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.
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