POSTAL NEWS No 71-2021 Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
1. 1. ZTO Express partners with WeRide to develop L4 self driving delivery van. September 10, 2021. 2. Post increases wages for employees of the subsidiaries Epsilon and DMC. September 09, 2021. 3. Royal Mail workers win ‘Resilience Award’. September 08, 2021. 4. HELLENIC POST invests in ai to speed up the sorting process. September 06, 2021. 5. NZ Post has thousands of parcels in storage that can't be delivered to businesses. September 04, 2021.
1.ZTO Express partners with We Ride to develop L4 selfdriving delivery van September 10, 2021 Chinese autonomous vehicle operator WeRide has unveiled a new Level 4 self-driving delivery van, developed in partnership with Jiangling Motors (JMC) and carrier ZTO Express. The three companies will jointly undertake the Robovan’s commercial pilot operations with the view of designing purpose-built models for mass production. The Robovan’s design is based on JMC’s battery electric vehicle (BEV) model combined with WeRide’s full-stack software and hardware solutions. Tony Han, founder and CEO of WeRide, said, “WeRide has always emphasized that autonomous driving technologies should be used effectively in reality to serve the society. With the introduction of Robovan, the very first L4 self-driving cargo van in China, we have heralded a new era of autonomous driving for urban logistics in the country. “By teaming up with two key players in the sector, Jiangling Motors and ZTO Express, we continue to uphold the ‘triangle model’ of collaborating, an approach which We Ride has adopted since we developed passenger vehicles. We are aiming to deliver both smart mobility and smart logistics for cities in the future.” Renqun Jin, vice president of ZTO Express, said, “ZTO Express has been following the application of self-driving technology in urban logistics. By drawing on our strengths in hardware and software through this cooperation, we will jointly explore a new model for smart logistics and develop an integrated autonomous driving solutions for urban logistics.” Wenhui Jin, executive vice president of JMC, said, “This partnership will bring forth synergy which allows all parties to leverage on each other’s strengths. WeRide Robovan, one of the many achievements of this special trilateral partnership, will redefine urban logistics and inject new impetus into the industry.” WeRide currently operates its Robotaxi, Robovan and Mini Robobus and is dedicated to pursuing L4 autonomous driving technologies on both mobility and logistics services.
Source : https://www.parcelandpostaltechnologyinternational.com/news/vehicles-fleet
2.Post increases wages for employees of the subsidiaries Epsilon and DMC September 09, 2021 Swiss Post decides on a new wage standard for employees of the subsidiaries who distribute unaddressed advertising. It increases the wages of employees at Epsilon SA and Direct Mail Company AG. Swiss Post calls on the social partners and competitors to work towards a solution for the entire industry so that employment conditions for employees can be improved in the long term. Swiss Post has decided to introduce a new wage standard for employees who distribute unaddressed advertising. This applies to the employees of the Post subsidiaries such as Epsilon SA and Direct Mail Company AG (DMC). In doing so, Swiss Post is fulfilling its responsibility as a socially responsible employer. It takes the first step towards its stated goal: a binding solution for the entire industry so that the working conditions of all advertising contractors are improved - regardless of whether they bring brochures and flyers to households in Geneva or Aarau. In this context, Swiss Post is increasing the wages of its advertising agents at Epsilon and DMC by 5 percent to at least CHF 18.27 per hour as of January 1, 2022, this does not include the surcharges for vacations and public holidays. The 18.27 francs correspond to the statutory minimum wage for postal services. Including all surcharges, the contractors of the Post subsidiaries earn at least CHF 19.86 per hour. Swiss Post decides to adjust wages regardless of legal requirements. Because contracting unaddressed brochures and free newspapers is not considered a postal service according to the Postal Act. Swiss Post adjusts wages wherever the cantonal requirements would allow lower wages and where higher wages are not already being paid, such as in the canton of Geneva. Swiss Post expects social partners and competitors to support them in finding a solution for the entire industry Swiss Post is still convinced that an industry solution is the right way to go. "Together with our social partners syndicom and transfair, we are pursuing the same goal: better employment conditions and balanced wages in the entire advertising industry," says Johannes Cramer, head of the Logistic Services division and member of the group management. “However, it has been shown that comprehensive negotiations take longer. It is important to us not to carry out these negotiations at the expense of the employees, ”he explains. That is why Swiss Post is now taking the first step and is already adjusting its wages. «We want to set an example for the entire industry. Further steps - together with the social partners and competitors in the industry - must follow. " It is important for Swiss Post that everyone pulls in the same direction. This is the only way that Swiss Post's subsidiaries can remain competitive, keep orders and, at the same time, improve employee wages over the long term. “We mustn't waste any time on this, every day without a generally binding solution is at the expense of the employees concerned,” says Johannes Cramer. Swiss Post is now asking the social partners to work towards a solution for the entire industry. It also expects its competitors to catch up and also improve the working conditions of their employees. The skewers must be the same length for all actors. For Swiss Post, stricter rules cannot apply in competition than for any other company in the industry.
Source : https://www.post.ch/de/ueber-uns/medien/medienmitteilungen/2021
3.Royal Mail workers win ‘Resilience Award’ September 08, 2021 “Our whole country, the NHS and the Government depended on Royal Mail workers during the pandemic – and Royal Mail workers delivered,” said Dave Joyce, after the award of a ‘Resilient Workforce’ accolade at a business presentation in central London earlier this week. “It’s good to see some well-deserved public recognition of their heroic efforts,” our national health, safety & environment national officer added. This new category within the CIR Annual Business awards recognises the company’s most important asset – its workforce, Dave explained, and the judges looked for evidence of business continuity practices that put people at the heart of the organisation’s continuity planning as well as demonstrating involvement, communications and the organisation’s commitment to safeguarding the workforce, as a vital asset. Royal Mail Group entered the ‘Resilient Workforce Award’ to recognise the amazing response of the workforce in the UK Postal Service operation during the Covid-19 pandemic. Royal Mail Group was recognised for the collective response of the employer, trade unions and workforce, working through the Covid-19 pandemic as an essential UK service over the last 18 months. In his response Royal Mail’s global director of safety, health, wellbeing, compliance & sustainability Dr Shaun Davis RMG said: “The award highlighted the trust that was built as the business responded to the challenges of Covid to keep our people safe as we continued to deliver for the nation.” And, commenting further, Dave Joyce highlighted the “heroic commitment and dedication of UK front line CWU-grade postal workers in Royal Mail and Parcelforce in keeping the country connected and resiliently maintaining the postal service during the Covid-19 pandemic by delivering for the nation, not only a normal service but one which saw record levels of traffic passing through our network. “The country, the Government and the NHS depended on us and we delivered, proving that Royal Mail is the best in the world. I would personally like to dedicate this award to those colleagues who were Covid victims and are sadly no longer with us.” Source : https://www.cwu.org/news
4.HELLENIC POST invests in ai to speed up the sorting process September 06, 2021 Hellenic Post has launched new robotics systems for the fully digitalized processing of mail items at the Group’s facilities in Kryoneri. The system uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to handle postal items with ultrahigh speed and safety, while at the same time reflecting the Group’s practical commitment to investment in digital transformation. Hellenic Post’s new investment focuses on sorting, one of the most crucial links in the postal services chain. Until now, the job has been done by hand or has been semimechanised, but this was time-consuming and prone to error, resulting in delayed deliveries. By adding robots to the sorting process, Hellenic Post is using technology to distribute every parcel quickly, immediately, and error-free, even paving the way for future sameday deliveries. By utilising the capabilities of Artificial Intelligence, the new robotic sorting system: • Increases sorting speeds by 250% • Ensures next-day delivery (D+1) • Can handle approximately 80% of total deliveries • Provides automatic weight calculation and pricing of items • Reduces errors and better protects postal items • Offers sorting procedures in a Covid-free environment. The new robotic facility is a tool for our sorting staff, allowing the Hellenic Post Group to utilise its human resources more effectively and also to move decisively towards implementing its strategic objective of completely upgrading how it serves the public. At the same time, installing the robotic sorting system is a practical reflection of Hellenic Post’s digital shift, representing a huge technological leap and leading the group into the future, while laying the foundations for increased profitability and transforming Hellenic Post into a healthy, financially independent and competitive business that continues to operate in the service of citizens.
Source : https://postandparcel.info/141423/news/post
5.NZ Post has thousands of parcels in storage that can't be delivered to businesses September 04, 2021 New Zealand Post has thousands of parcels in storage that could not be delivered to businesses which were closed during lockdown, although it is getting through the backlog as lockdown levels ease. At the start of the week the state postal service had about 80,000 parcels in storage, although that had now shrunk to about 62,000 and is continuing to drop as businesses reopen following a step down to alert level 3, a spokeswoman said. Most were business-tobusiness deliveries, she said. “We can’t deliver to businesses that are closed,” the spokeswoman said. Unlike residential addresses where parcels could be left in mailboxes or instructed to be left in specific areas, at businesses there was often nowhere secure for parcels to be left, particularly if they required a signature, she said. That has affected businesses like Christchurch-based Tuatara Machinery which sells allterrain vehicles, primarily to farmers. Owner Geoff Hill couriered a laptop with specialised software to one of his farmer customers to enable the vehicle to be reprogrammed. However NZ Post was unable to deliver the parcel to the farmer’s business in Kumeu because of lockdown.
Hill said the tracking information stated the parcel was being processed at the depot, and he was frustrated he had not been contacted about the issue and that no attempt was made to deliver it to an alternative address. “This is despite the fact that the laptop was required to support an essential business and it creates a serious problem for our business because I also have another farmer customer who requires the same service and this is the only laptop that I have with this programme installed,” he said. The NZ Post spokeswoman said that in normal times, the postal service may have contacted senders to ask about alternative delivery options, but during lockdown its priority has been to ensure essential items were getting to consumers. On the first day of level 4 lockdown on August 18, 43,000 items went into the NZ Post network which then could not be delivered to businesses. The other half of the parcels went into the network over the next two weeks. Of the parcels which remain in storage, half are in Auckland, which is the only area of New Zealand which remains in level 4, with the rest of the country in level 3. “As businesses open, we can deliver to them,” she said, although she noted that was subject to some delays across the network due to a general increase in the volume of parcels. “In terms of this customer, we are really sorry that his experience with us has been frustrating,” she said. “We understand how important his item is to him and we are going to look into it with a matter of urgency and see what we can figure out for him.” She asked that people don’t send parcels to businesses that are closed. “Make sure that the address that you are sending the parcel to is the appropriate address, and that there is someone there to receive it if you are doing signature required,” she said.
Source : https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/126286435
POSTAL NEWS
No 73-2021 Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
1.Australia Post invests $82 million in new parcel facility for Perth to meet online shopping demand. September 17, 2021. 2.InPost revenue grows by more than 50% in the first half of 2021. September 16, 2021. 3.Tirez to “continue the long-term transformation” of bpost. September 15, 2021. 4.Amazon Union Drive Heads North to Canada. September 15, 2021. 5.Keep it cool. September 13, 2021.
1. Australia Post invests $82 million in new parcel facility for Perth to meet online shopping demand September 17, 2021 Australia Post is set to build a new parcel facility in Perth to meet the changing needs of Perth customers and businesses and keep pace with the strong demand driven by continued online shopping growth. At 23,000 sqm, the new purpose-built facility will be larger than the playing field at Optus Stadium, with state-of-the-art automated sortation and the capacity to process 14,000 parcels per hour on its first day of operation. Expected to be up and running in time for Christmas 2022, it has been designed with future scalability in mind, with the ability to process up to 23,000 parcels per hour. The new facility will be located in Welshpool near the existing Perth Parcel Centre site and Welshpool Business Hub, and will include an onsite parcel distribution centre to get parcels into customer’s hands even faster. Australia Post Acting Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Rodney Boys said the $82 million commitment was part of the organisation’s ongoing investment to meet growing eCommerce demand “Following last year’s investment of $450 million, Australia Post continues to invest to meet the phenomenal growth of 30.8 per cent year on year in online shopping with Australians spending more than $50 billion online last year,” Mr Boys said. “More recently, Western Australia’s online shopping grew 22.6 per cent in the 12 months to 31 August 2021 with close to one million WA households shopping online. “The high-speed sorting machinery and automation at this new facility will allow parcels to be processed faster and provide our customers with increased tracking visibility thanks to more scanning events, and will also be safer for our people by significantly reducing manual handling.” Australia Post Head of Operations in Western Australia Angus Becsi said the new investment showed that Australia Post was working hard to improve deliveries for West Australians while the challenges of the pandemic continue. “Impacts in other states do have a flow-on effect with our operations, so we know we need to keep investing in Western Australia to meet our customers’ needs and help us to deliver as efficiently as possible,” Mr Becsi said. “In addition to the Welshpool facility announced today, we’re also planning to deliver a new facility in Butler in October 2022, which will replace the current delivery centre in Clarkson, and we’ll be adding close to 200 more electric delivery vehicles to our fleet this year to help our posties deliver more parcels in the lead up to Christmas.
Source : https://newsroom.auspost.com.au/article
2.InPost revenue grows by more than 50% in the first half of 2021 September 16, 2021 Parcel locker manufacturer, InPost, reported a 54% year-on-year revenue growth in the first half of 2021 and a 30% revenue growth in the second quarter of 2021. Both growth statistics were partly driven by the acceleration of e-commerce in Poland due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Spearheading the company’s European expansion is Michael Rouse, who was recently appointed to InPost’s management board for four years on September 10. CEO and founder of InPost Rafal Brzoska pointed out how Rouses’s cultivation of a “a fast-paced tech environment” has aided the company’s expansion now “across eight countries in Europe.” Having spent the past year as CEO of InPost International, Rouse led the expansion of InPost business into UK and Italy. Moreover, Rouse was responsible for the integration of Mondial Relay to the overall InPost Group. Importantly, the increasing popularity of automated parcel machines (APMs) has played a significant role in the company’s recent growth, alongside InPost’s corresponding development of APM network size and density. In Poland, APM parcel volumes increased by 61% year-on-year to 165 million and international parcel volumes increased by 314% year-on-year to 2.9 million. InPost’s “Green City” program in Poland, where the e-commerce platform has established the “Green City” program in six of the country’s key cities, has also played a key role in this expansion. This program was designed to help reduce air pollution and enhance the well-being of regional communities, through deploying the latest generation of APMs. These new APMs will operate on renewable energy to tackle the final-mile challenge sustainably while promoting the company’s European expansion. Among these initiatives is the first renewable energy solution for APMs in Poland and InPost also received its first environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) rating from Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS). InPost has been able to accelerate its growth through its app, which is designed to be more convenient for customers and improve the proposition to their stakeholders. The number of “InPost Mobile” app users has increased to seven million. For the full year, InPost expects parcel volumes to be in the realm of 455-485 million with 445-470 million of that being in Poland, and predicts a revenue YOY growth of 46-52%. Brzoska noted, “While I expect the short term uncertainties from Covid-19 to continue, I am also certain that the accelerated shift to a digital economy is structural, driving an expanded e-commerce market opportunity, a greater focus on sustainability, and changing consumer preferences.”
Source : https://www.parcelandpostaltechnologyinternational.com/news/lockers-pudo
3.Tirez to “continue the long-term transformation” of bpost September 15, 2021 The bpost General Shareholders’ Meeting has appointed Dirk Tirez as director of the companyThe Special General Meeting of Shareholders held today appointed Mr. Dirk Tirez as director for a term ending after 6 years as from July 1, 2021. Ms. Audrey Hanard, Chair of the Board : “The Board of Directors is confident in Dirk to lead bpost in the coming years. Together with him, we look forward to continuing the long-term transformation into an internationally growing key player in e-commerce logistics while continuing to ensure the essential services in Belgium.” Dirk Tirez started his career at the law firm Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in New York as a member of the New York State Bar. He was then counsel to the office of the Minister of Finance. Before joining bpost in 2003, he was European general counsel and company secretary of NASDAQ Europe, a subsidiary of The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. At bpost, Dirk was member of the Group Executive Committee in charge of Strategy, M&A, Active Portfolio Management, Legal Corporate, Compliance, Regulatory & Public Affairs. He is also Chairman of the board of directors of bpost bank. Dirk graduated from the Law School at the KU Leuven, the College of Europe in Bruges and obtained, as BAEF-fellow, an LL.M. at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He participated in several executive education programs at the London Business School, INSEAD and the Harvard Business School.
Source : https://postandparcel.info/141995/news/post
4.Amazon Union Drive Heads North to Canada September 15, 2021 Teamsters targets warehouse in Alberta, setting stage for another campaign pitting unions versus the e-commerce retailer. OTTAWA—Organized labor’s efforts to unionize workers at Amazon.com Inc. AMZN - 0.74% warehouses have moved north to Canada following a failed drive this year at the e_commerce retailer’s operations in Alabama. The Canadian arm of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, one of America’s largest labor unions, said Tuesday it requested that labor regulators in the province of Alberta certify a union for workers at an Amazon warehouse in the town of Nisku, just south of the capital, Edmonton, and 300 miles north of the Montana border. To be eligible for certification in Alberta, 40% of the unit’s employees must sign a petition in support of unionization. Pending verification of the signatures, the Alberta Labour Relations Board will organize a secret-ballot vote among the warehouse’s roughly 800 employees on whether the union drive will succeed. A spokeswoman for the labor board said the agency received the Teamsters’ application, but declined to comment on next steps. A spokesman for Teamsters said a surge of Covid_19 cases in the province could complicate the timing of a certification vote. “We are not anti-Amazon. We are simply trying to help Amazon workers,” said François Laporte, president of Teamsters Canada. “We are not bothered by the fact that Amazon is a successful company. We are bothered when we hear about workers not getting their fair share, or not being treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.” An Amazon spokesman said the company doesn’t believe unions are the best way for employees to make gains. “Every day we empower people to find ways to improve their jobs, and when they do that we want to make those changes—quickly. That type of continuous improvement is harder to do quickly and nimbly with unions in the middle,” the spokesman said.
On Monday, Amazon said it planned to hire 15,000 full-time and part-time employees across Canada, and increase wages for front-line employees to as high as 21.65 Canadian dollars per hour, or the equivalent of $17. Minimum wages are set by Canada’s regional governments and range from C$11.75 to C$16 an hour. The company currently employs 25,000 people in Canada. The company plans to add 125,000 employees in the U.S. as it prepares for the holiday shopping. No Amazon employee is represented by a union in the U.S. or Canada. Amazon earlier this year defeated a union drive at a warehouse in Alabama after 71% of employees who cast a vote rejected representation from the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. The election could be headed to a rerun after a federal labor official found Amazon violated labor practices during the vote, a charge Amazon has denied. Those who were in favor of the union in Alabama said they wished to bargain with Amazon on matters such as breaks and the rate at which they worked. Many workers voted against the union because they didn’t believe it would have a substantial impact on their compensation or workplace experiences, or were worried about taking on the company. The Teamsters is one of America’s largest labor unions, representing more than one million employees across North America that include package delivery, warehouse and trucking workers. The group in June said it would mobilize resources and staff toward aiding Amazon workers throughout the U.S. in organizing. In Canada, labor law is largely a provincial jurisdiction, with the exception of sectors— most notably airlines, railways and telecommunications—that the federal government regulates. Union certification tends to be more difficult in Alberta relative to other Canadian provinces, said Maurice Dransfeld, partner at Edmonton-based employment law firm McLennan Ross. Unlike other Canadian jurisdictions, Mr. Dransfeld said, Alberta allows employers to mount a campaign against unionization ahead of the vote.
Source : https://www.wsj.com/articles/
5.Keep it cool September 13, 2021 New service for cold chain packaging shipments USPS will offer a cold chain packaging service — used for shipping perishables and other items — to businesses and other customers, starting Sept. 12. The organization has been testing the packaging for several months with businesses that ship food, medical supplies and other items. Called Priority Mail Express Cold Chain Packaging, the service is designed specifically for products that must remain cold for up to 72 hours at 45 degrees or below during shipment. The packaging consists of a Priority Mail Express box and a 100 percent reusable polystyrene cooler insert. One pack of three boxes and inserts will be available at usps.com/postal store for $48. The service includes next-day to two-day delivery by 6 p.m. with a money-back guarantee. Customers must purchase Priority Mail Express postage and Extra Services — such as Return Receipt, additional insurance, and Adult Signature Required — at the time of mailing.
In 2019, the global cold chain packaging segment, which includes meal kit companies, was valued at $15 billion, according to a study by Grand View Research, a market data firm. Priority Mail Express Cold Chain Packaging is expected to help USPS gain market share in this growing segment.
Source : https://link.usps.com/2021/09/13/keep-it-cool/
POSTAL NEWS
No 74-2021 Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
1. Posties receive new mobile devices making an even more powerful delivery force. September 17, 2021. 2. Santa Claus’ Main Post Office at the Arctic Circle reopening on November 8. September 17, 2021. 3. DHL Express Japan expands e-vehicle fleet. September 15, 2021. 4. OMNIVA to offer pick-up services in 500 locations by the end of 2021. September 15, 2021. 5. President Hogrogian Issues Official Call for Bargaining Proposals. September 14, 2021 crucial feature when making deliveries seven days a week in all weathers. There is also an improved front and rear camera for the capture of images as proof of delivery for safe place deliveries if required. With an improved memory (8GB RAM) and hard drive capacity (32GB), the device is well placed to manage any future products and services in line with changing customer demand. Owing to an enhanced battery life, the device is also able to last longer and ensure high levels of service at all times. Wi-Fi reception and faster internet speeds are also key features. Running on a new Android 10 operating system, the device also gives Royal Mail’s delivery staff access to updated map capabilities. The device was selected following extensive trialling of different devices by postmen and postwomen across the UK who were impressed by the range of features it offered. Following the successful trial, around 72,500 new devices are being rolled out across the UK to Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide colleagues. Shiona Rolfe, Service Delivery Director at Royal Mail said: “Ensuring our people have access to the right tools to do the job is crucial as we look to re-invent Royal Mail for the next generations. Our team have been really impressed by the new devices which will deliver an enhanced experience for our customers while giving our colleagues’ a more user-friendly work experience.” The roll out is expected to be completed for Royal Mail in time for the busy Christmas season and by early next year for Parcelforce Worldwide colleagues.
Source : https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/
2.Santa Claus’ Main Post Office at the Arctic Circle reopening on November 8 September 17, 2021 Santa Claus’ Main Post Office in Santa Claus’ Village, Rovaniemi, at the Arctic Circle is reopening on Monday, November 8, 2021. The Post Office closed its doors temporarily on April 29 due to the general COVID-19 situation. “For Posti, Christmas is the most important time of the year. As we help to create Christmas, we want to be back in business in Santa Claus’ Village now that the COVID_19 restrictions are being lifted again. Situated in a prominent location, Santa Claus’ Main Post Office is an important part of the operations of Santa Claus’ Village, and we work in close cooperation with the other businesses in the area,” says Tuija Åkerman, Consumer Mail Business Unit, Posti. “Santa Claus’ Main Post Office provides customers with all of the postal services they need. Our best-selling products include stamps and cards, a Letter from Santa Claus that you can order and gifts labeled with a special logo. Santa Claus’ Main Post Office has its own postmark and stamps. In addition, we can send and receive parcels,” says Åkerman. Santa Claus’ Main Post Office receives half a million letters a year Each year, Santa Claus’ Main Post Office receives nearly half a million letters. The same was true last year, even though postal communications throughout the world were not operating as normal due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Letters arrived in abundance from Finland and Europe. Many of them wished for the pandemic to end. The number of people wishing for material presents had fallen from the previous years. Many letters from China included new, colorful, Christmas-themed face masks for Santa. Santa’s response letters around the world were sent in early spring. In years gone by, he has received over 20 million letters. All letters are sorted and opened, and thousands get a surprise answer each year. Santa Claus’ Main Post Office is also the area’s local post office Santa Claus’ Main Post Office also acts as the local post office for the residents of the 96930 Arctic Circle postal code area. Customers can pick up items that have arrived by Sunday, November 7, from the R-kioski on Pohjolankatu. As of Monday, November 8, items to be picked up will be sent to the Arctic Circle post office. Customers in the 96930 Arctic Circle region will receive a public bulletin closer to the opening date of the Arctic Circle post office. The post office is open 7 days a week. The opening hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in November and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in December. Source : https://www.posti.fi/en/customer-support/news-releases
3.DHL Express Japan expands e-vehicle fleet September 15, 2021 DHL Express has purchased 10 new electric motorcycles from aidea Co. Ltd, a Tokyo-based electric vehicle manufacturer. The three wheel e-bike will be mainly used in metropolitan areas in Tokyo and Osaka – enhancing mobility in the last mile delivery for business documents and packagesaidea’s “AA Cargo α4” equipped with 3.85kWh large-capacity battery enables 98km of cruising range with only 3 hours charging time. DHL claims that implementing e-motorcycles could help to address various traffic issues in urban areas, such as lack of parking lots, narrow streets and traffic congestions. In addition, DHL has also introduced four of Mitsubishi Motor’s electric cargo vehicles to its fleet; these will be utilized in Tokyo. These initiatives are said to be in line with Deutsche Post DHL Group’s sustainability agenda to introduce 80,000 e-vehicles by 2030 for last mile deliveries. Tony Khan, President and Representative Director of DHL Express Japan, said, “The addition of these three wheel electric motorcycles to our fleet will further improve our mobility in urban areas and, at the same time, contribute to reducing our carbon emissions. To further improve the customer experience and reduce the impact on the global environment, we will continue to “green” our logistics without hesitation.” DHL states that in 2017, the group became the first logistics company in the world to set a clear target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. In March this year, the Group announced its new roadmap to decarbonization based on “Science Based Targets” and committed €7bn to invest in climate-neutral logistics until 2030.
Source : https://www.ti-insight.com/
4.OMNIVA to offer pick-up services in 500 locations by the end of 2021 September 15, 2021 Omniva announces cooperation with the largest retail franchise chain in Latvia The Latvian subsidiary of Omniva has entered into a cooperation agreement with SIA Narvesen Baltija to offer parcel pick-up services through the largest Latvian retail chain in more than 200 locations. Together with 92 new parcel machines to be installed at the end of the year, Omniva will offer the possibility to pick up parcels in more than 500 locations in Latvia by the end of 2021. “The rapid development of e-commerce during the pandemic and the continuing high demand for parcel services are forcing us to continue to look for new solutions and forms of cooperation. Despite the fact that this year, we are investing in expanding the parcel machine network and installing 92 new parcel machines in Latvia, we are pleased to have established cooperation with a reliable partner that will bring us even closer to our customers,” said Kristi Unt, Member of the Board of Omniva. Narvesen CEO Dace Dovidena is convinced that in the current unpredictable market conditions, companies that can respond quickly and adapt to the business environment and the needs of the customers will benefit.
“One of the main tasks of Narvesen is to be accessible to everyone, including in remote areas. That is our common goal with Omniva. As the services of Omniva are important to many Latvians, we are pleased to be able to provide the right infrastructure to make them even more widely available. This cooperation is the best way to achieve our goals by joining forces with like-minded partners so that all parties, especially the residents, benefit,” Dovidena emphasised. The new cooperation with Narvesen and the planned expansion of the parcel machine network by the end of this year will strengthen the position of the company and increase the number of parcel pick-up points to more than 500 by the end of the year. Picking up parcels at the sales points of Narvesen will be similar to picking them up from parcel machines. When the parcel reaches the pick-up point of Narvesen, the customer receives a text message and the parcel is handed t6311 the customer there on the basis of the parcel data. Narvesen is the largest franchise retail chain in Latvia, with 24 years of experience and more than 230 retail outlets employing more than 800 people. The company offers customers quality coffee, fresh food and snacks, and magazines throughout the city. Narvesen stands for a developed urban environment and happy citizens to make the daily life of customers even more enjoyable and everything necessary easily accessible. SIA Omniva Latvija, which offers parcel services in the Latvian market, was founded in 2012. Omniva has the largest parcel machine network in the Baltics with almost 800 parcel machines. It offers a high-quality, fast, and reliable service for the delivery of goods around the clock. There are currently 208 Omniva parcel machines in Latvia, located in 92 settlements in Latvia, and the number of machines will increase to 300 by the end of the year.
Source : https://postandparcel.info/141997/news/retail
5.President Hogrogian Issues Official Call for Bargaining Proposals September 14, 2021 With preparations underway for negotiations over the terms of the 2022 National Agreement between the NPMHU and the Postal Service, the National Office is issuing its official call for bargaining proposals from all members and Local Unions. To be fully considered prior to the onset of negotiations, proposals must be submitted by January 28, 2022. Although formal bargaining is not scheduled to begin until June, the Union’s Field Negotiating Committee will be meeting for a full week in February 2022 to review all submitted proposals and outline the changes in the National Agreement that should be proposed by the NPMHU. To be sure, planning for collective bargaining is a continuous process at the National Office, as the National Officers and representatives working in the Contract Administration Department routinely identify and collect proposals for improving the language currently found in the 2019 National Agreement. But an equally important aspect of preparing for bargaining is the collection and review of proposals generated by mail handlers across the country. Thus, National President Paul Hogrogian has issued this official call for bargaining proposals from the membership, the Local Unions, and other subordinate bodies of the NPMHU. If you have any proposals that you would like to have considered for the upcoming round of bargaining, now is the time to submit them to the National Office. Every proposal submitted will be fully analyzed by the NPMHU’s Field Negotiating Committee and the National Negotiations Team while the Union develops its opening bargaining proposals. All proposals should set forth the Article, Section, Paragraph, and/or Page of the National Agreement that you are suggesting should be changed; the specific language you would like to see added to, or deleted from, the current National Agreement; and your specific reasons for suggesting the change. If you have supporting evidence or documentation that you believe would support the change that you propose, please submit those materials to the National Office along with your proposals. The National Office is asking that all proposals be submitted as soon as possible, but in no event later than January 28, 2022. The National Office also has issued a form that can be used to submit proposals.
Source : https://www.npmhu.org/media/news
POSTAL NEWS
No 72-2021 Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
- ARAMEX CEO: the global transportation and logistics industry is undergoing a fundamental shift. September 10, 2021. 2. Early morning distribution managed by Posti Palvelut Oy ends in Vaasa. September 10, 2021. 3. Postal Service plans on hiring more than 40,000 seasonal workers. September 08, 2021. 4. Biden Administration Continues to Praise Unions. September 08, 2021. 5. Australia Post champions mental wellbeing with 4 million free postcards to help people connect. September 06, 2021.
1.ARAMEX CEO: the global transportation and logistics industry is undergoing a fundamental shift September 10, 2021 Aramex is adopting a new operating model with the strategic objective of enhancing customer service levels and operating efficiencies while capturing greater global market share within both the B2C and B2B customer segments. Aramex Express, which includes international and domestic delivery solutions will serve the B2C customer base including Shop & Ship, e-commerce, FMCG, SMEs and other customers needing innovative last mile solutions. Meanwhile, Aramex Logistics, which includes air freight, sea freight, land freight, and warehousing and distribution, will serve B2B customer base across multiple industries including oil & gas, healthcare & pharmaceutical, aerospace, retail & fashion, amongst others. To ensure the new operating model can successfully create greater value for multiple stakeholder groups, a Chief Operating Officer role has been created for each of Aramex Express and Aramex Logistics.
Mohammad Alkhas has been appointed COO for Aramex Logistics. Alkhas is a senior logistics executive with over 24 years of experience in leading large and diverse teams within the transport and logistics sector. He is re-joining Aramex, having spent 19 years with the organization through 2016, when he most recently served as Aramex’s Regional CEO for the GCC. Alaa Saoudi has been appointed COO for Aramex Express. Saoudi joined Aramex in 1998 and has held several senior geographic and operations positions. He was most recently Global Senior Director of Ground Operations for Aramex. All support functions, including Finance, Human Resources, Procurement, Digital and Customer Contact Centers will be provided centrally by Aramex’s Corporate Centre, which will also manage M&A and Strategy, Legal, Risk and Compliance to ensure global control and alignment across the newly formed clusters. Othman Aljeda, Group CEO of Aramex, said: “The global transportation and logistics industry is undergoing a fundamental shift, driven predominantly by the boom in ecommerce, supply chain disruptions, customers’ increasingly discerning expectations and the turbo speed of digitization. For Aramex to stay ahead of the curve and remain a competitive, reliable and sustainably growing industry leader, we decided to focus on capturing growth opportunities by decoupling our core services. By creating Aramex Express and Aramex Logistics we will have a more agile company, focused on capturing the right opportunities to grow and diversify our customer base, investing in and deploying the best and latest technologies, and operating at higher efficiency levels. The investments we are making in our business today will enable us to provide our customers with improved service levels, and our shareholder with long-term value.” New regional structure To support Aramex’s global growth ambitions, the organization has also created a new regional structure composed of the Americas; Europe; Sub-Saharan Africa; Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT); GCC; South Asia and North Asia; and Oceana.
Each region will be led by a Regional Vice President and will have dedicated Commercial and Operations teams focused on growing Aramex’s local footprint and driving commercial opportunities and customer-centric innovations. Each region will report to Andy Van der Velde, who has been appointed President. Van der Velde was previously Aramex’s Regional CEO for GCC, Australia, New Zealand and Southern Africa. Aramex has also appointed Dr. Johannes Distler as Chief Strategy Officer, a newly created role, with the purpose of ensuring the development and execution of Aramex’s corporate strategy as well as the group’s international expansion and M&A agenda. Dr. Distler joins Aramex from Roland Berger, where he was a Partner in the firm’s Dubai office. Alkhas, Saoudi, Van der Velde and Dr. Distler will all report directly to Othman Aljeda, Group CEO of Aramex. Thomas Kipp, who was appointed Aramex Group’s COO in November 2020, is leaving the company to pursue other interests. Market opportunity and growth ambitions Othman Aljeda, Group CEO of Aramex, said: “We see good growth opportunities in the express segment, which currently represents 70% of our revenues. We intend to continue to grow our express business by creating new trade lanes domestically and internationally, and scaling up ground operations to cater to growing customer demands, while continuing to invest in technology and automation. Our logistics business accounts for 28% of our revenues and we intend to aggressively grow our footprint in our core markets, and markets that will enable trade flow into the region. Therefore, we are investing in specialized warehouses to cater for high potential verticals, and are also scaling up infrastructure beyond main cities to provide extensive coverage. On freight forwarding, we see good growth opportunities in several sectors, one example being O&G with the revival in global oil prices and trade activity.” Source : https://postandparcel.info/141627/news/e-commerce 2.Early morning distribution managed by Posti Palvelut Oy ends in Vaasa September 10, 2021 The early morning distribution managed by Posti Palvelut Oy will end in Vaasa on 31 December 2021. I-Mediat Oy has terminated early morning distribution in theVaasa and Mustasaari areas. Due to the change, Posti Palvelut Oy has started co-operation negotiations in Vaasa's early morning distribution. Negotiations started on September 6, 2021. The target group for the negotiations includes 40 people working in early delivery. According to a preliminary estimate, the staff reduction need is 40 people. The impact on personnel will become clearer as the negotiations progress. As a responsible employer, Posti participates in supporting personnel in the event of change through the Change Unit, which provides personal support in career planning and seeks suitable solutions for Posti's internal job opportunities together with the business and employees. Early distribution will continue in the Vaasa and Mustasaari areas, managed by Posti Palvelut Oy, as usual until 31 December 2021. The change has no effect on Posti's basic distribution or Posti's other services in Vaasa.
Source : https://www.posti.com/en/media/media-news
3.Postal Service plans on hiring more than 40,000 seasonal workers September 08, 2021 Agency is once again loading up on capacity for the holidays The winter holidays aren’t what they used to be. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Hanukkah and other seasonal celebrations, store shelves usually could be found filled to the brim with holiday merchandise, but that’s a thing of the past with the supply chain facing some of the worst congestion it’s ever seen. People are shopping for their presents today, and it’s up to the supply chain to adjust to shifting consumer tendencies. The U.S. Postal Service is doing just that, as it announced Wednesday that it would again be looking to hire tens of thousands of seasonal workers for a second consecutive year. Last holiday season, the Postal Service hired more than 50,000 workers to cope with peaking delivery volumes, and this year the agency plans on filling more than 40,000 positions, including city and rural mail carriers, mail handlers and drivers. Interested job seekers can visit usps.com/hiring to find and apply for local positions. Even though average planned holiday spending per person declined by $50 from 2019 to 2020, falling from over $160 to under $120, the Postal Service struggled with gridlock last year, inundated with packages that it simply didn’t have the capacity to move. Of course, the government agency wasn’t the only carrier facing such issues. But as one of the three major U.S. delivery services alongside FedEx (NYSE: FDX) and UPS (NYSE: UPS), the Postal Service faced a greater burden to put gifts under the tree than most. That hasn’t changed, and the carrier is once again preparing to take on the holiday gauntlet. As it stands, the Postal Service isn’t quite ready for the holiday season, and the agency knows it. “Our entire organization is focused on delivering a successful holiday season. To make this happen, we need great people to join us to deliver for our local communities and our nation,” said CEO and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. “The Postal Service offers many opportunities for seasonal employment. For many, a seasonal role can be the start of an exciting career with the Postal Service.” To facilitate its efforts, the Postal Service is hosting 58 hiring fairs in cities across the country. A complete list can be found on the agency’s careers webpage. To attend one of the fairs, job seekers will need to preregister and follow social distancing and face mask guidelines. The Postal Service is acquiring more than just human capacity. The agency says it has leased “millions of additional square feet” of mail and package sortation facilities and has installed new processing equipment that can cope with the seemingly endless supply of mail and packages around the holidays. Already the agency is coping with extra handling costs due to heightened peak season demand. About a month ago it announced a temporary rate increase on several of its services to compensate for those losses, including for Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express. The Postal Service has also been dealing with a historically active hurricane season, highlighted by the devastating Hurricane Ida, and it’s only halfway over. These factors and more mean that the Postal Service will contend with another boogeyman of a holiday season in 2021, and the need for additional manpower may be greater now than it’s ever been.
Source : https://www.freightwaves.com/news
UNI Apro Post & Logistics 6 4.Biden Administration Continues to Praise Unions September 08, 2021 National Postal Mail Handlers Union President Paul V. Hogrogian and other union presidents and leaders met with President Joseph R. Biden, Secretary of Labor and LiUNA member Marty Walsh, and AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, on Wednesday, September 8, in honor of Labor Day. In his remarks, President Biden spoke to all the contributions that the labor community has made not only during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also how the labor movement was and is instrumental in the development of the middle class and building the national economy. “We’ve fundamentally transformed how we live and how we work in this country, and the reason we have is because of victories from labor,” President Biden commented. “When unions win, workers across the board win. That’s a fact.” Secretary Walsh stated, “It’s never been more clear [that] our economy, our community, our very own lives depend on working people…. Our country will never and must never forget that and what essential workers have done in the last eighteen months.” These words should resonate with NPMHU members as they have seen this dedication and the benefits of the labor movement firsthand. The NPMHU is grateful to see an Administration that is proud to side with labor organizations, and we look forward to continuing to work with President Biden and Secretary Walsh.
Source : https://www.npmhu.org/media/news
5.Australia Post champions mental wellbeing with 4 million free postcards to help people connect September 06, 2021 Australia Post is helping Australians stay connected by delivering more than 4 million specially designed prepaid postcards to rural and remote households across the country as part of its continued focus on mental health. Designed in collaboration with Australia Post’s mental health partner Beyond Blue, the postcards are divided into two sections with a part to keep, including helpful tips on how to maintain mental health, and a second part to write on and send to friends or loved ones in Australia free of charge. The free postcards are available from today at participating Post Offices, while stocks last, and from next week will start to arrive in regional letterboxes across the country. A limited number will also be included in select newspapers this Saturday. Australia Post Head of Community Nicky Tracey said the simple idea would have a positive impact on people’s mental health, particularly for those who are currently unable to visit friends and family.
“We know that when we connect, we feel better and sometimes a small message can be all it takes to make a big difference to someone you care about,” Ms Tracey said. “These postcards make it really easy to connect with a message of love, hope and support by simply putting a message on the card, addressing it and dropping it in a red post box.” Beyond Blue Chief Executive Officer Georgie Harman said the partnership with Australia Post helps to share important messages about mental health with communities across the country and reach people who continue to grapple with the impacts of bushfires, floods and droughts on top of the pandemic. “This postcard campaign will help us reach into rural and remote areas, where social and geographic isolation, weather impacts and difficulty accessing services can present mental health challenges,” Ms Harman said. “I really hope people will join in the spirit of this initiative, read the tips and send a card to a loved one. If we keep talking about mental health, we can smash the stigma and remove the barriers that hold people back from seeking support.” The postcard delivery is part of a broader campaign from Australia Post to support mental health, which includes in-store fundraising for Beyond Blue and staff wellbeing initiatives. It carries on from the 2020 release of a stamp titled ‘When we connect, we feel better’ which also came in a pair and enabled the sender to use one stamp to post a letter to a loved one including the second stamp so the recipient could write back easily.
Source : https://newsroom.auspost.com.au/article