Tag: Royal Mail

Pitney Bowes hails Singapore Post for new meter discount on postage

Posted by | Jul 9, 2007 | |

Pitney Bowes Inc. is praising Singapore Post for the post’s recent implementation of a postage discount for mail that is processed using a postage meter. This move, effective July 1, makes Singapore Post one of a growing number of national posts around the world that are passing lower transaction costs on to customers who use meters.

In announcing its decision, Singapore Post joins Royal Mail (UK), La Poste (France), India Post, An Post (Ireland), Norway Post, Finland Post, Sweden Post and others in offering some form of discount or rebate on some or all segments of metered mail.

These posts have decided to offer discounts because postage meters help them avoid the equivalent of millions of dollars in costs required to design, print, distribute, sell and account for postage stamps. The discount offered to meter users provides an incentive for mailers to switch to the high-tech devices, because postage is usually one of the largest expenses a mailer faces. Switching more mail to postage meters helps mitigate higher postage costs.

Discounts of this kind stimulate efficiency and innovation in the sector, a key objective not just for mailers and posts but also for independent postal regulators around the world.

Pitney Bowes has argued for many years that posts in more nations should implement discounts of this type.

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New Royal Mail strike announced

Posted by | Jul 5, 2007 | |

Royal Mail workers will stage a second 24-hour walkout over pay and jobs, their union has said. The strike will begin at 1900 BST on 12 July and will end the following day, the Communication Workers’ Union said.

Last Friday, the CWU led a similar walkout across the UK – the first national postal strike in a decade.

Workers are angry over plans to restructure the company, though Royal Mail argues it has to change in order to compete with rival firms.

Staff has rejected a 2.5% pay offer and says they are worried that modernization plans will see jobs cut.

Deputy General Secretary of the CWU, Dave Ward, said that the strike could be averted if Royal Mail entered negotiations.

Last week’s post strike was the first national walkout in a decade

Royal Mail and the CWU disagreed over how successful last Friday’s strike had been.

The union dismissed as “nonsense” Royal Mail claims that nationally up to 60% of its staff were working, saying that 95% of staff took part in industrial action.

The CWU has argued that Royal Mail’s plans for modernization will lead to 40,000 job losses.

But Royal Mail has said it needs to change the way it operates after the UK’s postal market was opened up to competition.

And earlier this year, Royal Mail was ditched by the Department for Work and Pensions in favor of UK Mail.

Companies are unhappy at the prospect of disruption to services, and the Federation of Small Businesses has warned that further strikes would put the livelihoods and jobs of many people in small firms “at risk”.

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Post Office boosts Instant Saver rate

Posted by | Jul 5, 2007 | |

The Post Office is increasing the rate on its Instant Saver account from 5.75 per cent to 6.00 per cent* following today’s rise in the Bank of England base rate.

The new rate will be available to new and existing Instant Saver customers from August 1 2007.

Post Office Head of Savings Richard Norman said: “The Post Office® continues to be one of the few savings providers to consistently pass on base rate rises in full to customers, and we guarantee to do so until 2010.”

Post Office Instant Saver also guarantees to remain within 1.0% of the Bank of England base rate for the life of the account and offers six free withdrawals a year with a flat fee of just £1 for future withdrawals.

Instant Saver is available at all of the UK’s 14,000 Post Office branches, by telephone and online. Withdrawals can be made both at branches and ATMs, offering unrivalled choice and convenience.

*This includes a 1.0% bonus for 12 months from the date of account opening.

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Virgin Money launches pre-paid card

Posted by | Jul 5, 2007 | |

Virgin Money today entered the pre-paid card market with the launch of its Pay As You Go card.

The card is aimed at the three million people who do not have a bank account, and migrant workers, who can use it to send money home to their families.

The card works in a similar way to pay-as-you-go mobile phones, with people able to top up their card with money at Post Offices, PayPoint outlets and online.

Once money has been put on to the card it can be used to pay for things wherever MasterCard is accepted, as well as to buy things online and to withdraw cash from ATMs.

The cards can also be used by parents with children aged 13, with an online statement enabling them to monitor their children’s spending, and by people travelling abroad.

The cards cost GBP 9.95 to take out, with additional cards charged at £4.95. Money can be loaded on to the cards free at the Post Office or online but there is a 2.75% charge for using PayPoint and a 2.5% charge if a credit card is used.

People can use the cards to send money abroad by purchasing an addition card and sending it to their family. They can then load their card with cash in the UK and their family can withdraw it from an ATM abroad, although they will incur a 3.5% fee.

Cardholders will receive a 10% discount on goods and services from other members of the Virgin group, such as Virgin Megastores, Virgin Holidays and Virgin Wines.

Jayne-Anne Gadhia, chief executive of Virgin Money, said: “Almost three million adults in the UK do not use banking facilities and are locked in the cash economy.

“This card will allow users to buy on the internet, on the high street, and save money on a range of Virgin products.”

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Royal Mail aims to deliver on its social responsibility

Posted by | Jul 4, 2007 | |

For Royal Mail Group, corporate social responsibility means doing the right thing for its people, its business and the communities in which it operates.

The group believes that the modern consumer wants to buy from a company that share his values; employees want to work for companies that provide a healthy and safe environment and whose values align to theirs, and communities want companies that contribute to the cohesion that builds neighbourhoods where people live and work.

The group’s success in a number of award schemes demonstrates its continued commitment to meeting the needs of its customers, staff and the communities in which they work.

In particular the group has recently been awarded the World Mail’s Corporate Social Responsibility Award 2006, Business in the Community’s UnumProvident Healthy Workplaces Award for Excellence, and 2006 Business in the Community’s Opportunity Now Award for gender diversity in the workplace.

The coming year will be one of many challenges as Royal Mail structures the business to compete more effectively. Its vision remains to be demonstrably the best and most trusted mail company in the world that consistently delivers excellent quality of service to customers.

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