Tag: UK

Warsaw is cultural capital with the lowest price tag

Posted by | May 16, 2008 | |

Culture vultures who want to save hundreds of pounds on the cost of an arts and entertainment-packed short break should head for Warsaw. The Polish capital was far and away the cheapest city for a cultural weekend away, according to the new Cost of Culture report conducted by Post Office® Travel Services.¹

Even though sterling buys 22 per cent fewer Polish zloty than a year ago, the GBP 75 price tag – which included visits to Warsaw’s historic art galleries, museums and heritage sites, together with nights at the renowned Polish National Opera, ballet and a symphony concert² – weighed in at less than 25 per cent of the equivalent London cost.

London proved by far the most expensive of the 10 cultural capitals surveyed by the Post Office®. Its itinerary of 10 cultural highlights, which included trips to the Royal Opera House, Buckingham Palace and the Victoria & Albert Museum, costs around GBP 308, despite the offer of free entry to its national museums and galleries.

By contrast, while the sliding pound has made Prague up to 25 per cent more expensive than a year ago, the Czech capital rates as great value for lovers of the arts. It was second only to Warsaw, at just under GBP 104 for a culture-filled trip.

The survey of Europe and North America’s top cultural centres included six eurozone capitals and, as with other price comparison reports by the Post Office®, revealed a huge disparity in costs between these destinations.

The Cost of Culture survey identifies the five best value choices for each of the six cultural categories researched (allowing one entry per city in each category)³ and found that Paris was the only city not to feature. However clued-up culture vultures can cut their costs by visiting Paris on the first Sunday of each month, when galleries are free.4

The Post Office® Cost of Culture survey is available online for holidaymakers to view at postoffice.co.uk/costofculture

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Canada Post Issues First Corporate Social Responsibility Report

Posted by | May 15, 2008 | |

Canada Post issued its first annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report (CSR). The Report reflects the corporation’s economic, social and environmental objectives, strategies, and performance.

Some key achievements in the 2007 CSR report include:

– Recognition in Maclean’s magazine as a top 100 employer in Canada;
– A Strategic Council poll found Canada Post “the most trusted federal institution” in Canada;
– According to a Leger Marketing survey Canada Post ranked third among the 150 most-admired businesses in Quebec;
– Since 2002, Canada Post has invested more than 10 million dollars in more than 250 energy-reduction initiatives and has reduced greenhouse gas emissions from its buildings and fleet by 3 pct.
– Canada Post plans to follow LEED™ green building standards for all major new buildings and has targeted a 75 pct landfill waste diversion rate by December 2008
Employee engagement levels rose by 5 percentage points;
– Canada Post donated 1.4 pct of pre-tax profits to registered charities and not-for-profit organizations;
Through employee and corporate donations, Canada Post raised more than 2.5 million dollars for the United Way;

Canada Post faced some significant challenges in 2007. There were more than 4,000 accidents that resulted in lost time. Absenteeism is a concern; there were 14.8 lost days per employee compared to an overall national average of 9.7 days. Despite 10 years of labour peace, more than 20,000 grievances were filed in 2007. High fuel prices continue to be a concern for Canada Post and its aging infrastructure requires an investment up to USD 1.9 million to modernize.

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Market research into customers' needs from the postal service and analysis of the net cost of aspects of the current universal service (UK)

Posted by | May 15, 2008 | |

Postcomm has today published some important research findings to help inform the debate that was started in its Strategy Review issued in August 2007 about what sort of universal service would meet the needs of today’s customers. Publication coincides with Postcomm’s second submission of evidence to the Independent Review Panel.

This research was undertaken to help inform Postcomm’s policy making; none of the research represents policy proposals as such.

Postcomm’s research covers two important areas:

1. Market research carried out in 2007 into customers’ needs from the postal service in the UK. This adds to the body of research carried out jointly by Postcomm, Postwatch and Royal Mail in 2006 and to research that Postwatch plans to publish shortly. This work was commissioned by Postcomm because Royal Mail have little recent and detailed information about what customers need from a universal service.
2. Econometric modelling to estimate the impact of changes to some aspects of the current universal service on Royal Mail’s costs and revenues. This work was commissioned by Postcomm because Royal Mail’s own costing system was not designed to produce any information of this nature. Royal Mail has co-operated with the research and analysis, providing data and participating in discussions on the methodology used and the validity of many of the underlying assumptions.

Postcomm believes that the research is based on the soundest possible approach in terms of econometric modelling, cost derivation and the use of consumer research. However, as with all research, there are limitations and these are explained fully in the reports.

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Isle of Man Post Post Office Chairman on UK proposals

Posted by | May 15, 2008 | |

The Chairman of Isle of Man Post says there is much to be learned from the private sector.

Pam Crowe is responding to news in the United Kingdom, where the postal watchdog is recommending part privatisation of Royal Mail to avoid a potential slide in the standard of services.

She says the proposal wouldn’t necessarily be bad news if Royal Mail became more competitive and efficient.

Mrs Crowe says change is never easy, but she’s confident in this case it would be well handled (audio file attached):

Mrs Crowe retains the position of Chairman of Isle of Man Post, despite not being re-elected to the Legislative Council.

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