Royal Mail’s PAF plans could threaten business survival
Direct Mail firm GI Solutions said the current proposal risks big price hikes for businesses that use PAF, such as for bulk mailing and address searches for online customer form filling. Royal Mail’s business customers currently pay for a PAF License. Under the proposed new system of charging, which is currently under consultation, businesses will instead be charged 1-8 pence every time an address is checked against PAF. The potential extra costs are huge, especially for bulk mailers, warned GI Solution’s deputy managing director Patrick Headley. “We currently pay £16,000 a year for our licence, but if a company is charged 1p a record, 10m mailings would cost £100,000. This is a huge increase. This is not the way to go about promoting mail and encouraging people to use the service. “I was speaking to a big retail customer recently and he said it will just encourage them to swap mail for email. The industry is up in arms and this will result in pandemonium. If this goes ahead it will be devastating to the industry and I can see companies going out of business. I hope Royal Mail sees sense.” He added that often a letter was checked against PAF up to five times for it to qualify for some of Royal Mail’s discount services. For a mailing house that mailed 2.5m letters a month it could see monthly costs rise from between £24,000 to £200,000. These would be passed on to the customer. The DMA supports the theory that PAF licensing needs to be simplified to increase the number of business users, but believes that Royal Mail should implement the changes without increasing costs for its business customers. The organisation is due to make a submission to Royal Mail’s consultation to highlight its concerns. British Association for Print and Communication chairman Sidney Bobb said: “They are having to sell Royal Mail as a profitable organisation, but exactly the same happened with the utilities, which many think damaged the services. There has been a tremendous growth in providers of product distribution, so TNT will take advantage of this if they can.” BPIF chief executive Kathy Woodward said: “Anything that makes mailing less attractive is harmful to the industry. But coming up to privatisation I would expect them to demonstrate a growth scenario rather than do anything that negatively impacts their distribution volumes.” However a Royal Mail spokesman said: “The proposals aim to incentivise take up, encourage greater use of PAF and enable it to better meet the current and future needs of users and solutions developers in today’s marketplace. “Royal Mail has recognised that a simpler approach to licensing PAF is required to meet current and future needs. Ofcom’s recent consultation on the management of PAF, along with feedback from users, support the need for greater licence simplification.”...
read moreRoyal Mail rejects CWU strike ballot commitment
Following government confirmation yesterday that Royal Mail is to be privatised, with an initial public offering in the coming weeks, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) confirmed its intent to carry out a planned ballot of 125,000 members on 20 September for a national postal strike. The CWU will announce the result on 3 October, with seven days’ notice necessary before any industrial action could begin, meaning workers could strike from 10 October. But Royal Mail chief executive Moya Green has criticised the move. She said: “Talk of a ballot for industrial action makes no sense when there is a significant three-year deal on the table and negotiations are ongoing. It is now time for Royal Mail and the CWU to come to a new agreement for our people going forward. “I understand our people’s concern that they should have protections in place as Royal Mail is privatised, which is why we have proposed a ground-breaking three-year, legally binding agreement including a highly competitive pay offer of 8.6%. “But the company and our customers need protections too. We want to ensure that, in future, any disputes are settled through dialogue, mediation and arbitration. “It is because our customers trust us and value the service we provide that there should not be a strike at this crucial time. If businesses can’t rely on us, they will look elsewhere to protect their own business.” The CWU is in dispute with the national postal service over pay and conditions. Open-ended talks between the two sides are ongoing with, as yet, no settlement being reached. In June, a consultative ballot of CWU members voted overwhelmingly (96%) against privatisation and in favour of the CWU pay claim and a policy of non-cooperation. Of the 74% who responded, 92% also supported a boycott of DSA providers. Yesterday, the CWU confirmed that it was seeking legal advice on how to incorporate such a boycott as part of any industrial action that may take place....
read moreRise in printer interest in recycling, according to J&G
Recent revisions to the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 have inspired printers to think more carefully about waste management, according to the company. The regulations were recently revised to require businesses to formally confirm they have applied a ‘waste management hierarchy’, whereby options for waste disposal for all products are considered in a certain order. Printers must now provide a declaration on waste transfer or consignment notes that this hierarchy has been applied. This, J&G believes, has led to a heightened awareness of intelligent waste disposal among a wider cross-section of printers. The result, it said, was that printers are now more likely to contact a company with an established reputation for recycling. “Telephone calls about this, together with visits to our website, have shown a significant increase since the introduction of the new regulations. Getting information about the final destination of waste and how it is recycled seems to be of particular interest and it’s the most popular section of our website,” said John Haines, general manager at J&G. Customer care manager Richard Spreadbury added: “Printers today are far more aware of their responsibilities than they’ve ever been. Printers have dragged themselves up from a really messy place 10 or 15 years ago to being really on top of their game today.” Now having to comply with more stringent waste disposal legislation has made more printers realise the cost benefits of recycling, said Spreadbury. Also a contributing factor is the rise of landfill costs for six consecutive years to £72 a tonne today, a figure set to rise again next year. “Everybody is now watching every penny. The printers that we deal with want to make sure they’re getting the best value for money. They want to make sure the waste streams that cost them money are as clean as possible, but also that they’re making money from waste streams where possible,” said Spreadbury. He added: “Reducing costs isn’t always about saying ‘we can do that for £10 less’, it’s encouraging people to utilise storage containers the right way, for example, rather than throwing stuff into a container, so that they’re not paying to transport air rather than materials.” J&G advises that the first step in applying a waste management hierarchy and reducing costs, is enlisting a waste management company to perform a waste audit....
read moreRoyal Mail rejects CWU strike ballot commitment
Following government confirmation yesterday that Royal Mail is to be privatised, with an initial public offering in the coming weeks, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) confirmed its intent to carry out a planned ballot of 125,000 members on 20 September for a national postal strike. The CWU will announce the result on 3 October, with seven days’ notice necessary before any industrial action could begin, meaning workers could strike from 10 October. But Royal Mail chief executive Moya Green has criticised the move. She said: “Talk of a ballot for industrial action makes no sense when there is a significant three-year deal on the table and negotiations are ongoing. It is now time for Royal Mail and the CWU to come to a new agreement for our people going forward. “I understand our people’s concern that they should have protections in place as Royal Mail is privatised, which is why we have proposed a ground-breaking three-year, legally binding agreement including a highly competitive pay offer of 8.6%. “But the company and our customers need protections too. We want to ensure that, in future, any disputes are settled through dialogue, mediation and arbitration. “It is because our customers trust us and value the service we provide that there should not be a strike at this crucial time. If businesses can’t rely on us, they will look elsewhere to protect their own business.” The CWU is in dispute with the national postal service over pay and conditions. Open-ended talks between the two sides are ongoing with, as yet, no settlement being reached. In June, a consultative ballot of CWU members voted overwhelmingly (96%) against privatisation and in favour of the CWU pay claim and a policy of non-cooperation. Of the 74% who responded, 92% also supported a boycott of DSA providers. Yesterday, the CWU confirmed that it was seeking legal advice on how to incorporate such a boycott as part of any industrial action that may take place....
read moreRise in printer interest in recycling, according to J&G
Recent revisions to the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 have inspired printers to think more carefully about waste management, according to the company. The regulations were recently revised to require businesses to formally confirm they have applied a ‘waste management hierarchy’, whereby options for waste disposal for all products are considered in a certain order. Printers must now provide a declaration on waste transfer or consignment notes that this hierarchy has been applied. This, J&G believes, has led to a heightened awareness of intelligent waste disposal among a wider cross-section of printers. The result, it said, was that printers are now more likely to contact a company with an established reputation for recycling. “Telephone calls about this, together with visits to our website, have shown a significant increase since the introduction of the new regulations. Getting information about the final destination of waste and how it is recycled seems to be of particular interest and it’s the most popular section of our website,” said John Haines, general manager at J&G. Customer care manager Richard Spreadbury added: “Printers today are far more aware of their responsibilities than they’ve ever been. Printers have dragged themselves up from a really messy place 10 or 15 years ago to being really on top of their game today.” Now having to comply with more stringent waste disposal legislation has made more printers realise the cost benefits of recycling, said Spreadbury. Also a contributing factor is the rise of landfill costs for six consecutive years to £72 a tonne today, a figure set to rise again next year. “Everybody is now watching every penny. The printers that we deal with want to make sure they’re getting the best value for money. They want to make sure the waste streams that cost them money are as clean as possible, but also that they’re making money from waste streams where possible,” said Spreadbury. He added: “Reducing costs isn’t always about saying ‘we can do that for £10 less’, it’s encouraging people to utilise storage containers the right way, for example, rather than throwing stuff into a container, so that they’re not paying to transport air rather than materials.” J&G advises that the first step in applying a waste management hierarchy and reducing costs, is enlisting a waste management company to perform a waste audit....
read moreNew polymer banknotes could be supplied by Cumbria firm
The proposal, announced this week by the Bank of England (BoE), to transition from cotton-based banknotes to polymer from 2016, prompted media speculation about possible suppliers. Innovia subsidiary Innovia Security supplies the trademarked Guardian polymer substrate for banknote printing to 23 countries, including Australia, Mexico and Canada. The substrate itself is manufactured in Australia. The company would not confirm or deny its involvement with the Bank of England’s move to polymer banknotes. A spokeswoman said: “We are pleased that the Bank is seriously considering polymer, but at this time we are not in a position to make any further comment.” Innovia Security was originally founded as Securency International in 1996 as a joint venture between Innovia Films and the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). In March this year Innovia paid A$65m (£43.3m) for RBA’s 50% stake in the business giving the Cumbrian firm 100% control. Last month Innovia Films announced a £20m investment at its UK site, to boost capacity for biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), the base film used for its Guardian substrate, as well as a new gas turbine. The work is scheduled for completion by 2015. The BoE has launched a two-month public consultation on the move to polymer, with a decision expected in December. According to the financial institution polymer notes are more hygienic, around two-and-a-half times more durable than paper notes and benefit from better anti-counterfeit features. The BoE claims that although the cost of the substrate and the size of the initial run would mean that production of the notes would be more expensive in the short term, the notes would provide cost savings over time as fewer would need to be printed due to their longer lifespan. This of course has implications for BoE’s Debden, Essex print facility, currently run by De La Rue, which has held the banknotes contract since 2003. Last year the BoE put a £1bn print contract out to tender, with the successful bidder, of which there are thought to be five, due to start in 2015....
read moreNew polymer banknotes could be supplied by Cumbria firm
The proposal, announced this week by the Bank of England (BoE), to transition from cotton-based banknotes to polymer from 2016, prompted media speculation about possible suppliers. Innovia subsidiary Innovia Security supplies the trademarked Guardian polymer substrate for banknote printing to 23 countries, including Australia, Mexico and Canada. The substrate itself is manufactured in Australia. The company would not confirm or deny its involvement with the Bank of England’s move to polymer banknotes. A spokeswoman said: “We are pleased that the Bank is seriously considering polymer, but at this time we are not in a position to make any further comment.” Innovia Security was originally founded as Securency International in 1996 as a joint venture between Innovia Films and the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). In March this year Innovia paid A$65m (£43.3m) for RBA’s 50% stake in the business giving the Cumbrian firm 100% control. Last month Innovia Films announced a £20m investment at its UK site, to boost capacity for biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), the base film used for its Guardian substrate, as well as a new gas turbine. The work is scheduled for completion by 2015. The BoE has launched a two-month public consultation on the move to polymer, with a decision expected in December. According to the financial institution polymer notes are more hygienic, around two-and-a-half times more durable than paper notes and benefit from better anti-counterfeit features. The BoE claims that although the cost of the substrate and the size of the initial run would mean that production of the notes would be more expensive in the short term, the notes would provide cost savings over time as fewer would need to be printed due to their longer lifespan. This of course has implications for BoE’s Debden, Essex print facility, currently run by De La Rue, which has held the banknotes contract since 2003. Last year the BoE put a £1bn print contract out to tender, with the successful bidder, of which there are thought to be five, due to start in 2015....
read moreGD Direct targets 30% growth with Xerox install
The two new machines were chosen to increase print capacity and personalisation capabilities at the Rotherham-based business, which is part of the Garnett Dickinson Group, as well as cutting response times for fast-turnaround work. The ‘Diamond Edition’ iGen4 press has a rated speed of 110ppm and a maximum recommended average monthly volume of 3.75m pages. Meanwhile, the Xerox Nuvera 120 EA Production System provides a complete production platform for books, manuals and transpromo applications. It operates at 120ppm and has a top average monthly volume rating of 1.5m images. GD Direct Solutions managing director Carl Garnett said: “The iGen4 Diamond Edition and the Nuvera bring additional capacity to our existing laser and digital capability, along with faster production speeds, a larger sheet size and more flexibility across products. “Personalisation and targeting is an important part of the direct marketing service we offer to our customers, and this investment will augment our ability to provide this in a commercially viable way.” The list the iGen4 Diamond starts at £425,000 while the Nuvera 120 EA costs from around...
read moreGD Direct targets 30% growth with Xerox install
The two new machines were chosen to increase print capacity and personalisation capabilities at the Rotherham-based business, which is part of the Garnett Dickinson Group, as well as cutting response times for fast-turnaround work. The ‘Diamond Edition’ iGen4 press has a rated speed of 110ppm and a maximum recommended average monthly volume of 3.75m pages. Meanwhile, the Xerox Nuvera 120 EA Production System provides a complete production platform for books, manuals and transpromo applications. It operates at 120ppm and has a top average monthly volume rating of 1.5m images. GD Direct Solutions managing director Carl Garnett said: “The iGen4 Diamond Edition and the Nuvera bring additional capacity to our existing laser and digital capability, along with faster production speeds, a larger sheet size and more flexibility across products. “Personalisation and targeting is an important part of the direct marketing service we offer to our customers, and this investment will augment our ability to provide this in a commercially viable way.” The list the iGen4 Diamond starts at £425,000 while the Nuvera 120 EA costs from around...
read moreBaker Goodchild takes on apprentices to support growth
The business provides print management, direct mail, international mailing and bulk postage services. Apprentices Jordan Sanders, Benjamin Jones and Mohammed Asif have been taken on across the firm’s back office and print-room divisions after the business invested in equipment that it says has doubled the speed of its output. Its West Midlands facility houses a raft of equipment including mono and colour Xerox and Ricoh printers that produce documents and letterheads, cards, postcards and booklets for businesses. Its latest additions include a fifth Ricoh Pro 1106 EX, an Astro 3800 high-speed inkjet address printer, a second Norpak P9 polywrap inserter and a Kern inserting line, as well as a host of IT upgrades. Finance and operations director Lorraine Walker said: “We’ve taken these apprentices on at a real time of growth and investment for the company. We are really serious about supporting them to develop their skills and knowledge. “They can help us with a range of admin duties which help with day to day business and they will also work on print quality assurance and on managing our social media channels.” Walker added that the business was currently looking for two more apprentices to train up....
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