Tag: Europe

Postcomm publishes updated guidelines on exceptions to the universal postal service

Posted by | Apr 24, 2007 | |

Postcomm has published its updated guidelines which define the limited geographical conditions or other exceptional circumstances in which Royal Mail is exempt from its universal service obligation to deliver mail once every working day to every address in the United Kingdom.

The guidelines have been formulated following a consultation that invited views on all areas of the current policy, including a number of amendments proposed by Postcomm to take into account changing circumstances since the guidelines first came into effect in April 2003.

The main change to existing policy is:

Royal Mail’s Delivery Sector Manager (or equivalent) will be responsible for assessing and issuing a decision for a customer’s initial appeal against Royal Mail’s decision to except an address from the universal service obligation.
The current guidelines are due to expire on 30 June 2007; the updated rules will come into effect on 1 July 2007.

All addresses excepted from Royal Mail’s universal delivery service in 2005 were notified of this consultation as Postcomm wanted to use this review to assess whether the limited number of appeal cases it had received since April 2003 was a true reflection of postal users’ satisfaction with the current policy.

Read More

TNT, unions and works council await government vote

Posted by | Apr 24, 2007 | |

Unions and a works council within TNT NV have said they will keep a close eye on the Dutch parliament which is scheduled to vote this afternoon on market liberalisation legislation that will open the Dutch postal market to competition on deliveries of less than 50 grams.
The Abvakabo FNV union and BVPP, a postal union representing 9,000 workers, have criticised the liberalisation, while the works council at TNT Post, a division of TNT NV’s domestic operations, has warned of possible labour action, including efforts to openly obstruct competitors, if the law is not amended with minimal requirements for labour agreements.
The liberalisation law is intended to open the Dutch market more fully to TNT competitors, such as Selekt Mail and Sandd, by Jan 1, 2008.
Those companies are not required to pay workers an hourly wage and use freelance performance-based pay schemes. Abvakabo FNV and the TNT Post works council say that these companies pay less than the minimum wage and enable unfair competition.
The subject was discussed during a series of parliamentary debates, and proposals were put forward to establish basic standards for all postal workers. But the motion failed to garner majority support and was rejected by Frank Heemskerk, the Social Democrat deputy minister in charge of the liberalisation.

Read More

Smart Stamp – Universal Envelope Identifier

Posted by | Apr 24, 2007 | |

Intellareturn Corp., announced its Append® Envelope Technology at the Envelope Manufacturers Association’s (EMA) Spring Meeting in Tuscon, AZ. As part of the conference, ‘Center for Technology and Trends’ session, the company presented technological advances in paper-based communication.

The Append® microchip-based “Smart Stamp” system links supplemental text, audio and video files to envelopes. The Smart Stamp service can be sold as a book of self-adhesive labels or pre-manufactured into envelopes, taking envelope manufacturers into the wireless ecosystem with new business models to store, control and deliver rich-media content.

Using Near-Field Communication Technology (“NFC”) and printed conductive ink antennas combined with mobile phones and other wireless reader devices, Append services bring a new intelligent mail “Smart Stamp”service into the mailstream for adding supplemental text, pictures, audio and video to sent postal mail.

Append represents the next evolution of postal services where the so-called ‘Internet of things’ can be embedded into everyday items with built-in Internet access technology to grow the value of envelopes and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The new service can also provide seamless verification that mail has been received, read and contractually acted upon by integrating with USPS Intelligent Mail printed codes and graphics linked to postal identifier solutions.

Read More

TNT wins UK mail delivery contract with Yell

Posted by | Apr 23, 2007 | |

TNT has won a contract with international directories business Yell to handle internal mail deliveries.

TNT’s mailroom arm won the three-year contract for the daily collection and delivery of all internal mail to almost 50 Yell business locations throughout the UK.

In addition to mail, TNT will also deliver stationery, consumables and even coffee supplies for Yell’s 3,750 UK employees.

In addition to collecting the internal mail, TNT will collect external second class mail for Yell from all locations, consolidating it and delivering to sister TNT company – TNT Post – the main rival to the Royal Mail in the UK.

All second class tariff mail will be sorted at a TNT Post facility in Wellingborough and then passed on to Royal Mail for “final mile” delivery. Yell’s first class mail continues to be sent through Royal Mail.

The Yell contract went live at the end of March 2007.

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