Some interesting NEWS about postal in other countries ---
Nigeria: NIPOST
Threatens to Withhold Katsina Mails over Unpaid Bills
Katsina — The Nigerian
Postal Service has threatened to withhold mails for the 34 local government
councils of Katsina State for failing to pay for services rendered to them.
Speaking to newsmen
yesterday in Katsina, postal manager in the state, Alex Bature, said despite
several letters sent to the councils, they have refused to settle debts
amounting to N3 million.
Bature added that
hundreds of sensitive mails meant for the councils are at the state
headquarters of the postal services.
"We visited the
local government councils but it was difficult to see the council chairmen to
register our complaints," he said.
He said though the
postal service is not a profit making organization, individuals and
organizations should endeavour to pay for services rendered to them so they can
in turn solve their financial problems.
Meanwhile, Bature said
the postal service has entered an agreement with the state ministry of
education for prompt payment, adding that a substantial amount of money has
already been released to them.
US
Postal Service Returns Money Lost in Moneygram Scams
The
US Postal Service delivered gifts to thousands of consumers last month who were
victims of scams involving Moneygram. Millions of dollars are being returned to
people who thought they lost it all.
Fraud
victim Wanda Wood explained, “One morning I answered the phone… and this a
young fella said “hi Grandma”…”
Wanda
says the voice sounded like her grandson, Matt. She became concerned when he
said he was in Canada and needed help: $4500 wired to him immediately.
“I
really and truly thought it was Matt. The kid sounded like him," said
Wanda
She
wired the money via Moneygram, but con artists intercepted it along with funds
sent by hundreds of others who were targeted in the scheme.
“I
was really disappointed. There I was out of $4500," lamented Wanda
The
Justice Department found Moneygram in violation of processing thousands of
transactions for individuals known to be involved in scams.
“The
corrupt agents converted the money transfers to cash in a manner that
maintained the anonymity of fraudsters," said US Postal Inspector Nick
Alicea.
Moneygram
profited from the scheme by collecting fees and other revenues on the
fraudulent transactions. Schemes included “the grandparent scam” that lured in
Wanda, as well as secret shopper scams and sweepstakes or lottery scams.
Don
Golden’s mother lost $60,000 and came close to losing her home.
Don
explained, “She decided that she didn't have the money to pay her school taxes
because she was putting all of her money in this sweepstakes activity.”
Money
gram has agreed to pay $100 million for its role in the scam between 2004 and
2009.
“This
in my mind is a milestone day because we are seeing some justice for my mother
and my family," Don said.
Postal
inspectors will distribute $46 million to almost 18,000 victims or family
members of scam victims across the country. Victims are grateful.
Anyone
who believes they may have been victimized by the Moneygram scheme is urged to
visit justice.gov for instructions on how to file a request for compensation.
Union: Don’t Fill Staples
Jobs with Non-Postal Employees
A union representing U.S.
Postal Service employees is staging protests later this month against a pilot
program that opened retail postal spaces at Staples office supply locations,
complaining the resulting jobs are staffed by non-postal workers.
The Postal Service
reached an agreement with Staples in October 2013 to put retail units in more
than 80 stores, with the possibility of expanding dramatically, to create a “one-stop
shopping” experience for customers.
Staples, however, has
staffed the postal areas with its own employees. For the American Postal
Workers Union, this represents a lost opportunity to grow services using postal
employees whom USPS customers can trust.
“This is a direct assault
on our jobs and on public postal services,” said APWU’s President Mark
Dimondstein. “The APWU supports the expansion of postal services. But we are
adamantly opposed to USPS plans to replace good-paying union jobs with
non-union low-wage jobs held by workers who have no accountability for the
safety and security of the mail. Postal workers deserve better, and our
customers deserve better.”
The contract between
Staples and the Postal Service allows the retailer to use its own employees.
APWU first will meet with
Staples store managers by Jan. 18 to express their concerns, particularly that
postal-related positions within their stores are being filled by “low-wage,
non-union, non-postal employees.” Then the union will organize a day of action
and subsequent protests.
The Postal Service said it
respects the right of its employees to protest, but fell short of offering any
conciliation.
“The U.S. Postal Service
recognizes and respects the right of its employees to exercise their First
Amendment rights,” said Darlene Reid-DeMeo, an agency spokeswoman. “Postal
Service employees who choose to participate in picketing activities must do so
while off-duty and abide by all local laws regarding public gatherings.”
USPS’ pilot program
has launched in five metropolitan areas and is the first in the agency’s retail
partner expansion program, designed to “increase choices customers have on
where and when they can purchase postal products and services.” More than 80
percent of postal products and services are available at the participating
Staples locations.
Reid-DeMeo said the
Staples pilot program is similar to its existing Contract Postal Units, which
allow customers to buy stamps at a pharmacy store, and its Village Post Offices where customers can
use postal services inside of a local grocery store, for example. These
locations also are not staffed by postal employees.
Austrian
Post has
ruled out laying off thousands of postal workers as it continues to adjust its
network to falling mail volumes. The national postal service in Austria issued
a “clear denial” of local newspaper reports today, stating that it was “simply
wrong” to state that it has plans for a wave of job cuts. The newspaper reports
had suggested that 9,000 mail staff were currently in fear of losing their
jobs.
The Finnish postal
service announced extensive
job cuts on Thursday, and plans to lay off 1,200 letter carriers. The state
enterprise only has itself to blame for its present financial difficulties, the
liberal daily Savon Sanomat comments:
The government hopes
that people will react positively to the restructuring. But hardly anyone will
be happy that the state-owned enterprise Itella wants to slash 1,200 jobs, a
move that will only make its service worse than it already is. The cuts will
barely be felt in the cities, but the inhabitants of more sparsely-inhabited
regions are not in an enviable position.
… The company’s
management can justify the staff cuts by pointing to new technologies. But it
only has itself to blame for the fact that fewer letters, newspapers and
packages are being sent by mail. Parcel deliveries will soon be so expensive
that it’ll be cheaper to get in the car and deliver your packages yourself.
//copy// from aipeu gds web
