Thursday, October 28, 2010

Study Tour of Union Representatives to the Royal Mail, London.
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A Delegation consisting of eight Union Representatives of FNPO and NFPE visited Royal Mail from 18th to 23rd of October, 2010. The delegation was lead by Shri A.K. Sharma, DDG (Estt.) and Shri Subhash Chander, Director (SR) co-ordinated the tour. The tour was arranged by India Post. The FNPO was represented by the General Secretaries of Postmen & Group D/ MTS, NAPE P-III, NU R-IV Shri T.N. Rahate, Shri D. Kishan Rao and Shri A.H. Siddique respectively.
For Shri T.N. Rahate, General Secretary NUPE P-IV it was a second occasion to visit foreign country i.e. London on Study Tour as he has already visited Germany Deutsche Post in Study Tour during 23rd to 27th March, 2009.
The tour is successful in as much as the Union Representatives has got a chance to observe the urgent need of the technological change of the Post due to the liberalization of Postal markets in both the countries to improve the efficiency and for a level playing field with other market operators besides maintaining the UPSO obligation as both the countries are committed for the UPSO. UK regulation and liberalization started in 1-1-2006 and mail regulator came into existence and 50 operators are granted licenses besides the Royal Mail in the market without the UPSO. The strength of the Royal Mail is its unique door-to-door delivery system like India Post with 1,48,000 frontline employees, 4,50,000 collections a day, 27 million delivery points, 33,000 vehicles plus 29 Aircrafts, 27,000 bicycles.

This tour was especially arranged to study the working pattern of Royal Mail, London especially to mention here that the British Government has established India Post in our country and the same Postal Department at London and British commonwelfare.

The delegation visited the officers of Royal Mail, London and observed that at par with our country the door-to-door delivery through Postman is being served by foot, in trolley, by bicycle and with van.

Ist & IInd Class Mails is being delivered by the separate postman whereas a separate Postman is given for delivery of special mails and another separate postman deliveres parcel etc. For all the different mail deliveries a separate postman is used. All the deliveries are different but it is deliveried only once in a day. We have been pleased to note that the Sorting pattern is very good at Royal Mail due to proper use of mechanism. The Sorting of all Delivery Zone is being made at one and the same spot by Beatwise, Officewise with the help of machine.
The Front Side of Post Offices is work place of Postal Business and backside of Post Offices is assigned only for Mail and delivery process of Royal Mail which is Government Ltd. Enterprises. However, it was really a very good tour organised by the Department and the result of the Tour is fruitful for the further improvement of Postal Services in the Department.

The Royal Mail suffered losses to the tune of 100 million pounds in 2008-09 and borrowed 1.2 billion pounds to interest for changing the infrastructure and improving efficiency to compete with the other operators in the Market.

The India Post and the Royal Mail has the similarities in the nature, but, for the modernisation and the advancement in the technology to meet the market challenges.
(T.N. RAHATE)
General Secretary