POSTAL NEWS
No.48 -2018
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
Blockchain Disruption Report. June 8, 2018
DPD deploys electric trikes for parcel deliveries in German cities. June 8 2018
Posti’s new OmaPosti mobile app combines online shopping, invoices and letters. June 6,2018.
Pay boost for Quadrant workers. June 6 ,2018.
Swiss Post begins transporting laboratory samples for Insel Gruppe. May 5, 2018.
Blockchain Disruption Report
June 8, 2018
Transport Systems Catapult (TSC) and the University of Sheffield have published a new report which argues that blockchain could “provide the underpinnings for a future integrated transport system, without the need for large and costly centralised control mechanisms”.
According to TSC, the technology is still some years from full maturity, but “synergies exist in areas like Freight and Logistics, Autonomous Vehicles and Mobility as a Service, where the technology could be applied in the future”. TSC said that this is because “these areas will involve multiple businesses with potentially competing interests, who require trust and transparency to share data and work together seamlessly – which plays to the strengths of Blockchain”.The report also suggests that Blockchain could also help integrate Autonomous Drone fleets into the existing transport network, without the need to establish large regulatory organisations to track and monitor use and licensing.
In a statement issued on Wednesday (6 June), TSC Chief Technology Officer Mark Westwood, said: “The TSC’s unique neutral and trusted position allows us to provide a balanced voice against the positive and negative messages around Blockchain through this report. We need to help decision makers understand the potential benefits and limitations of Blockchain technology. It is also important to analyse potential use cases to find out if Blockchain is a good fit, or if other technologies could provide a better solution.
“Blockchain is still a new technology, but it has the potential to disrupt parts of the transport industry in a similar way as it has in finance. Other countries and business are exploring its potential right now. The technology’s disruptive potential is such that the UK transport industry needs to start paying attention, so we are not caught out later.”
Professor Lenny Koh, Director of Advanced Resource Efficiency Centre (AREC), at the University of Sheffield’s Management School, added: “Our transport systems and their wider networks and supply chains are increasingly digitalised. The traditional ways of managing transactions and resources in-order to provide frictionless processes, mobility, products and services to users are no longer efficient. In this partnership between the Transport Systems Catapult and The University of Sheffield, we explore the potential of blockchain to address these challenges.
“Blockchain as a disruptive technology, to be used in conjunction with Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Cloud can add further value and have a transformational impact on transport including the acceleration of the Machine-to-Machine (M2M) economy.”
Source : https://postandparcel.info
DPD deploys electric trikes for parcel deliveries in German cities
June 8 2018
DPD Germany has unveiled its plans to deploy eight fully electric tricycles for parcel deliveries in the cities of Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne.
The ‘TRIPLs’ from Danish manufacturer EWII are emission-free and are nimble and compact enough to drive right up to the front door of customers, saving both time and inner-city congestion.
Gerd Seber, group manager sustainability and innovation at DPD Germany, said, “Delivery in the city center is one of the biggest challenges for parcel services like DPD. While parcel volumes are growing rapidly, inner-city traffic is also growing. This is where our TRIPLs can help, because they make much faster progress on narrow and congested inner-city streets than our conventional delivery vans. The emission-free electric drive of the TRIPL not only reduces traffic, but also helps to conserve the environment.”
In Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne, DPD is using the TRIPL on inner-city delivery rounds with a high stop density, where only one or two parcels are delivered per stop. The TRIPL can make more stops per hour in tight urban spaces than a conventional van and comes into its own when there are only short distances between stops.
Due to its compact size and the locally emission-free electric drive, the TRIPL is also suitable for parcel deliveries in pedestrian zones or other traffic-restricted areas.
The charging capacity of the TRIPL battery is sufficient for urban delivery rounds of 80-100km (50-62 miles), while its maximum speed is 45km/h (28mph). The transport volume of the TRIPL amounts to 200kg (440 lb) and 750 liters, so that up to 50 smallish parcels can fit under the bonnet of the electric tricycle.
During a delivery round, the TRIPL delivery driver may have to load up the tricycle with parcels several times. For this purpose, the TRIPL either docks with a conventional van or loads up with parcels again at a micro-depot.
“The search for suitable and affordable space in the city center represents a decisive obstacle to the use of transport bikes and other small vehicles,” added Seber. “We would like even more support from cities and municipalities in this respect. We hope that positive examples like those in Nuremberg, Berlin or Rostock will find more imitators.”
DPD is also testing preproduction models of the VW e-Crafter in Hamburg, Berlin and Stuttgart. The VW e-Crafter is the first fully electric model in DPD’s preferred vehicle class. The van’s lithium-ion battery is fully integrated in the underbody. Depending on the version, the maximum payload is between 1 ton and 1.75 tons.
Source : https://www.postalandparceltechnologyinternational.com/news/vehicles-fleet
Posti’s new OmaPosti mobile app combines online shopping, invoices and letters
06.06.2018
Posti has rebuilt its mobile customer experience by listening to its customers’ wishes from the start. The new OmaPosti app allows for the administration of invoices, tracking and routing items and sending parcels for cheaper prices. OmaPosti will replace the current Posti application, which has over 100,000 monthly users.
OmaPosti was built with a focus on the services that create the most value for customers as well as their user experience. An electronic mailbox has a central function in the app, combining online shopping, invoices and letters into one clear view.
“The first version of OmaPosti is extremely handy for everyone who shops online. It’s now considerably easier to track and route online store items. Sending your parcels is also cheapest using OmaPosti,” explains Timo Korander, Head of Consumer and Digital Services at Posti.
OmaPosti makes it easier to manage your invoices. The app reminds you when your invoices are due and archives invoices and other messages in the service automatically. It is also easy to pay your invoices; in the first version in cooperation with OP Financial Group’s Pivo mobile wallet. In the future, more payment options will be added in the app.
In the first version of the service, the app will automatically receive electronic letters, i.e. invoices currently sent to Netposti. Paper invoices can also be paid easily in the app by taking a photograph of the invoice’s bar code. In the next phase, users can direct all invoices and e-invoices in their email to OmaPosti.
“OmaPosti is by no means ready. We are still actively developing it with users. We will add many features that make your everyday life easier in the near future,” Korander continues.
Posti’s goal is that OmaPosti will become one of the most popular apps in the everyday life of Finns.
Over 830,000 Finns have a Posti ID that is used to log in to OmaPosti.
You can download the OmaPosti app for free from Google Play or App Store.
Source : https://www.posti.com/en/media/media-news
Pay boost for Quadrant workers
June 6 2018
Pay rates for hundreds of Royal Mail catering workers will be increasing by 5.4 percent between now and next January, thanks to a negotiated package that has been overwhelmingly approved by members.
The deal, which was negotiated by CWU industrial assistant secretary Davie Robertson with the assistance of postal executive members Katrina Quirke and Shelley Banbury, pays a consolidated increase of 1 per cent backdated to October 2017 and a compound consolidated 3 per cent rise with effect from April 2018.
A further increase in benefits is due in January 2019 when a half-hour reduction in working time will further increase the hourly pay rate for all our less-than-full-time members.
Having backed the deal by 96 per cent majority, arrangements are being concluded with Quadrant to ensure that the new rates are applied and back pay is received as quickly as possible.
Commenting on the ballot result, Davie Robertson said: “We’re very pleased that members have given such a clear endorsement of this deal and that this much-needed and well-deserved increase in terms and conditions will be delivered.
“Our negotiating strategy throughout was to ensure that our members were properly rewarded for their efforts and commitment to the business and to ensure that pay in real terms was protected in relation to rises in the cost of living – and we feel that these objectives have been met with regard to this settlement. Over the period of the 18 month agreement, hourly rates will rise by 5.4% and in the current climate we believe that this is a significant achievement and well above average pay increases across the sector”.
The issue of Quadrant pay had been the subject of an emergency motion to the union’s annual conference back in April. At that time, prior to concluding an overall agreement, the company had required to adjust the pay rates for our Grade C members to bring them in line with the National Living Wage.
Delegates from the whole union unanimously backed a demand for the business to recommit to the negotiations in good faith and, speaking today, Davie repeated his thanks for the solidarity shown by the CWU postal membership as a whole.
“The message that was sent by that emergency motion clearly seems to have helped unlock the impasse we were in at that time and shows once again that the stronger the solidarity and support, the better able we are to deliver the fair deal that all of our members deserve.”
Source : https://www.cwu.org/news
Swiss Post begins transporting laboratory samples for Insel Gruppe
May 5, 2018
Following on from Lugano, transport drones will now fly in the capital city of Berne: Swiss Post is currently working together with drone manufacturer Matternet to evaluate the link between the Tiefenau hospital and University Hospital Insel. The drones transport lab samples in an quick and efficient manner, which saves doctors and patients crucial time compared to couriers on the road. Drone flights will also be taking place in Zurich in the near future.
In the pilot project in Berne, the drone connects the central laboratory at the Inselspital hospital with the hospital in Tiefenau. “When lab samples need to be transported as quickly as possible from A to B, every minute counts. This is why this pilot project is so visionary”, says Uwe E. Jocham, Insel Gruppe’s CEO. The laboratory samples are currently transported by courier. For urgent cases, Insel Gruppe uses a taxi. “Within two weeks, we want to evaluate whether the use of the drone offers real added value to them and, ultimately, to patients,” says Claudia Pletscher, Head of Development & Innovation at Swiss Post.
To ensure that the results are as informative as possible, the drone is being deployed on at least ten effective flight days over two weeks. The flights will then be jointly evaluated and Insel Gruppe will decide whether to use drones for day-to-day transportation of lab samples in the future. Following the evaluation of the route in Berne (Insel Gruppe), Swiss Post will look into a further route between the main laboratory, ZLZ Zentrallabor Zürich, and the ZLZ emergency laboratory at the Hirslanden Klinik Im Park.
Swiss Post consolidates its pioneering role in drone logistics
Swiss Post is one of the first companies in the world to operate autonomous drones in transport for commercial use, in conjunction with Matternet. With the new transport routes in Berne and Zurich, Swiss Post is once again demonstrating its pioneering role in drone logistics and its innovative strength. For Swiss Post, the drone as a logistics solution is particularly attractive over the last mile. The focus is on the transport of special consignments in the medical sector or the delivery of supplies to places cut off from the outside world after a storm. In the future, drones will complement mail carriers sensibly, but they will not replace them. Swiss Post is also testing other autonomous systems, including for example intelligent shuttles.
Talks with FOCA, Skyguide and air force
In March 2017, Swiss Post and Matternet presented the first drone connection between two hospitals in Lugano to the public. The second phase of the project in Lugano started in early October (see press release). The interim results look very positive: the drone has now completed more than 1,000 flights without incident. Since the initial tests, there has been a great deal of interest in the use of the drones in the medical sector. With the experience gathered, Swiss Post can now offer this service to other partners in the healthcare sector – in close consultation with other users of our airspace, the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA), which is responsible for regulation, the Swiss Air Force and Skyguide. FOCA has been involved in the project from the outset: it has inspected the drone and its safety components, defined the legal conditions for flying it, and now granted Swiss Post and Matternet approval for the flights in Berne and Zurich.
Source : https://www.post.ch/en/about
POSTAL NEWS
No.49 -2018
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
EU Mobility Package: ver.di warns against a job destruction program for collectively-protected jobs. June 12, 2018.
NZ Post supporting warmer Kiwi homes this Winter. June 11, 2018.
Kerry Logistics Launches Rail And Road Freight Services From China To Caucasus And Turkey. June 11, 2018.
Processing Readiness for Election and Political Mail for the 2018 Midterm Elections. June 8, 2018.
Electrical first for the Island. June 06, 2018.
EU Mobility Package: ver.di warns against a job destruction program for collectively-protected jobs
June 12, 2018
Before the decisive consultation of the European Parliament on the Mobility Package for Road Transport Workers on Thursday (14 June), the United Services Trade Union (ver.di) turns to the Members of the European Parliament. "The vote by Parliament's Transport Committee is catastrophic for workers and companies in the sector. It must not be made the basis for the new regulations on posting, driving time and rest periods. We therefore urge the MEPs to support the request for further discussion of the new regulations in the plenary session of the Parliament. It's about the future of jobs and businesses, "said deputy ver.di chairman Andrea Kocsis.
Among other things, the vote by the Committee on Transport stipulates that truck drivers and bus drivers in international transport are excluded from the Entender Directive. This would mean, for example, that a bus or truck driver employed by a Bulgarian company could transport people or goods between Germany and France for the Bulgarian minimum wage of EUR 235 per month. It should also be possible in the driving and rest periods again, that the employees spend all weekly rest periods in the cab. This would further boost the mailbox firm's business model, according to which a company in an EU country maintains a head office that only serves to conclude employment contracts on less favorable terms than in the country where the service is provided.
The European Parliament's Transport Committee, responsible for the new legislation on posting, driving time and rest periods, voted in favor of massive deterioration on 4 June, defying the position previously developed by the Employment Committee. Should Parliament vote against further deliberations in plenary and for the inclusion of the so-called trilogue, the proposal of the Committee on Transport would form the basis of a compromise to be found between the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament.
Source : https://psl.verdi.de/presse
NZ Post supporting warmer Kiwi homes this Winter
June 11, 2018
NZ Post and New Zealand Red Cross are calling on Kiwis to donate their pre-loved curtains to help keep people in vulnerable situations warm this winter.
To help build resilience in communities, NZ Post and New Zealand Red Cross have joined forces to launch the Red Cross Curtain Call. This is a national campaign supporting Red Cross Curtain Banks in Whakatane, Tauranga, Gisborne, Palmerston North and Invercargill.
NZ Post Chief Marketing Officer Bryan Dobson says the generosity of New Zealanders can make a real difference.
"Winter can be very cold in New Zealand. At this time of year Kiwis around the country are preparing for the winter ahead, and donating your pre-loved curtains can really help provide warmth for those who need it.
"NZ Post is supporting the campaign by collecting the curtains for free. We're pleased we are able to use our vast transport network for this important cause."
New Zealand Red Cross General Manager Fundraising, Marketing and Communications, Shane Chisholm, says the Curtain Banks have helped thousands of people stay warm during the chilly winter months.
"Our members volunteer their time to bring these pre-loved curtains back to life, providing free, lined curtains to low-income individuals and families who don't have the resources to purchase them. The curtains are tailor-made to fit the windows of the recipients' homes to help insulate them, providing a warmer, healthier place to live.”
The Red Cross Curtain Call begins today (Monday June 11) and continues for six weeks. More information can be found at www.nzpost.co.nz/curtaincall
Call 0800 COURIER to have your curtains collected for FREE and help us keep vulnerable Kiwis warm this winter.
Source : https://www.nzpost.co.nz/about-us/media-centre
Kerry Logistics Launches Rail And Road Freight Services From China To Caucasus And Turkey
June 11, 2018
Kerry Logistics is launching new cross-border rail and trucking services running from China through Kazakhstan to Caucasus and Turkey.
Starting from Lianyungang, the bridgehead of the New Eurasian Land Bridge in China, the new westbound rail freight service will bring shipments across Kazakhstan and Caspian Sea to multiple destinations in Turkey through the newly-built Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway. Kerry Logistics will be offering both block train and single wagon services and the transit time will be 18-20 days. The main products to be moved by the new cross-border services will include electronic parts, electrical appliances, minerals, auto parts, and other industrial goods.
In addition to the rail freight service, a trucking service along the same trade route from China to Caucasus and Turkey has also been launched with an addition of 50 trucks to the company’s existing fleet. This service will have a faster transit time, of around 12-14 days.
In a statement sent to Post&Parcel today (11 June), Edwardo Erni, Managing Director – China & North Asia of Kerry Logistics, said: “We are excited about the launch of this new cross-border service. With our rail freight and trucking capabilities extending their reach to the strategic locations of Turkey and Caucasus, we will be able to grasp the immense market opportunities presented by the Belt and Road initiative with our enhanced position in the region.”
Source : https://postandparcel.info
Processing Readiness for Election and Political Mail for the 2018 Midterm Elections
June 8, 2018
Objective
The objective of our audit was to evaluate the Postal Service’s readiness for timely processing of election and political mail for the 2018 midterm elections.
Election mail is a mailpiece that an authorized election official creates for voters participating in the election process, while political mail is mail used for political campaign purposes.
General and midterm elections are scheduled every four and two years, respectively. Special elections are also held outside of this cycle for specific purposes, often to fill an office that has become vacant. The next midterm elections will be held on November 6, 2018.
We conducted site observations at six mail processing facilities that were processing election and political mail for five special elections held on January 16 and January 23, 2018. The sites we selected were the Milwaukee, WI, Pittsburgh, PA, and St. Paul, MN, Processing and Distribution Centers (P&DCs); the Charleston, SC, Processing and
Distribution Facility (P&DF); and the St. Paul and Pittsburgh Network Distribution Centers (NDCs). We also observed Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) operations at the Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and St. Paul P&DCs and the Charleston P&DF.
What the OIG Found
The Postal Service was not ready for the January 2018 special elections; however, since our field work it has improved readiness and should be ready for the timely processing of election and political mail for the 2018 midterm elections. Additionally, it has adequate response time for any further 2018 midterm election needs.
We found that communication between headquarters and the mail processing facilities needed improvement. Specifically, we found that plant managers at the six mail processing facilities we visited and seven of the eight election and political mail coordinators we interviewed said that headquarters did not notify them of the special elections in their processing service areas. The Manager, Operations Integration and Support, notified mail processing facilities by email about the special elections on January 18, 2018, after the start of our field work and the special elections.
In addition, we found employees at the Milwaukee and St. Paul P&DCs and the Charleston P&DF did not have an adequate understanding of the procedures for processing election and political mail. When election and political mail guidance, training, and service talks are not timely, employees are more likely to make errors or cause delays in the handling of election and political mail.
For example, we found election and political mail processing errors at three of the six sites we visited:
St. Paul NDC employees moved political mail to the P&DC staging area without telling P&DC management about the transfer. Other mail was staged in front of it, which could have caused the political mail not to be seen and expedited.
There was a sort plan error at the Charleston P&DF that caused additional manual sorting of election mail at the delivery station.
An employee at the Milwaukee P&DC removed ballots from automated mail processing because he believed the equipment would damage the mail.
We brought these issues to the attention of local management, who immediately corrected them during our site visits.
Finally, we found the Postal Service had not updated its internal election and political campaign mail website since 2016. This website includes standard operating procedures, services talks, handouts, presentations, and other resources for managers and employees to use during elections. The Manager,
Election and Political Mailing Service Products, said there had been no significant changes to the website’s information since 2016. They updated the internal site by the end of February 2018, after our field work was complete.
The eight election and political mail coordinators we interviewed cited five different websites they use to gather election and political mail information. One of the five websites was updated in February 2018, but the other four were not. We also found that the Postal Service posted two different lists of election and political mail coordinators for customers on USPS.com — one dated 2016 and the other dated 2018. We determined that the names of 38 of 74 coordinators (or over 51 percent) were different on the two published lists. We brought the four additional website and coordinator list discrepancies to the attention of the Manager, Operations Integration and Support, who corrected them immediately. When internal and external websites are outdated, users don’t know what election information is the most current.
The Postal Service’s Processing Operations Management Order (POMO-003-16) published in 2016 requires election and political mail area and district coordinators to communicate to all employees and act as the liaison for operations with headquarters, area, and district election and political mail teams. The election and political mail information in POMO-003-16 was updated and reissued in February 2018, after our field work and the special elections were complete. Election and political mail area and district coordinators are also supposed to conduct webinars, give employee service talks to provide election and political mail training to employees, and implement standard operating procedures. The training was provided to employees between February and April of 2018.
The Postal Service uses Informed Visibility to measure near real-time Intelligent Mail Barcode tracking information. We identified that in Quarter 1, FY 2018, the national performance score for election and political mail was about 92 percent — around 4 percent below the goal and more than 4 percent below the Quarter 1, FY 2017 score. The Manager, P&DC Operations, said that service performance decline reflects the overall service performance decline and is not isolated to election and political mail. He said several weather-related issues, as well as air transportation hub issues, contributed to the service performance decline.
What the OIG Recommended
We recommended management:
Ensure an annually updated and documented communication plan that includes all Postal Service election documents and web pages for headquarters and mail processing facilities for general, midterm, and special elections is available;
Conduct standardized election and political mail training for all mail processing employees at least annually; and
Update internal and external website information, including processing instructions and election and political mail coordinator contact information, annually at a minimum and no less than six months before, a general, midterm, or special election.
Source : https://www.postaltimes.com/postalnews
Electrical first for the Island
June 06, 2018
As the winner of the Green Fleet Award ‘Private Sector Fleet of the Year’ (small to medium), Jersey Post has been rewarded with the use of a state-of-the-art LDV EV80 van which is the only one of its kind in the island.
The new LDV electric van is currently being tested on a range of delivery rounds to ascertain whether a larger electric vehicle would be as well suited to the Jersey roads and driving style as the hugely successful smaller electric vans currently in use.
With Jersey Post’s monthly parcel delivery figures now approaching 55,000 per month, certain delivery rounds would benefit from a larger vehicle which could hold an increased amount of parcels. Once the year-long trial has been completed, Jersey Post will be replacing a further 15 of its existing fleet vehicles with the most suitable electric models.
In 2016, Jersey Post implemented a cleaner delivery fleet strategy with the overall aim of reducing the emissions of the 120-strong vehicle fleet. The organisation purchased 15 Nissan e-NV200s and 22 electric powered bicycles in 2016, and the electric fleet was doubled in 2017 when Jersey Post added an additional 15 Nissans. These electric additions have reduced Jersey Post’s fuel CO2 emissions by an average of 150g/km per vehicle.
Niall McClure, Managing Director of Postal Operations, said, “Winning the award was a fantastic achievement for the team at Jersey Post. The electric vehicle project has been a huge undertaking and the award recognises this and the amount of work that has been completed to date. We are delighted to receive the new LDV electric van and we have put it immediately into action on our delivery rounds. Our electric fleet is proving to be a great success and we hope that the LDV electric van trial will ultimately lead to further delivery enhancements for our customers.”
All Jersey Post’s electric vans display the same green fleet livery – an image of Jersey made up of environmental words - so that they are easily recognised when out on delivery.
Source : https://www.jerseypost.comPOSTAL NEWS
No.49 -2018
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
EU Mobility Package: ver.di warns against a job destruction program for collectively-protected jobs. June 12, 2018.
NZ Post supporting warmer Kiwi homes this Winter. June 11, 2018.
Kerry Logistics Launches Rail And Road Freight Services From China To Caucasus And Turkey. June 11, 2018.
Processing Readiness for Election and Political Mail for the 2018 Midterm Elections. June 8, 2018.
Electrical first for the Island. June 06, 2018.
EU Mobility Package: ver.di warns against a job destruction program for collectively-protected jobs
June 12, 2018
Before the decisive consultation of the European Parliament on the Mobility Package for Road Transport Workers on Thursday (14 June), the United Services Trade Union (ver.di) turns to the Members of the European Parliament. "The vote by Parliament's Transport Committee is catastrophic for workers and companies in the sector. It must not be made the basis for the new regulations on posting, driving time and rest periods. We therefore urge the MEPs to support the request for further discussion of the new regulations in the plenary session of the Parliament. It's about the future of jobs and businesses, "said deputy ver.di chairman Andrea Kocsis.
Among other things, the vote by the Committee on Transport stipulates that truck drivers and bus drivers in international transport are excluded from the Entender Directive. This would mean, for example, that a bus or truck driver employed by a Bulgarian company could transport people or goods between Germany and France for the Bulgarian minimum wage of EUR 235 per month. It should also be possible in the driving and rest periods again, that the employees spend all weekly rest periods in the cab. This would further boost the mailbox firm's business model, according to which a company in an EU country maintains a head office that only serves to conclude employment contracts on less favorable terms than in the country where the service is provided.
The European Parliament's Transport Committee, responsible for the new legislation on posting, driving time and rest periods, voted in favor of massive deterioration on 4 June, defying the position previously developed by the Employment Committee. Should Parliament vote against further deliberations in plenary and for the inclusion of the so-called trilogue, the proposal of the Committee on Transport would form the basis of a compromise to be found between the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament.
Source : https://psl.verdi.de/presse
NZ Post supporting warmer Kiwi homes this Winter
June 11, 2018
NZ Post and New Zealand Red Cross are calling on Kiwis to donate their pre-loved curtains to help keep people in vulnerable situations warm this winter.
To help build resilience in communities, NZ Post and New Zealand Red Cross have joined forces to launch the Red Cross Curtain Call. This is a national campaign supporting Red Cross Curtain Banks in Whakatane, Tauranga, Gisborne, Palmerston North and Invercargill.
NZ Post Chief Marketing Officer Bryan Dobson says the generosity of New Zealanders can make a real difference.
"Winter can be very cold in New Zealand. At this time of year Kiwis around the country are preparing for the winter ahead, and donating your pre-loved curtains can really help provide warmth for those who need it.
"NZ Post is supporting the campaign by collecting the curtains for free. We're pleased we are able to use our vast transport network for this important cause."
New Zealand Red Cross General Manager Fundraising, Marketing and Communications, Shane Chisholm, says the Curtain Banks have helped thousands of people stay warm during the chilly winter months.
"Our members volunteer their time to bring these pre-loved curtains back to life, providing free, lined curtains to low-income individuals and families who don't have the resources to purchase them. The curtains are tailor-made to fit the windows of the recipients' homes to help insulate them, providing a warmer, healthier place to live.”
The Red Cross Curtain Call begins today (Monday June 11) and continues for six weeks. More information can be found at www.nzpost.co.nz/curtaincall
Call 0800 COURIER to have your curtains collected for FREE and help us keep vulnerable Kiwis warm this winter.
Source : https://www.nzpost.co.nz/about-us/media-centre
Kerry Logistics Launches Rail And Road Freight Services From China To Caucasus And Turkey
June 11, 2018
Kerry Logistics is launching new cross-border rail and trucking services running from China through Kazakhstan to Caucasus and Turkey.
Starting from Lianyungang, the bridgehead of the New Eurasian Land Bridge in China, the new westbound rail freight service will bring shipments across Kazakhstan and Caspian Sea to multiple destinations in Turkey through the newly-built Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway. Kerry Logistics will be offering both block train and single wagon services and the transit time will be 18-20 days. The main products to be moved by the new cross-border services will include electronic parts, electrical appliances, minerals, auto parts, and other industrial goods.
In addition to the rail freight service, a trucking service along the same trade route from China to Caucasus and Turkey has also been launched with an addition of 50 trucks to the company’s existing fleet. This service will have a faster transit time, of around 12-14 days.
In a statement sent to Post&Parcel today (11 June), Edwardo Erni, Managing Director – China & North Asia of Kerry Logistics, said: “We are excited about the launch of this new cross-border service. With our rail freight and trucking capabilities extending their reach to the strategic locations of Turkey and Caucasus, we will be able to grasp the immense market opportunities presented by the Belt and Road initiative with our enhanced position in the region.”
Source : https://postandparcel.info
Processing Readiness for Election and Political Mail for the 2018 Midterm Elections
June 8, 2018
Objective
The objective of our audit was to evaluate the Postal Service’s readiness for timely processing of election and political mail for the 2018 midterm elections.
Election mail is a mailpiece that an authorized election official creates for voters participating in the election process, while political mail is mail used for political campaign purposes.
General and midterm elections are scheduled every four and two years, respectively. Special elections are also held outside of this cycle for specific purposes, often to fill an office that has become vacant. The next midterm elections will be held on November 6, 2018.
We conducted site observations at six mail processing facilities that were processing election and political mail for five special elections held on January 16 and January 23, 2018. The sites we selected were the Milwaukee, WI, Pittsburgh, PA, and St. Paul, MN, Processing and Distribution Centers (P&DCs); the Charleston, SC, Processing and
Distribution Facility (P&DF); and the St. Paul and Pittsburgh Network Distribution Centers (NDCs). We also observed Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) operations at the Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and St. Paul P&DCs and the Charleston P&DF.
What the OIG Found
The Postal Service was not ready for the January 2018 special elections; however, since our field work it has improved readiness and should be ready for the timely processing of election and political mail for the 2018 midterm elections. Additionally, it has adequate response time for any further 2018 midterm election needs.
We found that communication between headquarters and the mail processing facilities needed improvement. Specifically, we found that plant managers at the six mail processing facilities we visited and seven of the eight election and political mail coordinators we interviewed said that headquarters did not notify them of the special elections in their processing service areas. The Manager, Operations Integration and Support, notified mail processing facilities by email about the special elections on January 18, 2018, after the start of our field work and the special elections.
In addition, we found employees at the Milwaukee and St. Paul P&DCs and the Charleston P&DF did not have an adequate understanding of the procedures for processing election and political mail. When election and political mail guidance, training, and service talks are not timely, employees are more likely to make errors or cause delays in the handling of election and political mail.
For example, we found election and political mail processing errors at three of the six sites we visited:
St. Paul NDC employees moved political mail to the P&DC staging area without telling P&DC management about the transfer. Other mail was staged in front of it, which could have caused the political mail not to be seen and expedited.
There was a sort plan error at the Charleston P&DF that caused additional manual sorting of election mail at the delivery station.
An employee at the Milwaukee P&DC removed ballots from automated mail processing because he believed the equipment would damage the mail.
We brought these issues to the attention of local management, who immediately corrected them during our site visits.
Finally, we found the Postal Service had not updated its internal election and political campaign mail website since 2016. This website includes standard operating procedures, services talks, handouts, presentations, and other resources for managers and employees to use during elections. The Manager,
Election and Political Mailing Service Products, said there had been no significant changes to the website’s information since 2016. They updated the internal site by the end of February 2018, after our field work was complete.
The eight election and political mail coordinators we interviewed cited five different websites they use to gather election and political mail information. One of the five websites was updated in February 2018, but the other four were not. We also found that the Postal Service posted two different lists of election and political mail coordinators for customers on USPS.com — one dated 2016 and the other dated 2018. We determined that the names of 38 of 74 coordinators (or over 51 percent) were different on the two published lists. We brought the four additional website and coordinator list discrepancies to the attention of the Manager, Operations Integration and Support, who corrected them immediately. When internal and external websites are outdated, users don’t know what election information is the most current.
The Postal Service’s Processing Operations Management Order (POMO-003-16) published in 2016 requires election and political mail area and district coordinators to communicate to all employees and act as the liaison for operations with headquarters, area, and district election and political mail teams. The election and political mail information in POMO-003-16 was updated and reissued in February 2018, after our field work and the special elections were complete. Election and political mail area and district coordinators are also supposed to conduct webinars, give employee service talks to provide election and political mail training to employees, and implement standard operating procedures. The training was provided to employees between February and April of 2018.
The Postal Service uses Informed Visibility to measure near real-time Intelligent Mail Barcode tracking information. We identified that in Quarter 1, FY 2018, the national performance score for election and political mail was about 92 percent — around 4 percent below the goal and more than 4 percent below the Quarter 1, FY 2017 score. The Manager, P&DC Operations, said that service performance decline reflects the overall service performance decline and is not isolated to election and political mail. He said several weather-related issues, as well as air transportation hub issues, contributed to the service performance decline.
What the OIG Recommended
We recommended management:
Ensure an annually updated and documented communication plan that includes all Postal Service election documents and web pages for headquarters and mail processing facilities for general, midterm, and special elections is available;
Conduct standardized election and political mail training for all mail processing employees at least annually; and
Update internal and external website information, including processing instructions and election and political mail coordinator contact information, annually at a minimum and no less than six months before, a general, midterm, or special election.
Source : https://www.postaltimes.com/postalnews
Electrical first for the Island
June 06, 2018
As the winner of the Green Fleet Award ‘Private Sector Fleet of the Year’ (small to medium), Jersey Post has been rewarded with the use of a state-of-the-art LDV EV80 van which is the only one of its kind in the island.
The new LDV electric van is currently being tested on a range of delivery rounds to ascertain whether a larger electric vehicle would be as well suited to the Jersey roads and driving style as the hugely successful smaller electric vans currently in use.
With Jersey Post’s monthly parcel delivery figures now approaching 55,000 per month, certain delivery rounds would benefit from a larger vehicle which could hold an increased amount of parcels. Once the year-long trial has been completed, Jersey Post will be replacing a further 15 of its existing fleet vehicles with the most suitable electric models.
In 2016, Jersey Post implemented a cleaner delivery fleet strategy with the overall aim of reducing the emissions of the 120-strong vehicle fleet. The organisation purchased 15 Nissan e-NV200s and 22 electric powered bicycles in 2016, and the electric fleet was doubled in 2017 when Jersey Post added an additional 15 Nissans. These electric additions have reduced Jersey Post’s fuel CO2 emissions by an average of 150g/km per vehicle.
Niall McClure, Managing Director of Postal Operations, said, “Winning the award was a fantastic achievement for the team at Jersey Post. The electric vehicle project has been a huge undertaking and the award recognises this and the amount of work that has been completed to date. We are delighted to receive the new LDV electric van and we have put it immediately into action on our delivery rounds. Our electric fleet is proving to be a great success and we hope that the LDV electric van trial will ultimately lead to further delivery enhancements for our customers.”
All Jersey Post’s electric vans display the same green fleet livery – an image of Jersey made up of environmental words - so that they are easily recognised when out on delivery.
Source : https://www.jerseypost.com
No.48 -2018
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
Blockchain Disruption Report. June 8, 2018
DPD deploys electric trikes for parcel deliveries in German cities. June 8 2018
Posti’s new OmaPosti mobile app combines online shopping, invoices and letters. June 6,2018.
Pay boost for Quadrant workers. June 6 ,2018.
Swiss Post begins transporting laboratory samples for Insel Gruppe. May 5, 2018.
Blockchain Disruption Report
June 8, 2018
Transport Systems Catapult (TSC) and the University of Sheffield have published a new report which argues that blockchain could “provide the underpinnings for a future integrated transport system, without the need for large and costly centralised control mechanisms”.
According to TSC, the technology is still some years from full maturity, but “synergies exist in areas like Freight and Logistics, Autonomous Vehicles and Mobility as a Service, where the technology could be applied in the future”. TSC said that this is because “these areas will involve multiple businesses with potentially competing interests, who require trust and transparency to share data and work together seamlessly – which plays to the strengths of Blockchain”.The report also suggests that Blockchain could also help integrate Autonomous Drone fleets into the existing transport network, without the need to establish large regulatory organisations to track and monitor use and licensing.
In a statement issued on Wednesday (6 June), TSC Chief Technology Officer Mark Westwood, said: “The TSC’s unique neutral and trusted position allows us to provide a balanced voice against the positive and negative messages around Blockchain through this report. We need to help decision makers understand the potential benefits and limitations of Blockchain technology. It is also important to analyse potential use cases to find out if Blockchain is a good fit, or if other technologies could provide a better solution.
“Blockchain is still a new technology, but it has the potential to disrupt parts of the transport industry in a similar way as it has in finance. Other countries and business are exploring its potential right now. The technology’s disruptive potential is such that the UK transport industry needs to start paying attention, so we are not caught out later.”
Professor Lenny Koh, Director of Advanced Resource Efficiency Centre (AREC), at the University of Sheffield’s Management School, added: “Our transport systems and their wider networks and supply chains are increasingly digitalised. The traditional ways of managing transactions and resources in-order to provide frictionless processes, mobility, products and services to users are no longer efficient. In this partnership between the Transport Systems Catapult and The University of Sheffield, we explore the potential of blockchain to address these challenges.
“Blockchain as a disruptive technology, to be used in conjunction with Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Cloud can add further value and have a transformational impact on transport including the acceleration of the Machine-to-Machine (M2M) economy.”
Source : https://postandparcel.info
DPD deploys electric trikes for parcel deliveries in German cities
June 8 2018
DPD Germany has unveiled its plans to deploy eight fully electric tricycles for parcel deliveries in the cities of Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne.
The ‘TRIPLs’ from Danish manufacturer EWII are emission-free and are nimble and compact enough to drive right up to the front door of customers, saving both time and inner-city congestion.
Gerd Seber, group manager sustainability and innovation at DPD Germany, said, “Delivery in the city center is one of the biggest challenges for parcel services like DPD. While parcel volumes are growing rapidly, inner-city traffic is also growing. This is where our TRIPLs can help, because they make much faster progress on narrow and congested inner-city streets than our conventional delivery vans. The emission-free electric drive of the TRIPL not only reduces traffic, but also helps to conserve the environment.”
In Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne, DPD is using the TRIPL on inner-city delivery rounds with a high stop density, where only one or two parcels are delivered per stop. The TRIPL can make more stops per hour in tight urban spaces than a conventional van and comes into its own when there are only short distances between stops.
Due to its compact size and the locally emission-free electric drive, the TRIPL is also suitable for parcel deliveries in pedestrian zones or other traffic-restricted areas.
The charging capacity of the TRIPL battery is sufficient for urban delivery rounds of 80-100km (50-62 miles), while its maximum speed is 45km/h (28mph). The transport volume of the TRIPL amounts to 200kg (440 lb) and 750 liters, so that up to 50 smallish parcels can fit under the bonnet of the electric tricycle.
During a delivery round, the TRIPL delivery driver may have to load up the tricycle with parcels several times. For this purpose, the TRIPL either docks with a conventional van or loads up with parcels again at a micro-depot.
“The search for suitable and affordable space in the city center represents a decisive obstacle to the use of transport bikes and other small vehicles,” added Seber. “We would like even more support from cities and municipalities in this respect. We hope that positive examples like those in Nuremberg, Berlin or Rostock will find more imitators.”
DPD is also testing preproduction models of the VW e-Crafter in Hamburg, Berlin and Stuttgart. The VW e-Crafter is the first fully electric model in DPD’s preferred vehicle class. The van’s lithium-ion battery is fully integrated in the underbody. Depending on the version, the maximum payload is between 1 ton and 1.75 tons.
Source : https://www.postalandparceltechnologyinternational.com/news/vehicles-fleet
Posti’s new OmaPosti mobile app combines online shopping, invoices and letters
06.06.2018
Posti has rebuilt its mobile customer experience by listening to its customers’ wishes from the start. The new OmaPosti app allows for the administration of invoices, tracking and routing items and sending parcels for cheaper prices. OmaPosti will replace the current Posti application, which has over 100,000 monthly users.
OmaPosti was built with a focus on the services that create the most value for customers as well as their user experience. An electronic mailbox has a central function in the app, combining online shopping, invoices and letters into one clear view.
“The first version of OmaPosti is extremely handy for everyone who shops online. It’s now considerably easier to track and route online store items. Sending your parcels is also cheapest using OmaPosti,” explains Timo Korander, Head of Consumer and Digital Services at Posti.
OmaPosti makes it easier to manage your invoices. The app reminds you when your invoices are due and archives invoices and other messages in the service automatically. It is also easy to pay your invoices; in the first version in cooperation with OP Financial Group’s Pivo mobile wallet. In the future, more payment options will be added in the app.
In the first version of the service, the app will automatically receive electronic letters, i.e. invoices currently sent to Netposti. Paper invoices can also be paid easily in the app by taking a photograph of the invoice’s bar code. In the next phase, users can direct all invoices and e-invoices in their email to OmaPosti.
“OmaPosti is by no means ready. We are still actively developing it with users. We will add many features that make your everyday life easier in the near future,” Korander continues.
Posti’s goal is that OmaPosti will become one of the most popular apps in the everyday life of Finns.
Over 830,000 Finns have a Posti ID that is used to log in to OmaPosti.
You can download the OmaPosti app for free from Google Play or App Store.
Source : https://www.posti.com/en/media/media-news
Pay boost for Quadrant workers
June 6 2018
Pay rates for hundreds of Royal Mail catering workers will be increasing by 5.4 percent between now and next January, thanks to a negotiated package that has been overwhelmingly approved by members.
The deal, which was negotiated by CWU industrial assistant secretary Davie Robertson with the assistance of postal executive members Katrina Quirke and Shelley Banbury, pays a consolidated increase of 1 per cent backdated to October 2017 and a compound consolidated 3 per cent rise with effect from April 2018.
A further increase in benefits is due in January 2019 when a half-hour reduction in working time will further increase the hourly pay rate for all our less-than-full-time members.
Having backed the deal by 96 per cent majority, arrangements are being concluded with Quadrant to ensure that the new rates are applied and back pay is received as quickly as possible.
Commenting on the ballot result, Davie Robertson said: “We’re very pleased that members have given such a clear endorsement of this deal and that this much-needed and well-deserved increase in terms and conditions will be delivered.
“Our negotiating strategy throughout was to ensure that our members were properly rewarded for their efforts and commitment to the business and to ensure that pay in real terms was protected in relation to rises in the cost of living – and we feel that these objectives have been met with regard to this settlement. Over the period of the 18 month agreement, hourly rates will rise by 5.4% and in the current climate we believe that this is a significant achievement and well above average pay increases across the sector”.
The issue of Quadrant pay had been the subject of an emergency motion to the union’s annual conference back in April. At that time, prior to concluding an overall agreement, the company had required to adjust the pay rates for our Grade C members to bring them in line with the National Living Wage.
Delegates from the whole union unanimously backed a demand for the business to recommit to the negotiations in good faith and, speaking today, Davie repeated his thanks for the solidarity shown by the CWU postal membership as a whole.
“The message that was sent by that emergency motion clearly seems to have helped unlock the impasse we were in at that time and shows once again that the stronger the solidarity and support, the better able we are to deliver the fair deal that all of our members deserve.”
Source : https://www.cwu.org/news
Swiss Post begins transporting laboratory samples for Insel Gruppe
May 5, 2018
Following on from Lugano, transport drones will now fly in the capital city of Berne: Swiss Post is currently working together with drone manufacturer Matternet to evaluate the link between the Tiefenau hospital and University Hospital Insel. The drones transport lab samples in an quick and efficient manner, which saves doctors and patients crucial time compared to couriers on the road. Drone flights will also be taking place in Zurich in the near future.
In the pilot project in Berne, the drone connects the central laboratory at the Inselspital hospital with the hospital in Tiefenau. “When lab samples need to be transported as quickly as possible from A to B, every minute counts. This is why this pilot project is so visionary”, says Uwe E. Jocham, Insel Gruppe’s CEO. The laboratory samples are currently transported by courier. For urgent cases, Insel Gruppe uses a taxi. “Within two weeks, we want to evaluate whether the use of the drone offers real added value to them and, ultimately, to patients,” says Claudia Pletscher, Head of Development & Innovation at Swiss Post.
To ensure that the results are as informative as possible, the drone is being deployed on at least ten effective flight days over two weeks. The flights will then be jointly evaluated and Insel Gruppe will decide whether to use drones for day-to-day transportation of lab samples in the future. Following the evaluation of the route in Berne (Insel Gruppe), Swiss Post will look into a further route between the main laboratory, ZLZ Zentrallabor Zürich, and the ZLZ emergency laboratory at the Hirslanden Klinik Im Park.
Swiss Post consolidates its pioneering role in drone logistics
Swiss Post is one of the first companies in the world to operate autonomous drones in transport for commercial use, in conjunction with Matternet. With the new transport routes in Berne and Zurich, Swiss Post is once again demonstrating its pioneering role in drone logistics and its innovative strength. For Swiss Post, the drone as a logistics solution is particularly attractive over the last mile. The focus is on the transport of special consignments in the medical sector or the delivery of supplies to places cut off from the outside world after a storm. In the future, drones will complement mail carriers sensibly, but they will not replace them. Swiss Post is also testing other autonomous systems, including for example intelligent shuttles.
Talks with FOCA, Skyguide and air force
In March 2017, Swiss Post and Matternet presented the first drone connection between two hospitals in Lugano to the public. The second phase of the project in Lugano started in early October (see press release). The interim results look very positive: the drone has now completed more than 1,000 flights without incident. Since the initial tests, there has been a great deal of interest in the use of the drones in the medical sector. With the experience gathered, Swiss Post can now offer this service to other partners in the healthcare sector – in close consultation with other users of our airspace, the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA), which is responsible for regulation, the Swiss Air Force and Skyguide. FOCA has been involved in the project from the outset: it has inspected the drone and its safety components, defined the legal conditions for flying it, and now granted Swiss Post and Matternet approval for the flights in Berne and Zurich.
Source : https://www.post.ch/en/about
POSTAL NEWS
No.49 -2018
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
EU Mobility Package: ver.di warns against a job destruction program for collectively-protected jobs. June 12, 2018.
NZ Post supporting warmer Kiwi homes this Winter. June 11, 2018.
Kerry Logistics Launches Rail And Road Freight Services From China To Caucasus And Turkey. June 11, 2018.
Processing Readiness for Election and Political Mail for the 2018 Midterm Elections. June 8, 2018.
Electrical first for the Island. June 06, 2018.
EU Mobility Package: ver.di warns against a job destruction program for collectively-protected jobs
June 12, 2018
Before the decisive consultation of the European Parliament on the Mobility Package for Road Transport Workers on Thursday (14 June), the United Services Trade Union (ver.di) turns to the Members of the European Parliament. "The vote by Parliament's Transport Committee is catastrophic for workers and companies in the sector. It must not be made the basis for the new regulations on posting, driving time and rest periods. We therefore urge the MEPs to support the request for further discussion of the new regulations in the plenary session of the Parliament. It's about the future of jobs and businesses, "said deputy ver.di chairman Andrea Kocsis.
Among other things, the vote by the Committee on Transport stipulates that truck drivers and bus drivers in international transport are excluded from the Entender Directive. This would mean, for example, that a bus or truck driver employed by a Bulgarian company could transport people or goods between Germany and France for the Bulgarian minimum wage of EUR 235 per month. It should also be possible in the driving and rest periods again, that the employees spend all weekly rest periods in the cab. This would further boost the mailbox firm's business model, according to which a company in an EU country maintains a head office that only serves to conclude employment contracts on less favorable terms than in the country where the service is provided.
The European Parliament's Transport Committee, responsible for the new legislation on posting, driving time and rest periods, voted in favor of massive deterioration on 4 June, defying the position previously developed by the Employment Committee. Should Parliament vote against further deliberations in plenary and for the inclusion of the so-called trilogue, the proposal of the Committee on Transport would form the basis of a compromise to be found between the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament.
Source : https://psl.verdi.de/presse
NZ Post supporting warmer Kiwi homes this Winter
June 11, 2018
NZ Post and New Zealand Red Cross are calling on Kiwis to donate their pre-loved curtains to help keep people in vulnerable situations warm this winter.
To help build resilience in communities, NZ Post and New Zealand Red Cross have joined forces to launch the Red Cross Curtain Call. This is a national campaign supporting Red Cross Curtain Banks in Whakatane, Tauranga, Gisborne, Palmerston North and Invercargill.
NZ Post Chief Marketing Officer Bryan Dobson says the generosity of New Zealanders can make a real difference.
"Winter can be very cold in New Zealand. At this time of year Kiwis around the country are preparing for the winter ahead, and donating your pre-loved curtains can really help provide warmth for those who need it.
"NZ Post is supporting the campaign by collecting the curtains for free. We're pleased we are able to use our vast transport network for this important cause."
New Zealand Red Cross General Manager Fundraising, Marketing and Communications, Shane Chisholm, says the Curtain Banks have helped thousands of people stay warm during the chilly winter months.
"Our members volunteer their time to bring these pre-loved curtains back to life, providing free, lined curtains to low-income individuals and families who don't have the resources to purchase them. The curtains are tailor-made to fit the windows of the recipients' homes to help insulate them, providing a warmer, healthier place to live.”
The Red Cross Curtain Call begins today (Monday June 11) and continues for six weeks. More information can be found at www.nzpost.co.nz/curtaincall
Call 0800 COURIER to have your curtains collected for FREE and help us keep vulnerable Kiwis warm this winter.
Source : https://www.nzpost.co.nz/about-us/media-centre
Kerry Logistics Launches Rail And Road Freight Services From China To Caucasus And Turkey
June 11, 2018
Kerry Logistics is launching new cross-border rail and trucking services running from China through Kazakhstan to Caucasus and Turkey.
Starting from Lianyungang, the bridgehead of the New Eurasian Land Bridge in China, the new westbound rail freight service will bring shipments across Kazakhstan and Caspian Sea to multiple destinations in Turkey through the newly-built Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway. Kerry Logistics will be offering both block train and single wagon services and the transit time will be 18-20 days. The main products to be moved by the new cross-border services will include electronic parts, electrical appliances, minerals, auto parts, and other industrial goods.
In addition to the rail freight service, a trucking service along the same trade route from China to Caucasus and Turkey has also been launched with an addition of 50 trucks to the company’s existing fleet. This service will have a faster transit time, of around 12-14 days.
In a statement sent to Post&Parcel today (11 June), Edwardo Erni, Managing Director – China & North Asia of Kerry Logistics, said: “We are excited about the launch of this new cross-border service. With our rail freight and trucking capabilities extending their reach to the strategic locations of Turkey and Caucasus, we will be able to grasp the immense market opportunities presented by the Belt and Road initiative with our enhanced position in the region.”
Source : https://postandparcel.info
Processing Readiness for Election and Political Mail for the 2018 Midterm Elections
June 8, 2018
Objective
The objective of our audit was to evaluate the Postal Service’s readiness for timely processing of election and political mail for the 2018 midterm elections.
Election mail is a mailpiece that an authorized election official creates for voters participating in the election process, while political mail is mail used for political campaign purposes.
General and midterm elections are scheduled every four and two years, respectively. Special elections are also held outside of this cycle for specific purposes, often to fill an office that has become vacant. The next midterm elections will be held on November 6, 2018.
We conducted site observations at six mail processing facilities that were processing election and political mail for five special elections held on January 16 and January 23, 2018. The sites we selected were the Milwaukee, WI, Pittsburgh, PA, and St. Paul, MN, Processing and Distribution Centers (P&DCs); the Charleston, SC, Processing and
Distribution Facility (P&DF); and the St. Paul and Pittsburgh Network Distribution Centers (NDCs). We also observed Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) operations at the Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and St. Paul P&DCs and the Charleston P&DF.
What the OIG Found
The Postal Service was not ready for the January 2018 special elections; however, since our field work it has improved readiness and should be ready for the timely processing of election and political mail for the 2018 midterm elections. Additionally, it has adequate response time for any further 2018 midterm election needs.
We found that communication between headquarters and the mail processing facilities needed improvement. Specifically, we found that plant managers at the six mail processing facilities we visited and seven of the eight election and political mail coordinators we interviewed said that headquarters did not notify them of the special elections in their processing service areas. The Manager, Operations Integration and Support, notified mail processing facilities by email about the special elections on January 18, 2018, after the start of our field work and the special elections.
In addition, we found employees at the Milwaukee and St. Paul P&DCs and the Charleston P&DF did not have an adequate understanding of the procedures for processing election and political mail. When election and political mail guidance, training, and service talks are not timely, employees are more likely to make errors or cause delays in the handling of election and political mail.
For example, we found election and political mail processing errors at three of the six sites we visited:
St. Paul NDC employees moved political mail to the P&DC staging area without telling P&DC management about the transfer. Other mail was staged in front of it, which could have caused the political mail not to be seen and expedited.
There was a sort plan error at the Charleston P&DF that caused additional manual sorting of election mail at the delivery station.
An employee at the Milwaukee P&DC removed ballots from automated mail processing because he believed the equipment would damage the mail.
We brought these issues to the attention of local management, who immediately corrected them during our site visits.
Finally, we found the Postal Service had not updated its internal election and political campaign mail website since 2016. This website includes standard operating procedures, services talks, handouts, presentations, and other resources for managers and employees to use during elections. The Manager,
Election and Political Mailing Service Products, said there had been no significant changes to the website’s information since 2016. They updated the internal site by the end of February 2018, after our field work was complete.
The eight election and political mail coordinators we interviewed cited five different websites they use to gather election and political mail information. One of the five websites was updated in February 2018, but the other four were not. We also found that the Postal Service posted two different lists of election and political mail coordinators for customers on USPS.com — one dated 2016 and the other dated 2018. We determined that the names of 38 of 74 coordinators (or over 51 percent) were different on the two published lists. We brought the four additional website and coordinator list discrepancies to the attention of the Manager, Operations Integration and Support, who corrected them immediately. When internal and external websites are outdated, users don’t know what election information is the most current.
The Postal Service’s Processing Operations Management Order (POMO-003-16) published in 2016 requires election and political mail area and district coordinators to communicate to all employees and act as the liaison for operations with headquarters, area, and district election and political mail teams. The election and political mail information in POMO-003-16 was updated and reissued in February 2018, after our field work and the special elections were complete. Election and political mail area and district coordinators are also supposed to conduct webinars, give employee service talks to provide election and political mail training to employees, and implement standard operating procedures. The training was provided to employees between February and April of 2018.
The Postal Service uses Informed Visibility to measure near real-time Intelligent Mail Barcode tracking information. We identified that in Quarter 1, FY 2018, the national performance score for election and political mail was about 92 percent — around 4 percent below the goal and more than 4 percent below the Quarter 1, FY 2017 score. The Manager, P&DC Operations, said that service performance decline reflects the overall service performance decline and is not isolated to election and political mail. He said several weather-related issues, as well as air transportation hub issues, contributed to the service performance decline.
What the OIG Recommended
We recommended management:
Ensure an annually updated and documented communication plan that includes all Postal Service election documents and web pages for headquarters and mail processing facilities for general, midterm, and special elections is available;
Conduct standardized election and political mail training for all mail processing employees at least annually; and
Update internal and external website information, including processing instructions and election and political mail coordinator contact information, annually at a minimum and no less than six months before, a general, midterm, or special election.
Source : https://www.postaltimes.com/postalnews
Electrical first for the Island
June 06, 2018
As the winner of the Green Fleet Award ‘Private Sector Fleet of the Year’ (small to medium), Jersey Post has been rewarded with the use of a state-of-the-art LDV EV80 van which is the only one of its kind in the island.
The new LDV electric van is currently being tested on a range of delivery rounds to ascertain whether a larger electric vehicle would be as well suited to the Jersey roads and driving style as the hugely successful smaller electric vans currently in use.
With Jersey Post’s monthly parcel delivery figures now approaching 55,000 per month, certain delivery rounds would benefit from a larger vehicle which could hold an increased amount of parcels. Once the year-long trial has been completed, Jersey Post will be replacing a further 15 of its existing fleet vehicles with the most suitable electric models.
In 2016, Jersey Post implemented a cleaner delivery fleet strategy with the overall aim of reducing the emissions of the 120-strong vehicle fleet. The organisation purchased 15 Nissan e-NV200s and 22 electric powered bicycles in 2016, and the electric fleet was doubled in 2017 when Jersey Post added an additional 15 Nissans. These electric additions have reduced Jersey Post’s fuel CO2 emissions by an average of 150g/km per vehicle.
Niall McClure, Managing Director of Postal Operations, said, “Winning the award was a fantastic achievement for the team at Jersey Post. The electric vehicle project has been a huge undertaking and the award recognises this and the amount of work that has been completed to date. We are delighted to receive the new LDV electric van and we have put it immediately into action on our delivery rounds. Our electric fleet is proving to be a great success and we hope that the LDV electric van trial will ultimately lead to further delivery enhancements for our customers.”
All Jersey Post’s electric vans display the same green fleet livery – an image of Jersey made up of environmental words - so that they are easily recognised when out on delivery.
Source : https://www.jerseypost.comPOSTAL NEWS
No.49 -2018
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
EU Mobility Package: ver.di warns against a job destruction program for collectively-protected jobs. June 12, 2018.
NZ Post supporting warmer Kiwi homes this Winter. June 11, 2018.
Kerry Logistics Launches Rail And Road Freight Services From China To Caucasus And Turkey. June 11, 2018.
Processing Readiness for Election and Political Mail for the 2018 Midterm Elections. June 8, 2018.
Electrical first for the Island. June 06, 2018.
EU Mobility Package: ver.di warns against a job destruction program for collectively-protected jobs
June 12, 2018
Before the decisive consultation of the European Parliament on the Mobility Package for Road Transport Workers on Thursday (14 June), the United Services Trade Union (ver.di) turns to the Members of the European Parliament. "The vote by Parliament's Transport Committee is catastrophic for workers and companies in the sector. It must not be made the basis for the new regulations on posting, driving time and rest periods. We therefore urge the MEPs to support the request for further discussion of the new regulations in the plenary session of the Parliament. It's about the future of jobs and businesses, "said deputy ver.di chairman Andrea Kocsis.
Among other things, the vote by the Committee on Transport stipulates that truck drivers and bus drivers in international transport are excluded from the Entender Directive. This would mean, for example, that a bus or truck driver employed by a Bulgarian company could transport people or goods between Germany and France for the Bulgarian minimum wage of EUR 235 per month. It should also be possible in the driving and rest periods again, that the employees spend all weekly rest periods in the cab. This would further boost the mailbox firm's business model, according to which a company in an EU country maintains a head office that only serves to conclude employment contracts on less favorable terms than in the country where the service is provided.
The European Parliament's Transport Committee, responsible for the new legislation on posting, driving time and rest periods, voted in favor of massive deterioration on 4 June, defying the position previously developed by the Employment Committee. Should Parliament vote against further deliberations in plenary and for the inclusion of the so-called trilogue, the proposal of the Committee on Transport would form the basis of a compromise to be found between the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament.
Source : https://psl.verdi.de/presse
NZ Post supporting warmer Kiwi homes this Winter
June 11, 2018
NZ Post and New Zealand Red Cross are calling on Kiwis to donate their pre-loved curtains to help keep people in vulnerable situations warm this winter.
To help build resilience in communities, NZ Post and New Zealand Red Cross have joined forces to launch the Red Cross Curtain Call. This is a national campaign supporting Red Cross Curtain Banks in Whakatane, Tauranga, Gisborne, Palmerston North and Invercargill.
NZ Post Chief Marketing Officer Bryan Dobson says the generosity of New Zealanders can make a real difference.
"Winter can be very cold in New Zealand. At this time of year Kiwis around the country are preparing for the winter ahead, and donating your pre-loved curtains can really help provide warmth for those who need it.
"NZ Post is supporting the campaign by collecting the curtains for free. We're pleased we are able to use our vast transport network for this important cause."
New Zealand Red Cross General Manager Fundraising, Marketing and Communications, Shane Chisholm, says the Curtain Banks have helped thousands of people stay warm during the chilly winter months.
"Our members volunteer their time to bring these pre-loved curtains back to life, providing free, lined curtains to low-income individuals and families who don't have the resources to purchase them. The curtains are tailor-made to fit the windows of the recipients' homes to help insulate them, providing a warmer, healthier place to live.”
The Red Cross Curtain Call begins today (Monday June 11) and continues for six weeks. More information can be found at www.nzpost.co.nz/curtaincall
Call 0800 COURIER to have your curtains collected for FREE and help us keep vulnerable Kiwis warm this winter.
Source : https://www.nzpost.co.nz/about-us/media-centre
Kerry Logistics Launches Rail And Road Freight Services From China To Caucasus And Turkey
June 11, 2018
Kerry Logistics is launching new cross-border rail and trucking services running from China through Kazakhstan to Caucasus and Turkey.
Starting from Lianyungang, the bridgehead of the New Eurasian Land Bridge in China, the new westbound rail freight service will bring shipments across Kazakhstan and Caspian Sea to multiple destinations in Turkey through the newly-built Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway. Kerry Logistics will be offering both block train and single wagon services and the transit time will be 18-20 days. The main products to be moved by the new cross-border services will include electronic parts, electrical appliances, minerals, auto parts, and other industrial goods.
In addition to the rail freight service, a trucking service along the same trade route from China to Caucasus and Turkey has also been launched with an addition of 50 trucks to the company’s existing fleet. This service will have a faster transit time, of around 12-14 days.
In a statement sent to Post&Parcel today (11 June), Edwardo Erni, Managing Director – China & North Asia of Kerry Logistics, said: “We are excited about the launch of this new cross-border service. With our rail freight and trucking capabilities extending their reach to the strategic locations of Turkey and Caucasus, we will be able to grasp the immense market opportunities presented by the Belt and Road initiative with our enhanced position in the region.”
Source : https://postandparcel.info
Processing Readiness for Election and Political Mail for the 2018 Midterm Elections
June 8, 2018
Objective
The objective of our audit was to evaluate the Postal Service’s readiness for timely processing of election and political mail for the 2018 midterm elections.
Election mail is a mailpiece that an authorized election official creates for voters participating in the election process, while political mail is mail used for political campaign purposes.
General and midterm elections are scheduled every four and two years, respectively. Special elections are also held outside of this cycle for specific purposes, often to fill an office that has become vacant. The next midterm elections will be held on November 6, 2018.
We conducted site observations at six mail processing facilities that were processing election and political mail for five special elections held on January 16 and January 23, 2018. The sites we selected were the Milwaukee, WI, Pittsburgh, PA, and St. Paul, MN, Processing and Distribution Centers (P&DCs); the Charleston, SC, Processing and
Distribution Facility (P&DF); and the St. Paul and Pittsburgh Network Distribution Centers (NDCs). We also observed Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) operations at the Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and St. Paul P&DCs and the Charleston P&DF.
What the OIG Found
The Postal Service was not ready for the January 2018 special elections; however, since our field work it has improved readiness and should be ready for the timely processing of election and political mail for the 2018 midterm elections. Additionally, it has adequate response time for any further 2018 midterm election needs.
We found that communication between headquarters and the mail processing facilities needed improvement. Specifically, we found that plant managers at the six mail processing facilities we visited and seven of the eight election and political mail coordinators we interviewed said that headquarters did not notify them of the special elections in their processing service areas. The Manager, Operations Integration and Support, notified mail processing facilities by email about the special elections on January 18, 2018, after the start of our field work and the special elections.
In addition, we found employees at the Milwaukee and St. Paul P&DCs and the Charleston P&DF did not have an adequate understanding of the procedures for processing election and political mail. When election and political mail guidance, training, and service talks are not timely, employees are more likely to make errors or cause delays in the handling of election and political mail.
For example, we found election and political mail processing errors at three of the six sites we visited:
St. Paul NDC employees moved political mail to the P&DC staging area without telling P&DC management about the transfer. Other mail was staged in front of it, which could have caused the political mail not to be seen and expedited.
There was a sort plan error at the Charleston P&DF that caused additional manual sorting of election mail at the delivery station.
An employee at the Milwaukee P&DC removed ballots from automated mail processing because he believed the equipment would damage the mail.
We brought these issues to the attention of local management, who immediately corrected them during our site visits.
Finally, we found the Postal Service had not updated its internal election and political campaign mail website since 2016. This website includes standard operating procedures, services talks, handouts, presentations, and other resources for managers and employees to use during elections. The Manager,
Election and Political Mailing Service Products, said there had been no significant changes to the website’s information since 2016. They updated the internal site by the end of February 2018, after our field work was complete.
The eight election and political mail coordinators we interviewed cited five different websites they use to gather election and political mail information. One of the five websites was updated in February 2018, but the other four were not. We also found that the Postal Service posted two different lists of election and political mail coordinators for customers on USPS.com — one dated 2016 and the other dated 2018. We determined that the names of 38 of 74 coordinators (or over 51 percent) were different on the two published lists. We brought the four additional website and coordinator list discrepancies to the attention of the Manager, Operations Integration and Support, who corrected them immediately. When internal and external websites are outdated, users don’t know what election information is the most current.
The Postal Service’s Processing Operations Management Order (POMO-003-16) published in 2016 requires election and political mail area and district coordinators to communicate to all employees and act as the liaison for operations with headquarters, area, and district election and political mail teams. The election and political mail information in POMO-003-16 was updated and reissued in February 2018, after our field work and the special elections were complete. Election and political mail area and district coordinators are also supposed to conduct webinars, give employee service talks to provide election and political mail training to employees, and implement standard operating procedures. The training was provided to employees between February and April of 2018.
The Postal Service uses Informed Visibility to measure near real-time Intelligent Mail Barcode tracking information. We identified that in Quarter 1, FY 2018, the national performance score for election and political mail was about 92 percent — around 4 percent below the goal and more than 4 percent below the Quarter 1, FY 2017 score. The Manager, P&DC Operations, said that service performance decline reflects the overall service performance decline and is not isolated to election and political mail. He said several weather-related issues, as well as air transportation hub issues, contributed to the service performance decline.
What the OIG Recommended
We recommended management:
Ensure an annually updated and documented communication plan that includes all Postal Service election documents and web pages for headquarters and mail processing facilities for general, midterm, and special elections is available;
Conduct standardized election and political mail training for all mail processing employees at least annually; and
Update internal and external website information, including processing instructions and election and political mail coordinator contact information, annually at a minimum and no less than six months before, a general, midterm, or special election.
Source : https://www.postaltimes.com/postalnews
Electrical first for the Island
June 06, 2018
As the winner of the Green Fleet Award ‘Private Sector Fleet of the Year’ (small to medium), Jersey Post has been rewarded with the use of a state-of-the-art LDV EV80 van which is the only one of its kind in the island.
The new LDV electric van is currently being tested on a range of delivery rounds to ascertain whether a larger electric vehicle would be as well suited to the Jersey roads and driving style as the hugely successful smaller electric vans currently in use.
With Jersey Post’s monthly parcel delivery figures now approaching 55,000 per month, certain delivery rounds would benefit from a larger vehicle which could hold an increased amount of parcels. Once the year-long trial has been completed, Jersey Post will be replacing a further 15 of its existing fleet vehicles with the most suitable electric models.
In 2016, Jersey Post implemented a cleaner delivery fleet strategy with the overall aim of reducing the emissions of the 120-strong vehicle fleet. The organisation purchased 15 Nissan e-NV200s and 22 electric powered bicycles in 2016, and the electric fleet was doubled in 2017 when Jersey Post added an additional 15 Nissans. These electric additions have reduced Jersey Post’s fuel CO2 emissions by an average of 150g/km per vehicle.
Niall McClure, Managing Director of Postal Operations, said, “Winning the award was a fantastic achievement for the team at Jersey Post. The electric vehicle project has been a huge undertaking and the award recognises this and the amount of work that has been completed to date. We are delighted to receive the new LDV electric van and we have put it immediately into action on our delivery rounds. Our electric fleet is proving to be a great success and we hope that the LDV electric van trial will ultimately lead to further delivery enhancements for our customers.”
All Jersey Post’s electric vans display the same green fleet livery – an image of Jersey made up of environmental words - so that they are easily recognised when out on delivery.
Source : https://www.jerseypost.com