WORLD POSTAL NEWS
No 23-2021
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
1. Review into possible merger between APSS and Sunsuper.
March 26, 2021. 2. Reducing receipts in Swiss Post's post offices. March 25, 2021.
3. Postal services: Light Friday delivery to continue throughout the country. March 24, 2021.
4. Postmaster General and Leadership of Union and Management Associations Form Joint Task Force on Service Performance. March 23, 2021.
5. Oman Post ASYAD Express opens fulfilment center. March 21, 2021.
1. Review into possible merger between APSS and Sunsuper
March 26, 2021
Members of the Australia Post Superannuation Scheme (APSS) should shortly receive correspondence from the APSS Trustee regarding a detailed review they are embarking on, in an effort to explore a possible merger of the APSS with industry super fund Sunsuper.
For some time, the Trustee board has been exploring options to provide APSS members with improved services and protection of the defined benefit that employee members currently enjoy. As more members reach retirement age and benefits are drawn down, it is critical that the fund remains sustainable in the long term.
After canvassing many different scenarios, merging with a super fund as large and as healthy as Sunsuper is seen by the Trustee as the most appropriate way forward to ensure the fund can continue to meet its obligations well into the future, and offer improved
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service offerings, advice and options for members who can then progress to savings, rollover and pension accounts.
The Union is not fundamentally opposed to the review, nor a possible merger, so long as members receive access to an improved product that continues to maintain the benefits members currently enjoy – this includes the defined benefit formula and continuation of Australia Post’s support and funding of the defined benefit, administration fees and death and total and permanent disablement cover.
To date, the APSS Trustee has engaged in a genuine and detailed consultation process with the Union on their considerations, and we are confident that will continue. Members can have confidence in the process, noting that National Secretary Greg Rayner and former WA Branch Secretary Bryan Watkins remain as employee representative Directors on the APSS Trustee Board.
In the meantime, nothing changes and members do not need to take any action on this announcement. It is business as usual for the APSS for at least the next 12 months. The merger, if it goes ahead, is expected to happen in 2022. Members will receive regular updates from the APSS and your Union.
Should you require any further information, the APSS has published a set of FAQs on its website at www.apss.com.au and have established a dedicated helpline, which can be reached on 1300 360 373.
Members who have questions regarding the payment or value of their superannuation benefits can contact the State Branch Office on (02) 9893 7822 for assistance, however it should be noted that any advice provided would be industrial in nature around the actual entitlement. The Union, its officers and representatives are not licensed to provide general or personal financial advice that takes your personal circumstances into account. Before making any decisions that could affect your retirement benefits, members are urged to seek professional financial advice from a qualified, licensed service provider.
As the review process continues, we will continue to keep members up to date on the progression of the consultation process that ensues.
Source : http://www.cepu.org/2021/03
2. Reducing receipts in Swiss Post's post offices
March 25, 2021
Swiss Post is doing away with paper receipts at the post office counter. For postal transactions, a receipt will only be issued if expressly requested - with a few exceptions.
From the end of March, receipts for purchases of items such as postage stamps or envelopes will only be issued when expressly requested by the customer. Receipts will still be printed for services such as registered letters or tracked parcels, giving customers and Swiss Post protection.
Why is Swiss Post doing this? Well, while Swiss Post hasn’t shared how much money it would save in printing costs by dramatically reducing receipt printing, there is a clear environmental benefit.
Swiss Post estimates this move will save around 13 tonnes of CO2e. Per year? In the lifetime of the average dairy cow? Who knows!
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The move to receipt-less transactions has been a long time coming. The wide variety of items and services available in post offices meant that the legal framework for each product had to be carefully checked.
The bigger picture
As of 2040, Swiss Post wants to be climate-neutral as a company. To achieve this, Swiss Post is expanding its use of renewable energies in its buildings and switching to alternative drives in all vehicles, including Postbuses.
Source : http://www.thepostalhub.com/blog
3. Postal services: Light Friday delivery to continue throughout the country
March 24, 2021
Light Friday delivery of letters, publications and advertisements, already familiar to mail recipients from a year ago, will continue.
For senders and recipients, the return to the Light Friday delivery will once again mean that items scheduled for Friday delivery (letters, some publications, advertisements) will be mainly delivered already on Thursday. The earlier deliveries are made possible by the fact that the lower Friday volume of mail can be sorted earlier. However, some items will not be delivered until Monday of the following week.
Delivered on Fridays:
• Newspapers in early-morning delivery
• Newspapers included in the Daytime Delivery and Long-Distance Delivery services
• Letters and postcards with a Plus Sticker
• Express letters
• Parcels
Light Friday delivery is the result of a permanent decrease in the volume of mail, which was greatly accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic last year. Light Friday delivery was introduced in June 2020. Nowadays, a household will only receive 3.5 addressed items per week.
Source : https://www.posti.com/en/media/media-news/2021
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4. Postmaster General and Leadership of Union and Management Associations Form Joint Task Force on Service Performance
March 23, 2021
Task Force to Identify and Address Service Issues at Select Locations Across the Country
The following Joint Statement was issued by:
Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Louis DeJoy
Fred Rolando, President of the National Association of Letter Carriers
Paul Hogrogian, National President of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union
Daniel Heins, National President of the United Postmasters and Managers of America
Mark Dimondstein, President, American Postal Workers Union
Ronnie Stutts, President National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association
Brian Wagner, President National Association of Postal Supervisors
WASHINGTON, DC — “Recognizing that issues in certain facilities across the country continue to hamper service performance, we have come together to form a National Joint Task Force on Service Performance to identify and craft solutions to improve service at specific locations within the network. Members of the Joint Task Force will work together on making necessary changes to strengthen service reliability, share best practices and stay vigilant to any emerging issues.
The National Task Force will also ensure resources are allocated, lines of communication are open and concerns that are not resolved locally are escalated quickly.
Maintaining strong service performance is a process, not a destination; through weather, natural disasters and a holiday season in the midst of a pandemic.
Mail never stops flowing through our system. If bottlenecks occur it can have a cascading impact on the network. Addressing issues early can make all the difference.”
The National Task Force held their first meeting on March 22.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
Source : https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2021
5. Oman Post ASYAD Express opens fulfilment center
March 21, 2021
Muscat: Supporting the Sultanate’s growing and developing eCommerce sector, Oman Post ASYAD Express, a member of ASYAD Group, has announced the opening of its new state-of-the-art fulfillment center. The integrated-logistical solutions’ facility offers customers storage services, as well as pick, pack, and dispatch of online orders for last-mile domestic and international delivery, and the handling of returns. In close proximity to Muscat International Airport, the facility is equipped with the latest technologies and facilities to provide local and international individuals and retailers of all sizes, with innovative, fast, and reliable postal services.
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Ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction, the fulfillment center offers next-day express delivery to many business and residential addresses in select locations across Oman, and up to a maximum of three days to extremely remote locations across the Sultanate. Deliveries to the GCC, wider Middle East, and the rest of the world can be completed in one to four days. The center provides a full packaging and wrapping solution, cold and temperature-controlled storage facilities for both imports and exports, helping Oman Post ASYAD Express expand its operational distribution and eCommerce capabilities for individual customers, sellers, and corporates alike locally and internationally.
“The fulfillment center is an integral part of the integrated services of Oman Post ASYAD Express, supporting the growth of eCommerce locally and internationally. With our experience and an established network of 220 global destinations, our growing customer base will be able to benefit from fast, convenient, and reliable postal services, as we continue to position Oman as a regional fulfillment and distribution hub for eCommerce,” said Nasser Al Sharji, Acting CEO of Oman Post ASYAD Express.
As per the index report released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Oman has been able to secure its place among the Top 10 most prepared developing economies for B2C eCommerce. The Sultanate has climbed six positions in the UN’s Business-to-Consumer (B2C) eCommerce Index 2020, securing the 54th ranking globally and 4th among Arab countries.
Providing end-to-end visibility, the center utilizes one of the world’s most sophisticated logistics management systems (LMS) that allows Oman Post ASYAD Express to optimize all processes from creating an order, up to delivering it to their customers’ door.
In addition, it is a fully secured facility with 24-hour on-site security and CCTV, along with the assurance of the highest health and safety standards.
The new fulfillment center also provides Omani SME’s with the ability to use the new infrastructure, technology and experience of the Asyad Express team to support in driving their business forward both domestically and internationally. Oman Post ASYAD Express is working towards expanding its branch network, while enhancing its portfolio of products and services and products to meet the growing demand on eCommerce and express shipping.
Source : https://www.omanobserver.om/
POSTAL NEWS
No 24-2021
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
1. Amazon faces test over legal liability in Texas Supreme Court. March 26, 2021.
2. Government faces judicial review into plans for Post Office Horizon inquiry. March 25, 2021.
3. Social Activities: the Sport and Cultural Activities offer is evolving! March 24, 2021.
4. Building a stronger, better postal network for New Zealand. March 22, 2021.
5. Accelerated Roadmap to decarbonization: Deutsche Post DHL Group decides on Science Based Targets and invests EUR 7 billion in climate-neutral logistics until 2030. March 22, 2021.
1. Amazon faces test over legal liability in Texas Supreme Court
March 26, 2021
Court is latest to question whether platform should be held responsible for dangerous products
Amazon has told the Texas Supreme Court it is “not realistic” to expect the company to vet the products sold on its platform, arguing it was not to be held responsible when items bought on Amazon.com cause harm to consumers.
The court will determine whether Amazon should be considered liable after a 19-month-old child was left severely injured when she ingested a lithium battery from a remote control sold by a Chinese seller on the platform, which the plaintiffs argued failed to meet industry safety standards.
In this case and others, Amazon has argued it is a middleman between the millions of third-party sellers on its site and the consumers who buy products. But this defence is coming increasingly under strain.
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Amazon has now lost several cases in which judges ruled it could be held potentially liable for injuries caused by products in its digital store, in the same way a brick-and-mortar retailer might be. Recent disputes that were ruled in the consumer’s favour have involved a woman blinded in one eye by a faulty dog leash, and a woman who suffered third-degree burns because of a defective laptop battery.
The latest case comes as the number of third-party sellers on Amazon has swelled dramatically in recent years, attracting a growing number of lawsuits over safety and culpability. Any shift in legal fortunes could have significant ramifications for how Amazon runs its lucrative marketplace, experts said.
“The tide has changed now,” said Aaron Twerski, a Brooklyn Law School professor and a leading authority on product liability, about Amazon’s middleman argument. “I think [Amazon is] dead in the water, because they're wrong. They're just plain simply wrong.”
Amazon declined to comment. The company faces a mixed picture across the country, with courts in some states, such as Ohio and Illinois, agreeing with Amazon.
The remote control at the centre of the Texas case was sold by a third party listed on Amazon as “USA Shopping”, later determined to be a Chinese individual or entity, identified as “Hu Xi Jie”, based in Shenzhen. After the incident, Hu Xi Jie could not be reached by either Amazon or the child’s mother.
During Thursday’s hearing, when asked whether the company played a role in ensuring the safety of products, Amazon lawyer Brendan Murphy said it was “reactive”, and that prior vetting of products sold through its store was “not realistic” because of its scale.
Amazon argued its responsibility was limited since the third-party seller had set the price of the item, written its description and offered it for sale, adding that finding Amazon liable would have “wildly unpredictable and far-reaching results” on other companies, such as food delivery apps or shipping companies.
Liability lawyer Jeremy Robinson, as well as consumer advocacy groups Public Justice and Texas Watch, urged the court in an amicus brief to dismiss Amazon’s claims, arguing that as well as processing the payment for the item, “Amazon then retrieved the defective remote from its own warehouse, packed it, labelled it, and shipped it”.
The brief added: “This is no different than if he had gone to a physical store, except Amazon shipped him the product rather than handing it to him after retrieving it from the warehouse.”
The Texas court is expected to make its ruling by June.
On Wednesday, the Financial Times was able to locate what appeared to be the same product still being sold on Amazon under a different seller account. Amazon did not respond to requests to comment.
According to ecommerce research firm Marketplace Pulse, there are now more than six million third-party sellers on Amazon, whose total sales exceeded an estimated $300bn in 2020. This dwarfs the $190bn estimated to have been sold directly by Amazon.
Despite the position it has defended in court, Amazon last year said it backed a California bill that would hold ecommerce companies liable for all the products sold through their platforms — though with the caveat that it should “apply equally to all stores, including all online marketplaces . . . regardless of how a particular online marketplace makes money”.
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Amazon’s interpretation would bring competitors such as eBay and handmade goods platform Etsy into the fold. The bill, AB 3262, was withdrawn, but an updated version has been reintroduced this year. Amazon would not comment on whether it supported the new bill.
If such efforts do gain traction, and more cases go against Amazon, legal scholars predicted the company would need to greatly improve its vetting process of the third parties that use the platform, or risk being exposed to further damages.
“I think that would be an ultimate societal good,” said Catherine Sharkey, professor of law at New York University. “Because it would prevent and dramatically lower the number of pretty egregious harms from these products.”
Source : https://www.ft.com/
2. Government faces judicial review into plans for Post Office Horizon inquiry
March 25, 2021
Subpostmasters that suffered great hardship at the hands of the Post Office are applying for a judicial review of a government inquiry into the scandal, which they see as a "whitewash"
The UK government faces a potential judicial review over its Post Office Horizon IT scandal inquiry, after subpostmasters formally wrote to the government seeking one.
The subpostmasters were blamed for unexplained accounting losses, with some sent to prison, because of errors in the government-owned Post Office’s Horizon system, which is supplied by Fujitsu. They are calling for the current inquiry to be stopped and restructured.
Following a December 2019 High Court ruling that vindicated subpostmasters, prime minister Boris Johnson promised an inquiry. However, the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry, chaired by former High Court judge Wyn Williams, which was subsequently announced does not have the status of a statutory inquiry, meaning it cannot compel witnesses to attend. This has been described as a "whitewash" by subpostmasters and “a cynical cop-out” by campaigning peer James Arbuthnot.
The Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance (JFSA), which campaigns for justice for those affected by the Horizon scandal, wants the inquiry to be made statutory, with powers to call witnesses under oath and demand documents, amid fears the current plans will allow the government to “brush it under the carpet”.
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JFSA founder and former subpostmaster Alan Bates has sent a formal legal letter, known as a pre-action protocol letter, to Paul Scully, the minister responsible for the Post Office in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), informing BEIS of plans to take it to court over the current inquiry.
“Please treat this letter as a pre-action letter within the pre-action protocol for judicial review,” reads the letter from JFSA solicitors Howe & Co.
“Our client intends to challenge the decision dated 9 March 2021 of [BEIS] refusing to pause the current non-statutory Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, to re-establish this inquiry as a Statutory Inquiry and to hold a consultation on the terms of reference, to take account of pressing matters of public importance, including inter alia the question of abusive prosecutions of subpostmasters.”
The letter to BEIS is the first formal step in seeking a judicial review, where a judge will review the lawfulness of the current Horizon inquiry, but not be limited to that alone. This could see the current inquiry paused.
“Mr Bates believes that a non-statutory inquiry (even with revised terms of reference) would not enable obvious and significant matters of public concern to be properly investigated. This is because, inter alia, a non-statutory inquiry has no power to compel the attendance of witnesses or compel the production of evidence, and nor does it take evidence under oath,” reads the letter.
“It is unlikely that witnesses from the Post Office or Fujitsu would voluntarily give evidence as to those parties’ involvement in the scandal, their knowledge of the flaws in the Horizon system at the time that the demands for payments to the subpostmasters were made or their role in the prosecutions of hundreds of subpostmasters on unreliable and potentially perjured evidence.”
According to a JFSA email to subpostmasters, BEIS has until the middle of April to decide "as to whether or not to volunteer to restructure the current whitewash [inquiry] as a statutory inquiry, and if not, we will have to apply the court."
"For years now the Post Office, BEIS and teh giovernment have demonstrated time and again that they can’t be trusted and it only seems to be the judiciary capable of bringing them to account," added the email.
A Computer Weekly investigation in 2009 revealed the stories of subpostmasters who suffered losses they said were due to errors in the retail and accounting software they use in branches, known as Horizon. The Post Office denied this, and around 900 subpostmasters were prosecuted for theft and false accounting, with some being sent to prison, in what has become one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in UK history.
Subpostmasters were proved right in the High Court in a multimillion-pound group litigation action against the Post Office.
In a letter sent on 3 February, the JFSA, also through its solicitor, requested a meeting with prime minister Johnson to discuss concerns over the weakness of the inquiry in its current form.
Had it not been for the group litigation action against the Post Office, which subpostmasters funded, the harrowing stories of subpostmaster suffering and damning evidence against the Post Office might never have emerged.
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Bates said the only way to get to the bottom of the scandal is through disclosure and the calling of witnesses under oath. During two trials in the group litigation, which Bates led, evidence became known that had previously been denied.
For example a document, the Known Errors Log, emerged in court, which revealed thousands of Horizon bugs. Previously the Post Office had denied any errors and even that the Known Errors Log actually existed.
The judgments made by Judge Peter Fraser in the High Court were damning of the Post Office’s attitude to possible Horizon errors causing unexplained losses. He said the Post Office was wrong to blame subpostmasters and that it had been oppressive in its tactics to get subpostmasters to pay back apparent shortfalls.
The Post Office conceded and agreed to pay £57.75m to subpostmasters and apologised for its behaviour. There were immediate calls for a full public inquiry.
It was also after the judgements that the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) sent 47 cases of potential wrongful prosecution of subpostmasters to the Court of Appeal to potentially have their criminal records quashed. This has since risen to about 50, including six that have already has their convictions quashed at Southwark Crown Court.
This week has seen the appeals of 42 former subpostmasters heard, with judgments expected on Friday 23 April. The latest revelations in the Court of Appeal during the hearing will strengthen calls for a statutory public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal. These include evidence that Post Office staff were told to shred documents that could undermine its stance that Horizon was robust, as well as a document that revealed a lawyer working for the Post Office had informed it that a Fujitsu witness had misled the court during prosecutions of subpostmasters.
Without legal disclosure, this might never have been known.
During the hearing Sam Stein, a QC representing five subpostmasters appealing for their criminal records to be quashed, referred to the current government inquiry. He said: “The Post Office Horizon IT inquiry is of itself limited. It is limited through its own terms of reference to excluding the Post Office Limited's prosecution function or matters of criminal law. That means, sadly, that the Post Office IT inquiry, a non-statutory inquiry, will not be examining the matters that are before this court.”
Source : https://www.computerweekly.com/news
3. Social Activities: the Sport and Cultural Activities offer is evolving!
March 24, 2021
FO is committed to always more solidarity.
As of September 1, 2021, the maximum amount of the “Sport and Cultural Activities Offer” aid increases to € 100 for holders of a caregiver certificate, for Beneficiaries of an Obligation of Compulsory Employment (BOE) and for disabled children (dependent on postal workers).
As a reminder, permanent postal workers, retirees, and their dependents (spouse and dependent child (ren) under 20 years old - no age limit for children with disabilities -) can benefit from a financial contribution for the annual practice of a sport and / or a cultural
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activity. This aid is 60% of the cost of the activity, with a maximum annual ceiling per category of beneficiaries.
Source : http://www.focom-laposte.fr/
4. Building a stronger, better postal network for New Zealand
March 22, 2021
David Walsh had a good Christmas. The New Zealand Post CEO likes to get around the network and talk to his people. Over the festive peak, they were far more composed than they had been back in April, when successive Covid regimes created a perfect storm for the organization, unleashing pent-up demand and flooding its network with 3.5 million parcels in two weeks. Walsh was front and center, defending 10-day delays to next-day deliveries on the evening news. The lessons learned enabled a more fluent Christmas performance and will inform a NZ$170m (US$122m) investment in NZ Post’s processing backbone, which Walsh considers essential in equipping the business to handle the tides of a changing world.
“Traditional posts must be as nimble as major players like Alibaba, Amazon and Aramex and keep pace with global expectations,” Walsh says. “Otherwise, we risk losing relevance.”
NZ Post is a state-owned enterprise serving an island nation of 5.1 million. In 2019, its letter volume fell 18% year-on-year, but it delivered 80 million parcels and 50% of New Zealand’s online shopping. “As postal rates come closer to commercial rates, global players will have greater parity,” Walsh continues. “The last mile continues to evolve, with digitally enabled options and the ‘Uberization’ of deliveries. We must embrace those capabilities as we deal with letter decline and surges in volume.”
The post has certain advantages: regulatory flexibility, close community ties and renewed clarity of purpose. “Our purpose is to deliver what people care about,” continues Walsh. “Our goal is to be New Zealand’s best delivery business.”
In 1840, New Zealand’s first post office was founded at Kororareka and its first postmaster was suspended for ‘continual inebriety’ shortly after. By 1900 the post office network had 1,700 branches and over the next century delivered services including registration of births and deaths, voter enrollment and even wedding ceremonies. It was corporatized in 1989 with three core aims: to be commercially profitable, socially responsible and a good employer.
“Legacy organizations have both the advantage and the tyranny of history,” Walsh observes. “We’ve been around for 180 years. There’s quite a responsibility, considering what’s in front of us.”
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E-commerce spike
Thanks to early government action, Covid claimed just 25 New Zealand lives in 2020. March saw a national Level 4 lockdown with deliveries restricted to essential items only. “Volumes just hit the wall: everything stopped,” Walsh recalls. “We remained an essential service and had to ensure our people could operate safely.” Imports and exports account for one-third of normal volumes, making grounded air traffic a major problem. “We rely on airline belly-space,” he says.
“We went from around 800 to 150 international air connections. We started doing our own charters. We were flying products from Europe to Singapore then sea shipping them to New Zealand.” But transition from Level 4 lockdown to Alert Level 3 made April the cruelest month.
“We got absolutely smashed,” Walsh admits. “Suddenly, the gates opened on restricted deliveries and we had 100% volume spikes.” Whereas NZ Post prides itself on a 97% next-day parcel delivery rate, parcels were taking 7-10 days to arrive. “We’re a flowing network and don’t often store stuff,” Walsh explains. “It comes in then gets processed, transported and delivered. We’re constrained in the volume that we can process.” Crucially, it was in the last mile that NZ Post was overwhelmed by the unprecedented parcel tsunami. “Our processing centers started to deal with the input volumes, but our delivery depots couldn’t cope with the volume pushed into them,” he continues. “Our van efficiency completely fell over.”
As Walsh fielded tough questions on television, NZ Post scrambled to scale up its networks. “We created temporary sites to manage staging of products into delivery cycles,” he says. “We moved quickly to bring in temporary drivers so we could flush our depots. We did weekend pickups and 24-hour processing.” NZ Post was quick to engage with its largest sending customers. “We communicated every day about network status, transport, last-mile delivery and data quality,” Walsh explains. “That enabled them to manage buyers’ delivery expectations on their websites.” When the storm eventually passed, NZ Post commissioned an independent review and swiftly implemented its recommendations. “Covid was a shock to the system but also an opportunity to carry learning forward,” he says.
E-commerce had been relatively embryonic in New Zealand. In 2017, just 7% of shopping happened online, compared with 16% in the UK. Lack of solid research prompted NZ Post to commission The Full Download, a comprehensive report on the subject. “We’re starting to forward lead, and the media come to us now with questions,” says Walsh. “Around Covid, online buying increased by 100-120%.
Although that level hasn’t held, we’ve seen about 30% year-on-year growth and noticed seniors getting more confident buying online.” In November 2020, Kiwis spent NZ$585m (US$419.6m) online, 27% up on 2019, including NZ$115m (US$82.5m) across Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when NZ Post received 300 parcels per minute. “Black Friday has become a signal of what the peak will look like,” says Walsh.
Ambition and investment
NZ Post will spend NZ$170m (US$122m) on its network in the next three years. It will create the robust backbone needed to manage rising parcel volumes and cope with unexpected surges, including a new Wellington super depot. “The second part of that investment path is about data quality,” says Walsh. “Getting the injection standards and quality of information on the label, through the sort machines, will improve our service quality and delivery accuracy.”
It means working with large sending customers – e-commerce platforms – to ensure consistency in the information provided via APIs.
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“Standard data integrity means we can provide better information on delivery timescales, contents and product quality,” he continues. “That will flow into decisions on buying optical reading equipment and how sort sequencing works from there.” Walsh sees this work as essential in enabling NZ Post to match the service of global competitors. “In organizations like DHL or DPD, data standards integrity, optical reading and addressing standards and item standards are critical. Everyone injecting into your network must have those standards together. We just have to make sure that’s our benchmark,” he says.
Lessons learned in April resulted in a more orderly Christmas. “Every year volumes increase, and the shoulders get wider, but we came through incredibly well,” says Walsh. Improved planning for capacity, new ways of processing, better connections between transportation and depots, and communication with retailers to manage network inflows all played a part.
“People were busy, but it was controlled,” he reports. “You could see them saying ‘I’ve got this, I know what’s coming’.” The main challenge was international, since the inability to travel prompted a spike in overseas gifting.
Perhaps it is coincidence that Walsh began his career in the mailroom of Shell Oil, as change has been the only constant in the intervening years. He joined TransAlta during the deregulation of New Zealand’s electricity sector and ended up a youthful acting CFO. He worked for Fonterra during its consolidation of New Zealand’s dairy industry, experienced deregulation again at New Zealand’s Racing Board then moved to KiwiRail before joining NZ Post in 2015. “My experience has been large-scale organizations going through change,” he reflects. “They all involved a physical network. Moving parcels is physical – and the parcel is what people want.
The digital part is about communication and user experience. Linking the two is what’s interesting.”
Walsh seems a likeable boss and takes NZ Post’s obligation to be a good employer seriously. “We directly employ about 4,500 people and have another 1,500 contract drivers,” he says. “Our posties are well regarded and people resonate with the role they play. It’s important that we pay fairly, provide opportunities for people to develop their careers and be themselves in our organization.” NZ Post has a Rainbow Tick for embracing sexual and gender difference and is committed to a workforce that reflects New
Zealand’s ethnic diversity. But more than that, Walsh cares what happens to people. “We have a responsibility, as we navigate a massive pivot-point for our business, to support our people and bring them with us,” he says. “That’s what motivates me to get up in the morning.
“We’ve got ambitious plans, but we have to execute them and do it well,” he concludes. “You can havethe best-laid plans, but it’s a question of holding the course. The role postal organizations have played in connecting people gives them a great opportunity to be part of the forward evolution. But if we don’t deliver, others will fill that space.”
Source : https://www.parcelandpostaltechnologyinternational.com/features
5. Accelerated Roadmap to decarbonization: Deutsche Post DHL Group decides on Science Based Targets and invests EUR 7 billion in climate-neutral logistics until 2030
March 22, 2021
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The funds will flow in particular into alternative aviation fuels, the expansion of the zero-emission e-vehicle fleet and climate-neutral buildings.
• New sustainability roadmap defines ambitious sustainability targets
• Group decides on "Science Based Targets" and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris Climate Agreement
• To this end, the Group will invest EUR 7 billion in climate-neutral logistics by 2030
• By 2030, 80,000 e-vehicles shall be deployed for last-mile deliveries, resulting in 60% electrification of the fleet
• Management Board compensation to be linked to new sustainability roadmap
• CEO Frank Appel: "We are turning our yellow Group into a green company and making an important contribution to our planet and society."
Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL Group
Bonn - Deutsche Post DHL Group is increasing the pace of its planned decarbonization of the company. To this end, the Group is investing a total of 7 billion euros (Opex and Capex) over the next ten years in measures to reduce its CO2 emissions.
The funds will flow in particular into alternative aviation fuels, the expansion of the zero-emission e-vehicle fleet and climate-neutral buildings. Along the way towards its zero emissions target by 2050, which has already been in force for 4 years, the company is committing to new, ambitious interim targets. For example, Deutsche Post DHL Group commits as part of the acclaimed Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
The climate targets are part of Deutsche Post DHL Group's new sustainability roadmap, in which the company sets out its ESG goals for the next years. In addition to its commitment to the environment, the Group also defines clear targets and measures in the areas of social responsibility and governance.
The Board of Management and Supervisory Board of Deutsche Post DHL Group will propose to shareholders at the next Annual General Meeting that the remuneration system for the Board of Management will be aligned even more closely with sustainable business development. In the future, the achievement of ESG targets will be taken into account when calculating the remuneration of the Board of Management - a clear signal that the commitment to sustainable business is a top priority at Deutsche Post DHL Group.
"As the world's largest logistics company, it is our responsibility to lead the way and guide the logistics industry into a sustainable future. We are turning our yellow Group into a green company and making an important contribution to our planet and society," says Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL Group.
"I am convinced that by focusing even more on our ESG goals, we will remain the first choice for customers, employees and investors - and thus lay the foundations for long-term economic success."
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A commitment to sustainability is an integral part of Deutsche Post DHL Group's corporate culture. Since 2008, the Group has had ambitious sustainability targets, for example with regard to CO2 reduction. In 2017, the Group became the first logistics company in the world to set a target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. To this end, the company offers numerous innovative solutions to make supply chains more sustainable and help its customers achieve their environmental goals. With "Strategy 2025" introduced in 2019, sustainability has become a fundamental component of the corporate strategy.
Frank Appel: "Covid-19 has once again reinforced the major megatrends of our time: globalization, digitalization, e-commerce and sustainability - the four drivers of our 'Strategy 2025'. Of these topics, sustainability is the most pressing challenge. With our sustainability roadmap, we are stepping up our efforts and explicitly promoting the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations."
Environment: billions invested in alternative fuels, e-mobility and climate-neutral buildings
In the fight against climate change, Deutsche Post DHL Group is committed to ambitious CO2 reduction targets as part of the Science Based Target Initiative. The Group assumes that its emissions would be around 46 million tons in 2030 without the measures of the new sustainability roadmap. In 2020, emissions were 33 million metric tons. Today, the company is committed to reducing these annual Group CO2 emissions to below 29 million tons by 2030, despite the expected continued strong growth in global logistics activities.
To achieve this, Deutsche Post DHL Group will invest around 7 billion euros (Opex and Capex) in climate-neutral logistics solutions by 2030. The expenditures arising from this up to 2023 have already been taken into account in the investment plan up to 2023 communicated on March 9. For short distances and the last mile, the Group is continuing to drive forward the electrification of its vehicle fleet. By 2030, 60 percent of global delivery vehicles for the last mile are to be electrically powered, hence more than 80,000 e-vehicles will be on the road. In 2020, the figure was 18 percent.
On longer routes, especially in air transport, electric drives are not an alternative for the foreseeable future. That is why Deutsche Post DHL Group is pushing for the development and use of fuels produced from renewable energies: By 2030, at least 30 percent of fuel requirements in aviation and line haul are to be covered by sustainable fuels. In addition, the Group is investing in environment friendly properties (office space, mail and parcel centers, and logistics warehouses): All new buildings are being constructed will be climate-neutral.
Frank Appel: "Sustainable, clean fuel alternatives are elementary for climate-neutral logistics in a globalized world. In air transport in particular, these could help reduce CO2 emissions. That's why we will engage even more intensively in initiatives and strengthen cross-industry exchange to develop a global strategy and standards here. One thing is certain: Only by joining forces - across countries and sectors - will we achieve truly sustainable progress in all areas."
Social responsibility: Promoting diversity and keeping employee satisfaction at a high level
Based on the corporate values "Respect & Results", Deutsche Post DHL Group will also further promote inclusion and equal opportunities within the organization. The proportion of female executives in management is supposed to increase from 23.2 percent today to at least 30 percent by 2025. "Our motivated diverse workforce is the key to excellent service quality and high customer satisfaction. Satisfied customers are the basis for economic success. This is another reason why we are convinced that it is worth actively promoting
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equal opportunities", says Thomas Ogilvie, Chief Human Resources Officer and Labor Director at Deutsche Post DHL Group.
In addition, the Group has set itself the goal of maintaining the approval rating in the "employee engagement" category in the annual global employee survey at a consistently high level of above 80.
Deutsche Post DHL Group also intends to further expand its social contribution to society in the coming years. The Group commits to invest 1 percent of its net profits annually in its social impact programs and initiatives. The GoTrade program, launched in the fall of 2020, focuses on giving small and medium-sized enterprises from developing countries access to global markets and thus enabling cross-border trade. The GoHelp disaster response program provides emergency logistical assistance quickly and free of charge in the event of a disaster. The Group also continues to expand the GoTeach program, which improves the employability of young people living in socially disadvantaged circumstances due to poverty, loss of loved ones or fleeing from disaster, by preparing them with the necessary skills to successfully transition to the world of work.
Corporate governance: Highest standards in every corner of the world
Deutsche Post DHL Group also sets itself even stricter rules with regard to good corporate governance. For example, the Code of Conduct for Suppliers has been updated. The rules and standards described in it have been aligned even more closely with sustainability criteria. In addition, a new policy statement on human rights has been introduced." As a market leader, we are a role model for responsible and ethical business practices and fair behavior. ESG is an integral part of Strategy 2025 and all relevant KPIs are therefore integrated into the management of the Group and its regular reporting ", says Melanie Kreis, Chief Financial Officer of Deutsche Post DHL Group.
In the future, the achievement of ESG targets is to be taken into account when calculating the remuneration of the Board of Management. This will be proposed to the Annual General Meeting on May 6, 2021.
Source : https://www.dpdhl.com/en/media-relations/press-releases/2021