and envelopes

Posted by | Aug 1, 2007 | |

A new U.S. Postal Service policy has gone into effect as of Monday for packages and envelopes that weigh more than 13 ounces if they’re being mailed with only stamps as postage at a location other than a post office retail service counter.

Customers can use of one several online postage applications, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or an Automated Postal Center if they wish to mail items that weigh more than 13 ounces in postal service collection boxes or pot office lobby mail slots; or if they wish to leave the items for pickup by their letter carriers. Online postage applications include the postal service’s Click-N-Ship service on usps.com and PC Postage from and authorized USPS vendor.

If a customer is unable to use one of the above methods to prepare and affix postage, items weighing more than 13 ounces must be presented for mailing at a post office retail service counter. Business customers who use postage meters may continue to use meter postage for packages of any weight and mailing method.

Customers will notice new decals on USPS collection boxes and post office lobby and Automated Postal Center mail drop slots. The new red, white and blue decals inform customers that deposit of stamped mail over 13 ounces in prohibited and any such mail will be returned.

Previously, the prohibition applied to mail more than 16 ounces. The change is part of ongoing security measures established by the postal service, in cooperation with other government agencies to keep the public, customers, employees and the U.S. Mail safe.

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New Postal Strikes – Small Businesses Paying the Price

Posted by | Aug 1, 2007 | |

Small and medium sized businesses spend millions of pounds on their post every day, and are the ones paying the price as the postal strikes continue.

Each day on average, over GBP 2 million of post is sent by small and medium sized businesses; and the strikes could cause cash flow problems, customer relationship problems, or even the failure of a business if payments or invoices are delayed by even just a few days.

Natalie Evans, Head of Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Most smaller sized businesses have no option but to use Royal Mail and collectively spend millions of pounds each day on their post. This series of strikes is doing nothing but cause delay and frustration for those who rely on the postal service and the sooner it is resolved the better.”

With strikes continuing until at least the 8th August (with different sites at different times), the problem is not likely to get better anytime soon. You should make sure that customers and suppliers are aware of potential delays, and try to plan ways around the problems (E.g.: Paying directly into a bank account instead of sending a cheque) to ensure your cashflow is affected as little as possible.

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Vietnam bans strikes in key sectors

Posted by | Aug 1, 2007 | |

Vietnam has banned strikes in key public services and in sectors that are “of extreme importance to the national economy,” the communist government said on its website on Wednesday.

Industrial action will be prohibited in power stations, the oil and gas sectors, airports and train stations, the postal service, newspaper delivery, and water supply, irrigation and drainage services, it said.

The list of companies and state agencies, released in a decree by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, is subject to revision “depending on the socio-economic circumstances,” said the official government website.

Government ministers and local authorities would meet every six months with employers and trade unions in the sectors banned from strike action “to hear and handle legitimate requests from the workers,” the website said.

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